Fragile

Chapter 7 - Internship

Surprise again

~~~~

Graduation had come and gone in a blur—caps tossed into the air, hugs exchanged, proud smiles from my mom, a special "you did it" drawing from Riggs that now sat framed on my nightstand.

But the relief of finishing school hadn't lasted long.

Job hunting was a beast. I sent out application after application, some got responses, some didn't, and every interview left me more anxious than the last. I was balancing that stress while still picking Riggs up from school, helping with his homework, making sure he ate more than just dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.

Then, one afternoon, while Riggs was coloring at the kitchen table, my phone buzzed with an email.

An offer.

A six-month paid internship. In London.

I had read it three times before it fully sank in.

It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down—better pay, experience in a hospital with one of the best pediatric units, a chance to prove myself. It was a foot in the door.

So, just like that, I packed up our life.

~ ~ ~

The day we left for England, Riggs was practically vibrating with excitement at the airport, his little backpack strapped to him, his hand gripping mine tightly.

"Are we really moving?" he kept asking, eyes wide as we went through security.

I smiled, ruffling his hair. "Yeah, bud. We really are."

When we finally settled into our seats on the plane, he stared out the window, kicking his feet. "Will it be cold there?"

I smirked. "Probably."

"Like snow cold?"

I chuckled. "Maybe."

He gasped. "Do you think we'll see Leah?"

The question knocked the air out of me for a second.

Leah.

I hadn't spoken to her in months. Not since I had ended things.

Not since I ignored all of her messages.

The thought of seeing her again made my stomach twist—guilt, nerves, something else mixing together.

I forced a smile for Riggs. "I don't know, bud."

That seemed to satisfy him for now, and soon enough, he was watching a movie on his tablet, lost in his own little world.

I pulled out my phone, staring at the Instagram story I had just posted—a photo of me and Riggs on the plane, his face alight with excitement as he clutched his stuffed dinosaur, my own smile small but real.

The caption was simple: New beginnings. See you soon, London.

I locked my phone, exhaling slowly, staring out the window as the plane took off.

We landed in the morning, groggy from the flight but running on adrenaline. Riggs clutched my hand as we moved through the airport, his little head turning at everything around us.