For the Record

XXIV - Setting Boundaries... Again

Sofia regretted that single word the moment it slipped out of her mouth.
Okay.

It wasn't forgiveness. It wasn't permission to start over. It was exhaustion — her defenses finally cracking under the weight of Jake's pleading eyes and twelve years of unfinished grief.

So when she walked into her clinic the next morning and found him already there, sitting in the waiting area like he belonged, her stomach sank.

Jake stood when he saw her. He was in scrubs, hair damp as if he hadn't slept but showered in a hurry just to be here. "Morning," he said, almost shy, like the man who used to wait outside her dorm room with coffee after night shifts.

"Don't 'morning' me," Sofia shot back, brushing past him toward her office. "You're not a patient. You're not staff. You don't have any business being here."

He followed, careful not to crowd her. "You told me I could love you again. Let me start by showing up."

Sofia spun on her heel. "Jake, showing up doesn't erase twelve years. It doesn't erase the fact that I raised Summer alone while you—" her voice caught, sharp and bitter, "—played obedient son to your mother."

For once, he didn't argue. He just stood there, shoulders heavy, eyes soft. "You're right."

The quiet admission disarmed her for a beat, but she recovered quickly. "Listen carefully. You want to be in Summer's life? Fine. But you don't get to confuse this. You don't get to think being her father automatically makes you my partner again."

Jake nodded, swallowing hard. "Then let me earn the rest. One step at a time."

Before Sofia could respond, the sound of footsteps pattered down the hallway.

"Mom!" Summer burst into the office, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders. She grinned when she saw Jake. "You came!"

Jake's whole face softened in a way Sofia hadn't seen in years. He crouched down to meet Summer's eyes. "Of course I did. I wouldn't miss our first breakfast together."

"Our what?" Summer blinked, then lit up when Jake pulled out a paper bag from the chair behind him. "Pancakes!"

Sofia's chest tightened. He remembered. All those mornings in med school when she'd drag herself half-asleep to the cafeteria, and he'd show up with pancakes because "syrup makes everything better."

Summer squealed, tugging Jake toward the small table in the corner of the office. Sofia opened her mouth to protest, but then Summer was already digging into the bag, chattering happily.

Jake looked up at Sofia, not with arrogance or presumption, but quiet resolve. I'll be here. Every day if I have to. His eyes said it even if his lips didn't.

Sofia sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples.
This was going to be harder than she thought.

--

By mid-morning, Sofia was already buried under clinic paperwork. She'd hoped Jake would drop Summer off at school and then disappear, but when she walked out to the waiting area, he was still there.

Worse — he was in a lab coat.

"Where did you get that?" she demanded.

Jake glanced up from where he was helping an elderly patient fill out a form. "One of the nurses lent it to me." He offered a half-smile. "I told them I wanted to help out."

"You're not staff here," she snapped, lowering her voice so patients wouldn't hear.

"Then consider me a volunteer," Jake said simply, returning the clipboard to the patient with a polite nod. "Unless you'd rather me sit in the corner and make everyone uncomfortable."