Fine Line

1

Do you know that moment, the one where you have to forcibly contain your limbs from darting out and smashing into whatever body part of an another person? Yeah, me too. And that's what I'm doing right this moment. Listening to my big brother as he rambles on as our parents listen intently is like nails on a chalkboard.

"You've done somthing similar before." I just stare at my food, shoving the fork, making it scrape across the glass. "Kadence... are you even listening to me?" I don't look up, shaking my head no. "It's a chance of a lifetime." I chuckle threw my nose, peeking through my lashes.

"Who are you trying to convince?" My head raises, seeing my parents eating without a care, but my brother just looks at me. "If it's such a 'chance of a lifetime' then why pass it up?" My mom tries to hide her laughter behind her hand as I air quote his words.

"Because I would have to take the international boards again... you know that could take weeks... months even."

"Well you should have thought of that months ago." I point my fork at him, as I make my case.

"I have been busy... and you have your international medical licenses already." I just look at him... why me?

"I have too much going on." I'm not lying... I have an entire year of work to catch up on. "I have the Masterson case on the 4th."

"I'll take it." I roll my eyes, but Alec sits up straighter in his seat.

"No." He's insane if he even thinks I would go for that.

"Kadence, I know the case, the history, I could-"

"No... I've had Ethan since his second surgery." I growl out.. He was only four when he came to me, and I've done every one of his 5 surgeries since. "I came back just so I could be here... so no." I planned it, made sure that no matter what I would be here.

"Doing this for me, you'd be able to do follow-up's on your patient's.... You'd be there anyways." That would be nice, actually it's the only appealing part of his whole proposal. I look up and I know he thinks he's talked me into it.

"No." I simply state making him sag into his chair.

"Alec, your sister just got back." I smile my dads way, thanking him silently for having my back.

"But she likes to do these type of things."

"No.... what you're talking about and Doctors Without Boarders is nowhere close to the same thing... Actually it's nowhere in the same vicinity, as what I do."

"But I thought Kadence Martin did everything? At least that's what her bio page says."

"You're so stupid." I grumble out. "You made this commitment, so hold up your end, and stop trying to get out of it."

"I did... but things have changed... Kadence please." I promise you, in all my 30 years of living, my brother has never begged me for anything. "Erin is pregnant." Okay... Now I get it, and I hate him so much right now.

"Condom." I scold out, before I even think about it. I know this is a huge deal, Alec and Erin have been trying for four years to get pregnant. "I.. I didn't mean that." I try to save myself seeing Alec frowning beside me. "I really don't want to do this Alec." I don't, and why he has chosen to do it for three years is beyond me. "I cut into people.... not bandage a spranged ankle, or ice a finger."

"Believe it or not, you'll do more than that... no surgeries but it's not like you'll have nothing at all to do."

"I hate you so much right now." I do... but he's having a baby... of course he doesn't want to be away now... Not after everything he and Erin went through for this to finally happen.