Nick drove home, glad their new PA was working out. As soon as he walked into his house, his brother said, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Nick wasn't following.
"About Sara! About the fact that she sounds and looks like mum. Even her hair color is similar to Mum's when she was Sara's age!"
"I didn't know mum when she was Sara's age." His brother was right. He noticed her accent in the interview. It was the reason he asked her about her tea. He had learned how to enjoy a good cup of tea from his own English mother.
After he bathed and tucked his children into bed for the night, he sat down with his laptop and a cup of tea. Julie agreed to come early the next morning, but only if Sara worked on Tim's backlog. Nick had to face an evening of work. He appreciated the distraction, because nights could be very lonely. Ironically, he was often alone before the accident, because Mel traveled for work. She worked for a bank with its headquarters in New Jersey and was away for three or four days every few weeks.
They had a nanny who watched the babies, but after the accident, Nick took a month off. Julie insisted on caring for them. Julie had felt helpless over Mel's death and taking control helped her. Just as letting her take control, helped Nick. Julie had always been good to Mel, even when she wasn't very nice in return.
Truthfully, Mel wasn't nurturing. She was more interested in her career than motherhood. They had been together for three years and never even spoke of marriage until Bridget happened unplanned. He felt foolish, because he knew antibiotics and the pill didn't mix. Telling his mum was embarrassing. Before the pregnancy, he didn't think they would ever marry. He had loved her, and they became a family. Then his world turned upside down, and he was raising his children and doing the best he could.
Mel wasn't happy when he insisted on buying the house next to his brother. She wasn't happy living so far away from the city. Nick felt Portland wasn't right for raising a family, and he wanted to live in the small town where he grew up and worked. She really didn't enjoy living so close to his family.
He had a close relationship with his family and enjoyed Sunday dinners, but Mel hated family events. His family thought he and Mel were ill suited. Not without reason, they had broken up at least five times during the three years they dated. He was never sure she loved him as a wife should love her husband. He wanted to trust her, because he loved her, but she gave him reasons to doubt right until she died.
His brother and sister were overprotective, because he was the youngest. Still, he was an adult and knew he wanted Mel.
His sister, Clare had told him he was crazy to marry her. "You can have a baby and not get married. You deserve better."
"Jesus, Clare not everyone has a perfect marriage like you!"
His older sister argued. "Tim and Jules do. Mum and Dad, too. Nick, you two are different. You have different dreams. Sure it might be great between the sheets, but it's life outside of bed that makes or breaks a marriage."
He should have been angry with his sister, but she had said her piece and accepted his decision. In fact, looking back, she was right, sex was by far the best aspect of their marriage. Mel found fault with their day to day. She never stopped resenting him for the move out of Portland. Nick suspected she was thinking about leaving him before she died. Part of it was his fault, because he insisted on the second baby. The first was a mistake, and she accepted it, but he thought every child should have a sibling and thankfully she relented, because he loved his son. Although deep down Nick wondered if she'd still be alive if she hadn't gotten pregnant. Most likely divorced, but alive. It was hard mourning a wife from a marriage that was broken, because conflicting feelings always got in the way.
He woke early to ensure he was in the office as promised - almost. Sara arrived before him. He murmured, "Sorry."
She smiled most likely because he'd been late every day, including for her interview. He ushered her into his office. They reviewed the results against the physical findings and complaints noted in the patient's charts. Sara made observations, and he explained a few things to her. Observing her, he knew she could handle her own caseload.
Before his first appointment, he went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He stopped short when he saw Miles Tardiff making a cup. He couldn't understand how his sister could work with the bastard. Nick started to turn around.
Miles saw him. "Nick, old friend, I never see you anymore. Nothing's been the same since you lost your beautiful wife."
It took all his strength not to grab the asshole by the throat.
Nothing was the same! It was unbelievable that we were once good friends? Miles was so damn cocky!
He couldn't blame it on the head injury from the accident, because it took a prick to go out with his friend's wife. Tardiff had just delivered their baby six months before. What Nick never knew was if the bastard's exposure to his wife's vagina was strictly professional. It was hard to deal with losing his wife, when he suspected her of screwing his friend and colleague. The bastard would never admit it, because it would be an ethics violation. She was technically still his patient.
When he walked into family practice, Tim looked at him and pulled him aside.
"I just ran into the bastard," he whispered. "How can Clare work with him?"
"Ignore him! He doesn't deserve the energy you waste on him."
Tim liked nicknames, he'd give just about everyone one. He called Miles Tardiff, 'the bastard'. It was the one nickname that Nick used too.
It didn't surprise Nick when he heard his brother calling their new PA, Betty.