It is interesting to me, how sometimes great life-changing things can happen quietly and without fanfare. Sometimes they happen with simply the turn of a page, or rather the sliding of a page across a desk to be signed. Sometimes they happen gradually, as with an idea that rises over time and begins to look like the only option that makes sense.
This morning, Jack called Hannah at precisely nine o’clock. She was still in bed, having had a very long shift the day before, but she rolled over and croaked a greeting into the phone.
“I’m sorry, I know you were at work forever yesterday and I didn’t want to wake you,” Jack said, in a hurried whisper that had her smiling even as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “But I wanted to tell you the first chance I got—”
Hannah suddenly sat upright, remembering what Jack had been doing the day before while she was at work. “Oh! The hearing! Is it good news?”
“It’s good news,” he said, a rush of relief and excitement in his voice. “She’s mine, Hannah, I have full custody and she’s mine and she’s safe—” His voice caught and he couldn’t go on, too joyful for words.
Hannah leapt out of the bed, as if she could keep going and fling her arms around him. “Oh, Jack, I’m so happy for you,” she said, pressing her hand against what felt like a balloon expanding in her chest. “And I’m happy for Lily! This is the best thing that could have happened to her.”
“Thanks. I hope it is. I’m taking her to dinner tonight, and then she’ll stay the night at my house. And then she’ll stay every night at my house—her dad is going to bring her stuff by today while she’s getting her checkup.”
The mention of Lily’s negligent father sobered Hannah. “How is she doing?” she asked. “I mean, I’ve been watching her charts, and we watched TV together for a while earlier this week—”
“She told me about that,” Jack laughed. “She was so excited that you actually came back to watch with her, thank you.”
“Are you kidding? It was the highlight of my week.”
“Really? Not the roses I sent you? You did say that they were much improved from my last effort.”
“Oh, much, but still not as good as watching Rainbow Dash study for an important exam. I tell you what, I wish I had seen that before I started med school.”
They both laughed, but then Jack sighed, and in his voice Hannah and I both heard how seriously he is taking this. “I think she’s okay. She’s been really quiet about her dad, and he hasn’t been to see her for a while, so…” He cleared his throat. “Listen, Hannah, I want to take some time to really focus on Lily, so I may be out of touch for a week or two.”
“I completely understand,” Hannah said, putting as much fervor as she could into the words. “And I respect you for giving her your full attention right now. But I hope you’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Of course! And Lily will still be in for checkups every once in a while, so we won’t completely drop out of your life.”
“I hope not.” Hannah had drifted over to the shelf where she keeps most of her textbooks. One of them, which she has spent much time perusing in the past week, was jutting half-out of the shelf and jammed with papers. “In fact, I could use the extra time myself. I’ve got something in the works, I think, that might mean some changes for me soon.”
“Yeah? Good changes, I hope.”
Hannah smiled, and in her spirit I saw something I have not seen in her before—the glimmer of passion found in fulfilling work. “I think they will be. I’ll let you know. Because we will talk again, and at length, once Lily is settled.”
“That’s a promise,” he said, and there was such warmth in his voice that I know Hannah will be able to hold onto it for a while.
Hannah wished him luck and sent her love to Lily, and then hung up the phone. She didn’t put it down, though, even as she pulled out the bulky textbook on burn therapy. For a long moment she looked at it, then took a deep breath and lifted the phone again.
Her supervisor didn’t answer, which was a relief to Hannah—it made this monumental phone call a bit easier for her. “Hey, Dr. Lombard, it’s Hannah. I wanted to have a word with you and see if I can start to specialize a bit in my work. I know that I’ve said I didn’t want to, but I’ve started to take an interest in the treatments for burn victims. I have to admit that helping people recover from such traumatic and disfiguring injuries appeals to me a lot more than helping people look younger or like celebrities…” She laughed, a little nervously, but mostly excited. “Anyway, let me know when you’re free to sit down about that.”
She hung up the phone, let it fall to the table, and wrapped her arms around herself. For the first time since I’ve known her, she was excited to go to work, and I was so glad I nearly burst into song. I did not, but I did give her all the encouragement and love I could, and I look forward to beginning this journey with her.