"Andy!" I hear someone calling my name as I walk out of the airport. I look around and then grin when I see two familiar faces.

"What the fuck are you two losers doing here?" I ask as I hug Cross and then Flemings. They were interns at the hospital that my parents worked at. And my buddies. I even lived with them for a few weeks.

"Picking you up," Flemings says.

"Yeah," Cross says. "Your aunt got stuck in a meeting, so she sent us."

I laugh as I put my bags in the car. "But you guys are what? Almost Attendings? She can't boss you around anymore."

Cross grins. "We wanted to come."

"Aw, thanks buddies," I say as I ruffle Cross's hair.

Flemings slides into the driver's seat, Cross takes the passenger seat and I sit in the middle seat of the back row.

"It's good to see you, Andy," Flemings says.

"Yeah, it's been a while." I start laughing. "I still call you guys by your last names, even though you're not interns anymore."

Flemings frowns. "Do even know our first names?"

"Uh...Michael and Conrad?" I ask.

"I'm Malik," Flemings tells me.

"Cooper," Cross says.

I grin bashfully. "Sorry."

Cooper hits Malik's arm, grinning, and says, "I guess we should call her Reed-Collins, now? She's gonna be someone's intern-bitch soon."

I lean forward and punch Malik in the arm and then Cooper in the arm. "You guys are so funny, but my dad still owns your ass," I tell them. "And it's just Reed now."

"Damn," Malik says. "That's cold."

"Yeah," Cooper agrees. "You got rid of your mom's last name?"

I shrug. "She was never a mother to me."

Cooper looks at me. "Were you saving that line for the right time?"

I grin. "Maybe."

"So, how have you been?" Malik asks, looking at me in the mirror.

"Good," I say. "Not great, but good enough. What about you? Oh! What are your specialties?"

"Cardio," Malik says.

"Pediatrics," Cooper says.

"Seems fitting," I tell them. "Malik, you're a douche, but collected. And Cooper, you're still a kid."

"Hey!" Cooper says. Malik and I both laugh. "You guys are mean."

I grin. "Whatever. You got any drama at the hospital?" Malik and Cooper look at each other. "What? You better tell me."

Malik coughs and hits Cooper. "Alright, fine," Cooper says. "Your mom left the hospital as you know, but your dad seems to be seeing someone. We don't know who!" Cooper says defensively when he sees my face, "But your dad snuck some chick into his office. And he's been happier lately."

"Huh," I say. "That's good. Daddy deserves someone. Who do you think she is, though?"

"Doctor Mason?" Malik asks warily.

"Nah. The chick had auburn hair," Cooper says. "What about that new nurse? Maya?"

"Nah. Besides, she's with one of the other nurses."

I frown. "So you guys really don't know?"

"I guess not," Malik says.

"You got any tea?" Cooper asks.

I look at him. "Please don't ever say that again, but yes, I have a little bit."

"Let's hear it," Malik says.

I roll my eyes. "You guys are still the biggest gossips," I say. "But my boyfriend and I aren't doing very well. He's always gone for his job and he keeps leaving fucking cryptic messages on my phone."

"Like what?" Cooper asks.

"Don't get me started! This morning, I was packing, right? And he called me cuz it was like four in the morning and I answered it. And he's like, are you leaving? And I'm like, yeah. I already told you I was going home. And then he's like, don't leave. Just stay. So then I tell him to give me a reason and all he can say is don't go." I sigh push my hair roughly behind my ear. "So, what does that mean in guy talk?"

Malik rubs his neck. "Fuck if I know."

"Yeah," Cooper says. "That shit's weird."

"That's what I'm saying!" I yell. "You guys wanna hear something else?"

"Hell yeah," Cooper says.

"So, my flight was about to leave when this guy walks on last minute and asks me what row it is. So I start to tell him and then I realize who is."

"Your ex!" Cross says excitedly.

"This shit's gettin' juicy," Malik says.

I laugh. "You know, we all encourage each other in a really bad way," I tell them. "But yeah, it was fucking Colton. So I punched him and he sat down. I thought it was gonna be awkward as fuck, cuz of how we ended—"

"Wait," Cooper says. "How did you end?"

"He cheated on me with a lot of girls, and I sort of fell in love with his best friend, who I'm still with. When I told Colton I was in love with Bryce, he freaked out and refused to believe it," I explain. "So It was a mess. But the flight was...nice? We talked for most of it and he wasn't a dick."

Malik shrugs. "Sounds like he still has feelings for you."

I frown. "I don't think he would. Colton was a manwhore and I doubt he'd have trouble moving on. He even said he had a girlfriend for four years—" I frown. "Who just broke up with him."

Cooper starts laughing. "And then he gets on a flight and sees his ex who he never got over."

"Shit," I mutter.

Malik says, "Coop's right. And you were sad because of your boyfriend—"

"I wasn't sad," I cut in.

Malik rolls his eyes. "Lonely because your boyfriend is always gone. And you got to reconnect—"

I cut him off again, "I know where this is going. And Colton and I are never getting back together."

Cooper starts singing, "We-e Are never ever, ever getting back together!"

Malik groans and I cover my face with my hand. "You're so dumb Cooper."

"I'm amazing," he says.

"I'm not getting back together with Colton. I have Bryce and I'm not going to see Colton again." I cross my arms over my chest.

Malik and Cooper look at each other again. "Whatever you say."

"What?" I ask them. "I'm seriously not going to. I've been with Bryce for four years, five in June."

Cooper shrugs and says, "Maybe you need a change. Or maybe to prove that you still like the guy you're with, you should kiss the other guy." He grins. "Or you could kiss me," he jokes.

I roll my eyes and punch his arm. "How old are you now? Like thirty-one or something? You're old," I tell him. He frowns. "Plus, if I kind of cheated on Colton with Bryce, isn't is messed up to cheat on Bryce with Colton?"

*****************

"Thanks for the ride, buddies," I say as Malik pulls up in front of my dad's house. "

"No problem," Malik says. "It was good to see you."

"Yeah," Cooper says. "You should do your internship at Redbrook so you can be our bitch."

I laugh and lean forward to hug Malik and then Cooper. "Whatever. I'll drop by the hospital before I leave."

"Good luck with your boys," Cooper says. "Bye, Andy."

"Bye, Andy," Malik says.

"Bye."

I shut the car door and grab my stuff from the trunk. I wave at Cooper and Malik as they pull away. I start walking to the door and my dad opens it, smiling at me.

"Hi, Daddy," I say.

"Hi, Andy," he says, hugging me. He looks younger and his eyes are bright blue again. Whoever he's with must be making him happy. "Did you have a good flight?"

"Yeah," I tell him. "It was long, but good."

"That's good," Dad says. "Why don't you bring your bags up to your room. I'll set the table."

"You cooked something?" I ask incredulously. My dad and I have never been good cooks.

"Yeah," he says, frowning. "Why are you looking at me like that? I can cook."

"You couldn't the last time I was here," I tell him. Maybe the woman he's seeing taught him something. "I'm gonna bring my stuff upstairs."

"Prepare to be impressed," Dad calls as I start walking up the stairs. I laugh as I walk to my room. I'm happy for my dad.

I drop my things on my bed and look around my room. It's pretty much the same as it was when I was a teenager. I sit down on my bed and turn on my phone. There's one voicemail from Bryce.

I play it. "Did you stay?"

There's nothing else. He didn't wish me a safe flight or ask how it was. He didn't ask me how I was. I pick up my phone and call him. It goes to voicemail. "No, I didn't fucking stay Bryce. And my flight was so great, by the way. Thanks for asking. Call me back when you actually want to talk."

I throw my phone down on the bed and walk downstairs. Dad's sitting at the table. "Did you make me lunch because Mother's going to be at Christmas?" I ask.

"Partly," Dad says. "I am sorry about that, but she is your mother."

I shrug. "It's fine, I guess. What did you make?"

"Homemade pasta with red sauce and chicken," Dad says. I put some of the pasta onto my plate.

"Did you take lessons or something?" I ask as I take a bite. "It's really good."

"Kind of," Dad says. "The other reason I cooked is that I need a favor."

"And that is?"

Dad smiles almost bashfully. "Well, I met someone recently and I'd like for you to have brunch with us tomorrow."

I smile. "Of course I'll go, Dad."

Dad smiles. "It's good to have you home, Andy."