She put down her take-out order and fished in her purse for her phone, scrolling through the pictures of Mr. Wriggly.
“And who is this?” he asked.
“It’s the craziest thing. I thought I should have a cat. You know, something warm and fuzzy and counting on me to come home and feed him, but I fell in love with a little spaniel. Of course, the first one I saw was sold but a nice lady at a rescue told me about Wriggly, whose owner was going into a nursing home and had to give up her dog. Wriggly and I have promised to go visit her once in a while. I never thought about that before—what happens to the pets when their owners get sick or even die. But I’m crazy about this little guy.”
“I bet you have a lot of people counting on you these days,” he said.
The same waitress who had given Jessie her takeout brought Patrick his nachos, his usual order.
“Jessie, let’s get you a glass of wine. Have your takeout put on a plate and you can help me with my nachos. We have some catching up to do.”
“I don’t want to keep you,” she said. “You’re probably going back to the hospital...”
“I’m done for the day,” he said. “I’m having a beer. I’d like to hear about the rest of the family. Any other new additions?”
The waitress took the bag from Jessie and quickly disappeared. In record time she returned with the tacos on a plate and the only kind of wine Jessie ever ordered in hand, all as if the waitress knew what she would like. She just smiled. “No other additions, unless you count Bess’s boyfriend, who she’s been keeping a secret from us for a year. But that’s certainly not devious or even secretive for Bess. It’s her minimal-literal mental capacity. She didn’t mention him and no one asked her if she had a boyfriend. Oh, and I guess there are more additions. After we—” She stopped herself before she said broke up. “I very recently found out that my father had a child he kept secret. My mother found out first. A woman who happens to be a nurse practitioner married to a doctor.”
“What doctor?” he asked, his interest piqued.
“Nikit Singh. A vascular surgeon.”
“Only the best!” Patrick said. “I’ve known him a few years now! He’s amazing. His wife is your sister?”
“I haven’t met her yet, but I’m planning to. My mother and brother have met the Singhs and have nothing but good things to say. It’s a very confusing situation—we didn’t know until after my father’s death that there was a secret sibling. My mother knew there was a relationship, but—” She shrugged. “It’s certainly not Amy’s fault.”
“Nor any of yours,” he added. He pushed the plate of nachos closer to Jessie. “Every family has issues and dark family secrets. Some more than others.”
“I’m learning that.”
“You really do have a lot going on, don’t you?”
“And then there’s the clinic,” she said. “That was a complete accident. I saw the clinic, stopped in out of curiosity and helped deliver a baby. Now I volunteer there. Not that often—I do have to work. But it’s the most amazing little place with a dedicated staff that works miracles on a daily basis.”
It turned out Patrick had volunteered in one of the city’s free clinics earlier in his career before he became so busy. But he seemed mesmerized by Jessie’s experience and asked lots of questions.
Then he tried to order her a second glass of wine.
“No, thanks. It was really great seeing you, especially when I didn’t have a family member’s health on the line! I have to get going.”
“Let me drive you over the bridge,” he said, speaking of the Golden Gate to Sausalito.
“That’s very nice of you, but I drove in today since I have parking at the clinic. And I have to stop and pick up Wriggly at day care.”
“Day care?” he asked with a bold laugh.
“Yes,” she said. “I don’t want him to be alone all the time and he now has friends at day care. He’s a very social little guy.”
“You’re doing a lot of giving these days.”
“I’m very happy,” she said. Then she was startled. Could that be it? Could that be the change and was the result happiness? “It’s good to be needed,” she said. Indeed, everyone needed her. Like never before.
Patrick covered her hand with his. “I’d like to see you again, Jess. I’ve missed you.”