“I don’t really believe in coincidences like this,” Mari muttered, but she couldn’t disbelieve the story, either. “We certainly don’t look anything alike.”
“I’ve seen pictures of our moms when they were younger, and they look a lot alike, but my dad is as Irish as they come and I got most of my coloring from him.”
“And I got mine from my father.”
Carrie nodded. “I love your hair, by the way. It looks like thick black velvet.”
“Thanks. I love yours. I always wanted curls like that.”
“It’s funny how we always think we want someone else’s hair.”
Mari grinned. “I can’t believe we’re cousins. I have others, most of them are in Mexico, though.”
“I’m not totally sure it’s coincidence, you ending up here, I mean.” Carrie fiddled with the cellophane wrapper of her sandwich. “My mom told your mom that I moved here because Presley’s company had purchased the hospital. Mom thought your mom might have said something to one of your old instructors about the new program here.”
“My mom? God, I can’t see her doing that,” Mari said, but she wasn’t really sure about anything any longer. She clearly didn’t really know her mother at all. Her program director had visited a lot, especially when she’d first gotten sick, and had helped her parents understand the medical system and the barrage of treatments that came on in rapid succession. Her parents liked him, and they’d become friendly enough she could almost imagine her mother mentioning something to him. She didn’t really know her parents at all, as she’d learned the hard way the last year. If her mother had been keeping a secret relationship with her sister all these years, one that Mari’s father disapproved of, she wasn’t nearly as passive and nonconfrontational as she’d always appeared.
“I don’t know whether to be angry at my mother, proud of her, or just plain sad.”
“It seems pretty terrible from the outside,” Carrie said, “but I guess we can’t ever know that whole story.”
“Well however it came about, I’m really happy to be here,” Mari said, “and I’m really happy to meet you too.”
“I know, it’s great, isn’t it?” Carrie touched her hand tentatively. “I hope I haven’t upset you by telling you all of this.”
Mari shook her head. “You haven’t. And crazy as it all sounds, somehow I can totally believe it. Nothing you told me seems too impossible given the way a lot of things happen in my family.”
“Now that you’re here, we’ve got to spend more time together. Glenn probably told you about softball. Do you play, by any chance?”
“Oh my God, you too?” Mari groaned jokingly. “Glenn mentioned you pitched. I don’t play. I hope you’ll overlook that.”
Carrie squeezed her hand. “That’s okay, you’re forgiven. After all, you’re family.”
Chapter Thirteen
Glenn’s shift had been over for an hour, but they’d gotten hit with the late-afternoon rush that happened sometimes in the summer when everyone was reluctant to interrupt their vacation or poolside relaxation to deal with the irritating cough or persistent pain or low-grade fever that had been plaguing them all day. She didn’t mind working late, and today she had a good excuse. She would have hung around anyhow to interact with the new staff and to see how her students did on a night rotation. Sometimes, the different kinds of cases that showed up when the sun started to go down could be a challenge. Fewer consultants were readily available, and often, the first one to evaluate the patient made more critical decisions out of necessity. Great training, but overwhelming at times for a newbie. She’d just finished signing off on her last patient when she got the text from Flann to meet her in the cafeteria. She passed Abby and Mari, who also had stayed late without being asked, on her way out.
“Staff meeting tonight,” Abby called.
Glenn slowed and turned. “Yeah. Planning to be there. Flann just gave me a page, so I’m going to meet her first.”
Abby laughed. “If she’s trying to get you back in the OR already, tell her no.”
Glenn grinned, her gaze flicking to Mari, who smiled as if enjoying the banter. “I’ll do my best to resist.”
“You do that,” Abby ordered.
Glenn sent Mari a questioning look. “Going to the meeting?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
