Once he’d made that call, the next one he made was to Melody. She answered on the third ring.
‘Dr Janeway.’
‘Hello, Dr Janeway, this is the other Dr Janeway.’
‘Ethan. How are things?’
‘A bit crazy.’ He raised his hand and knocked on an office door.
‘Why? Oh, hang on a second,’ Melody said. ‘There’s someone at my door.’ She opened it and nearly screamed with delight when she saw him standing there. He disconnected the call and put his phone back in his pocket as his sister threw her arms around him. ‘What are you doing here?’
Ethan quickly explained the situation and also that he needed the spare set of keys she had to his apartment. Melody instantly took them off her key-ring and handed them to him.
‘How do you feel?’
‘About?’
‘About seeing another baby with FAS. Did it bring back memories of Ellie?’
‘Everything brings back memories of Ellie. Every baby I see, every morning when I get up and feel that something is missing from my life.’ He thought about the past few weeks, when he’d been able to wake in the mornings and hold Elizabeth in his arms. The sense of completion, of healing he’d had from having that little baby close to him had been a therapy he’d never anticipated.
‘What are you thinking about now?’
‘Elizabeth.’ His smile was natural as he spoke the baby’s name.
‘CJ’s daughter?’
‘Yes.’
‘You don’t talk much about CJ,’ Melody pointed out. ‘I have a theory about that.’
He raised an eyebrow in her direction. ‘Really? I can’t wait to hear this one.’
‘I think you’re secretly infatuated with CJ because she’s been able to help you get closure on your past.’
‘Uh-huh. Anything else, Dr Freud?’
‘Yes. I think Elizabeth has filled a void in your life and that’s as clear as anything when you speak of her. Your face lights up and your entire demeanour changes. Your muscles relax and your eyes twinkle and you’re…happy. I haven’t seen you happy in so long, big brother, and the thing that scares me is what will happen when you leave Pridham and return to Sydney at the end of your contract. What happens when you’ve spent the past five and a half months becoming attached to a gorgeous little girl who doesn’t belong to you?’
She wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t already asked himself, but at the moment he didn’t have any answers.
‘That little baby tonight—Joshua is his name—did bring back memories of Ellie, but this time, when I thought of her, I imagined her differently. I imagined her smiling at me and giggling and—’ Ethan shook his head and tried again. ‘It was as though I was imagining what she would have been like if she’d been born healthy.’
‘Like Elizabeth?’
‘Yes.’
‘And Abigail? Have you been able to let go of your guilt?’
He nodded slowly. ‘I think I’m getting there.’ Ethan reached over and took his sister’s hand in his. ‘Thank you, Mel, for insisting I take a sabbatical, that I take the locum post in Pridham. You said it would be good for me to unwind, to unplug from the stress of the city, and you were right. I’m not saying there aren’t stresses in Pridham, of course there are, but…taking a step back from the life I’d been living and being able to see how someone else lives their life has been a privilege.’
‘You’re talking about CJ’s life?’
‘Yes.’ He smiled as he thought of her and breathed in deeply, filling his lungs completely. ‘She relaxes me.’
‘I see. CJ and Elizabeth relax you.’
‘They do. They really do.’
‘And what about the rest of Pridham?’
‘It’s very picturesque. Great to drive around in my car. CJ loves it.’
‘She likes your car?’
He chuckled at that. ‘She’s a vintage car enthusiast herself.’
‘Well…that is surprising. Clearly you two have a lot in common.’
‘We do.’
Melody’s phone rang and she quickly answered it, sighing heavily as she listened to her registrar. ‘Sorry, Ethan,’ she stated after disconnecting the call. ‘Emergency. I’ve gotta go.’
‘That’s fine.’ He stood and hugged her close. ‘Hey, what’s happening with the directorship for Orthopaedics?’
Melody bit her lip, then pointed to herself. Ethan’s eyes widened with surprise. ‘You’re taking it?’
‘Acting Head of Orthopaedics at your service.’ She gave a little bow. ‘Don’t know how I got talked into it, but it’ll only be temporary, I tell you that much.’ They stepped outside her office and she locked the door. ‘Anyway, how long are you planning on being in Sydney?’