Brenda, the night-shift charge nurse, poured two inches of dark coffee into a paper cup and handed it to me.
“You look like you need this,” she said.
I took the cup, letting the heat warm my fingers. My silver watch showed three in the morning.
“I have a double shift on the pediatric ward,” I said. “Then an ambulance run at five.”
“When do your parents get in?” Brenda asked, leaning against the laminate counter. “Have they booked their flights yet?”
I took a sip of the bitter coffee. “I am sure they just have a lot on their minds with the new business.”
“It is a medical school graduation, Clara,” Brenda said. “People clear their schedules for that.”
“Tiffany is launching her online boutique this month,” I said, staring at the brown liquid in my cup. “They are helping her with the logistics.”
“Your sister is twenty-two,” Brenda said. “She can mail her own packages.”
“They invested in it,” I said. “They want to make sure it succeeds.”
