Scattered

  * * *

  The following morning, Rebecca had an early start, getting up at dawn. She was dressed and headed downstairs at eight o'clock. She was eager to spend some time around people. She was going stir-crazy, staring at the walls and following her mother from room to room. She needed to ease back into her old life and hang out with her old friends, but her father thought it was best to relax in a stress-free environment. The outside world was apparently not good for her fragile psyche. However, the idea of wasting another beautiful day indoors was incredibly stressful. She wanted to find her equilibrium again. She couldn't do that if she couldn't do normal things.

  Seeing the answering machine blinking, she checked the messages, finding one from Dr. Miller's office.

  "Hello, Rebecca! It is Suzy from Dr. Miller's office. Just calling to remind you that you have an appointment with Dr. Miller today at ten o'clock sharp. Don't be late."

  After a beep, another message played. "Hey, Becca. It's Dane. I was thinking we could go out for lunch tomorrow. I will speak with your dad. I don't think it will be a problem. Call me later."

  Rebecca's heart fluttered slightly. The idea of being alone with Dane sent happy chills up her spine, but at the same time, the prospect was... nerve-wracking. She hadn't really spent time with Dane alone in over a year, and she wasn't sure if her feelings for him had withstood the test of time. Spending time with him might stir up old feelings or make her squirm with the confirmation that those sentiments were long gone.

  Racing to the kitchen, she found that her mother and brother had already beaten her downstairs. They were already eating breakfast. The table was filled with fresh fruit and juice. Her mother had made pancakes, loading extras on a serving plate.

  Rebecca took a seat at the table and served herself a pancake while biting into a slice of mango. "I have an appointment with Dr. Miller today," she announced, seeing her mother's eyes narrow and her face crinkle when she heard.

  "Oh, I totally forgot! Your father told me, but... I just have so much on my mind with this fundraiser I am planning," her mother responded, placing a hand on her forehead. "I have a meeting at nine."

  "That's okay," she assured her. "Taylor can drive me."

  With his eyes opening wide in surprise, Taylor nearly choked on his pancake. "Oh, no. I have plans," he responded, taking a strawberry from a bowl and biting into it. "Dane and I are hitting the golf course. We have to get there early. I hate waiting for other groups ahead of us to take their shots."

  "And when were you planning on spending quality time with your sister?" Mrs. Ardsley questioned with a disapproving brow.

  Stretching his long limbs, Taylor seemed oblivious to his mother's disapproval as he shrugged his shoulders.

  Mrs. Ardsley shook her head disapprovingly at her son before turning her attention back to Rebecca. "I will drive you. Dr. Miller's office is not that far from where I am meeting the hospital board members," her mother said. "You will just have to wait in the waiting room for an hour."

  Slicing into her pancake, Rebecca glanced up at her mother. "Can you drop me off at the library?"

  "I don't know, darling. Perhaps it is best to go straight to Dr. Miller's and back home."

  "Please," she begged. "It is only two blocks away from his office, and I could surf the shelves for a book to read before my appointment."

  "Rebecca, you know how your father feels."

  "Oh, mom," Taylor said dismissively, picking up his plate and heading for the sink. "It is a library. What trouble could she possible get into in a library?"

  "Well... okay," her mother said with some hesitation. "But don't tell your father."

  Rebecca crossed her heart with her index finger and held her hand up as if taking an oath. "I promise."