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Carter had spent the last week enthusiastically counting down to Jing-Mei’s arrival in Chicago. They hadn’t seen each other in several years, and they had had even less contact since they were both overseas for long time periods, her in China and him in Africa. They had reconnected last Christmas when she looked him up on social media and saw his post about holiday memories from County. She wasn’t even aware that the Carter Center had opened almost a year prior. So, he invited her to come see it and go out to dinner, and then they could catch up on what they’d both been doing for the last several years.
He was also a little nervous to see her. There’d always been some underlying gossip or speculation about whether they would take their friendship to the next level, but they’d never felt that way about each other. But now that his divorce from Kem had been finalized and he was once again single, he couldn’t help but wonder…would all those years apart have them pining to reunite in a different way? Or would they still just be like brother and sister?
He arrived at the airport to pick her up; it was about five minutes after the time she told him her flight would be arriving. From there, he was taking her to her hotel to give her some time to relax and unwind before the tour of the center and dinner. Although he had offered to let her stay at the house, she declined, as she very much liked having her own space after the end of a busy day.
“John!” Jing-Mei had no trouble spotting him in the crowd and started walking towards him. “There you are! Thanks for coming to pick me up; anything to not have to rent a car or call a cab.” She smiled and gave him a hug, and he returned the gesture.
“Always happy to help. How was your flight?” he asked.
“Oh, as far as flights go, it was fine. Although I wasn’t as excited to leave California weather and come back to Chicago winter, even if it’s only for a few days.”
“Yeah, sorry this isn’t the best time of year, but I know you told me you already had a vacation planned for the summer and didn’t want to be off work too close to it. Is that still a go?”
“Yep, Hawaii is still on,” she replied. “I love solo traveling. I was so nervous about it at first and whether I’d be safe or get bored easily, but it’s the best feeling to go to new places and have my itinerary truly be mine. I don’t have to worry about being paged or anyone yelling for my attention, and as long as I stay aware of my surroundings and keep in touch with someone back home, I’m OK.
“What about you? Any fun plans booked for the summer yet?”
“Not yet,” Carter said. “Being in charge of the center keeps me pretty busy these days, and I still moonlight sometimes at County when they’re short staffed. It keeps my skills sharp and gives me opportunities to work with residents; we have a pretty good crop right now, actually. There are days when I miss being on the front lines and practicing medicine, so moonlighting helps me remember why I became a doctor in the first place.”
“How can you not quit that place?” Jing-Mei laughed. “I honestly don’t miss it, and from what you’ve been telling me online, I’d barely know anyone there these days. The hospital I work at in LA is so much safer, even if it is LA. I have to swipe my ID in every patient care area. There’s always security on every floor to sign visitors in and check badges when they don’t recognize someone.”
“County’s actually quieted down a little in recent years. I guess all the criminals in Chicago finally got bored with us. And you probably remember there was a good amount of turnover around the time you were leaving anyway. But if you still want to see it for old time’s sake…”
“We’ll see,” she said. “I know you get along with pretty much everyone, though, so the fact that you still get to mentor and teach keeps you around. It’s fine. We all have different preferences. I’m just so happy to feel more secure at work, and I still have nice coworkers of diverse backgrounds. I felt intimidated moving to California, especially since it’s more expensive than Chicago, but I’ve been able to blend in more and there’s a lot of great Asian communities with good food and good friendships. There’s always something to do; I’m almost never bored after work.”
“I guess that makes a difference too. I’ve been living kind of a low-key life these days ever since Kem and I split up. I catch a Blackhawks or a Bulls game when I get time, or sometimes Benton and I grab a bite to eat or a couple of beers.”
“He never came back to County, right?”
“Nope.” Carter shook his head. “He’s still at Northwestern doing general surgery. You should have seen Reece at the opening. He’s going to be a teenager this year. Peter and Cleo broke up last year, but from what he said, there was no drama and they’re still friends. And talk about something you missed…he and Elizabeth were making eyes at each other last year. They’re long distance now, and he says it’s going pretty well. Who knows if she’ll come back here or he’ll go to North Carolina eventually, but she has a higher-ranking job than him—she’s working at Duke these days—so my guess is he’ll move there.”
“So no one I remember is really around anymore?”
“Unless you want to reunite with Archie Morris.”
Jing-Mei made a face. “I barely remember him, and from what I do remember, he got on my nerves pretty fast. Wasn’t he kind of a douchebag who always tried to get out of working?”
“Keyword was,” Carter answered. “He’s a lot more mature now. He’s become quite the leader and he has a great girlfriend who just happens to be a cop. I joke with him that she keeps him in line at work and at home. He was named chief resident after you left, which was kind of hilarious at the time, but he’s earned his redemption.”
“That place really has changed. Maybe I will go visit.”
“Well, the nurses you remember, Jerry, and Frank will all be there. And Rachel Greene may even be hanging around for observations or volunteer work. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten Mark’s daughter. She’s 22 and in medical school now.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen her since she was in elementary school. Pretty impressive that she grew up to follow in her father’s footsteps.”
“Yeah, she’s had quite a journey and she’s already taking to emergency medicine.
“In the meantime, though, I’ll get you to the hotel so you can freshen up before we see the center and go to dinner. That still a good plan?”
“Sure. You know, John, I’m really excited to see you again. I can’t wait to hear more about all you’ve been up to.”
“Same here.”
“Sometimes I think Gamma is rolling over in her grave,” Carter told Jing-Mei that night while showing her around the Carter Center. “I mean, this basically cost me all my inheritance and now I’m always trying to think of fundraising ideas. So much for me never really wanting a leadership role with the foundation. But I think if I hadn’t taken charge, that would have made her jump out of her grave and follow me around until I gave in.”
Jing-Mei started laughing. “I know she drove you nuts and tried to guilt trip you at times, but she was pretty cool for a grandmother once you guys started getting along. And she was a great lady to know.”
“Yeah. I do miss her and my grandfather. I wish they were around to see this. For as much as Gamma drove me crazy, I think she would have been proud. It was the kind of thing she loved, helping the underprivileged and vulnerable.”
“I always felt bad that you really didn’t have many close family relationships; you’d think people like us wouldn’t have to worry about that,” Jing-Mei said with a sigh. “It’s like others are surprised that we have problems and strained relationships with family members, as if having money makes us immune from that. Weird, but I can’t blame them, especially since social media is getting more prevalent and we’re all trying to look our best and say the right things.”
“For sure. The divorce only made things harder recently, and the stillbirth was the worst thing I’d ever gone through. And before that, I thought it was the stabbing and losing Lucy, then developing my addiction. I wish I could stop experiencing such horrible things, but this project gives me some hope for the future. In addition to our healthcare services, I recently started letting AA and NA groups use our auditorium a few times a week. It’s my way of giving back after people didn’t give up on me when I was struggling.”
“That’s great, John . I’m really proud of your hard work. I’m sorry I didn’t look anyone up from County and see this sooner. I guess I’m just the type of person who prefers to leave and really be gone, if you know what I mean.”
“I think wanting to get away and start fresh is perfectly valid,” Carter agreed. “That’s partially why I went to Africa after Gamma died and then again when I felt like the time was right. And I learned a lot over there, like how to provide quality medical care with limited resources, and became good friends with Luka. It was a good experience, but I’m happy to be back in Chicago. Are you happy to be here again, other than the temporary climate change?”
“I’m happy to see you,” she replied as they headed outside to go to dinner. “As far as the city itself, I’m not sure. I don’t have the best memories of working at County, and my parents are gone now, so I don’t have a lot of family left in the States. Don’t take that personally because really, it’s not you.”
“No worries.”
“You know what would make it better, though?” she asked with a smile. “Can we get Chicago pizza for dinner? I mean, as long as you didn’t have reservations somewhere fancier.”
“If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
Jing-Mei seemed satisfied with her dinner choice as she and Carter were sharing breadsticks, and now she was more relaxed too.
“You know who I didn’t ask you about?” she said to him. “Kerry. Did she actually leave that place? Or can I expect to see her and you just didn’t bring her up?”
“She did. I was in Africa at the time, so I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her. But from what I heard, she met another woman while working on a TV gig here, and she got offered a producer job in Florida. So she moved to Miami with her son and now she doesn’t even practice medicine anymore. I know…I never thought she’d give it up either, but some things just become more important once a child is in the picture. From what she told me when she was here last year, she really likes the work hours. Becoming a mother has really softened her up. And she’s a healthcare reporter, so she hasn’t strayed too far from medicine.”
“Huh.” Jing-Mei shrugged. “Good for her then.”
“You never had…” Carter stopped, not sure if he should ask his next question.
“Go ahead; say it.”
“Did you ever have any more children?” He still looked unsure of himself, but she smiled again.
“It’s fine. You’re not the first one to ask me that question. People ask that a lot once I tell them I gave up a son for adoption. The answer is no, I didn’t. And sometimes I wonder if I should have tried to make it a priority. I love children, but I don’t really see myself as a mother, if that makes sense. It’s easy to say ‘oh look at the cute baby’ and another to actually raise them and take care of them day in and day out.
“Besides, I go visit Michael every summer and still send gifts. James and Linda have been really good about keeping the open adoption arrangement.”
“How’s he doing?” Carter asked.
“Oh John, check out this little guy. He’s nine now.” She pulled out her phone and showed him a picture. “He likes to play baseball in the spring and summer and basketball in the winter. Outside of that, they take him to church and Sunday School every week, and he was on the honor roll at school. Like I told you after I had him, they’re the type of people my parents would have loved. It’s part why I chose them as the adoptive parents.
“I just hope someday I don’t regret not having more children. But I’d want to be in a serious relationship first before I even considered that. I had fun with Frank, but we knew that was never going to lead to anything more. I want a child to have a stable home with two parents who want to be together. James and Linda have a strong marriage and I’m not at that point of my life yet.”
“So you don’t have any dating prospects? Or have you met anyone out there?”
“You know…” Jing-Mei blushed and distracted herself with a sip of soda. “Um, not exactly. I would like a serious relationship on one hand, but on the other hand, I mostly just like having fun. Of course, after Frank, I have a rule now that I don’t sleep with someone until after three dates, so there’s been times where I’ve gone out to coffee or dinner with a guy, and we both enjoyed each other’s company, but that’s where it begins and ends. I did have a short relationship with someone, but then he moved to San Francisco and things fizzled out.
“What about you? How’s your dating life?”
Carter laughed. “Non-existent. I can’t even find a woman to have fun with on one date, so you’re ahead of me. I met this one woman for lunch, an attorney, and she actually said to me ‘wow I can’t believe a guy like you is single!’ I think she had good intentions, but it came out really awkwardly. We laughed it off, but we never saw each other again. I guess she was embarrassed. Other than that, not much. I don’t know that I want to date within County ever again either.”
“Yeah, too ripe for drama,” Jing-Mei agreed. “Trust me. I work with some really great guys, but I feel the same. We’re all better off if we stay close friends and colleagues.”
“I know this might sound really crazy,” Carter said. “But…we never talked about this, and I was curious…did you ever have any feelings for me or wish we could date? I used to think about asking you out, but I never convinced myself to pull the trigger.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I hope you’re not too upset or annoyed at hearing that.”
“You know what’s funny?” she replied. “When I would tell my other friends about my best friend John, some of them would ask me if you and I were ever going to go on a date or get together. And I’d always say we were just friends; that’s it. No offense, but I never really saw us as a couple. I’d try to visualize it, and I couldn’t really imagine sharing a bed with you or having kids together or any of those other couple milestones. I mean, you did so much for me when Michael was born and came to my rescue when I had crappy days at work, and now I’m visiting you and we’re picking up where we left off. But I like our friendship as just that: friends.
“Besides, I’m pretty happy being single and doing what I want when I want. I hope you’re not disappointed because I know you want to be with someone and settle down, and the fact that we’ve known each other forever would make it easier for us to get together.”
“I was hoping you felt like we could have something,” he said. “I see what you mean, though. As long as we can still be friends.”
“Of course we can. I’ve known you forever. Why stop now? The only thing I ask is that we don’t stay out of touch this long again. Like when I go back to LA, we actually talk more often and maybe you can come visit me someday when you need a break from fundraising.”
“Now that I can look forward to. Here’s to friendship…and many years to come of people wondering why we won’t just date already.” They laughed and raised their glasses in a toast to their platonic bond.