You Just Can't Hide from Destiny

Brielle attempted to calm her fears with some breathing techniques she had learned in her yoga class. She struggled to focus her mind enough to allow the methods to bring on the desired effect. The bright lighting and uncomfortable hospital bed certainly didn’t help. The pain in her lower right abdomen had increased throughout the previous night to a level she could no longer ignore.

Brielle enjoyed life on her own, glad her stressful family was on the other side of the country in Oregon. Coming to Philadelphia for a job opportunity was the smartest decision she could have made. Now, however, as she anxiously awaited the appendectomy in the next few hours, she felt utterly alone. She didn’t notice the stream of tears that escaped her eyes. The man behind the curtain in the bed next to her did.

Brielle looked to her right as the curtain slid open a foot and a hand holding a box of tissues reached across the invisible barrier. She accepted the box and slid the curtain further open.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

The man, who looked to be her age, introduced himself as Grant. He had deep green eyes and a kind smile that didn’t escape Brielle’s notice. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous and not usually such a baby.”

“Emotions are natural, Brielle. There’s nothing babyish about them.”

“Thank you, Grant. Wait, how do you know my name?”

“I heard the nurse say it. Besides, you look familiar to me. I knew a Brielle once. She was in my kindergarten class when I lived in Oregon.”

Brielle chuckled despite her pain. “I’m from Oregon too. I knew a Grant when I was in kindergarten at Belmont Hills Elementary.”

Grant couldn’t believe it. “I went to that same school. That’s incredible, what are the chances of that?” He responded. “You didn’t happen to have Mrs. Robertson, did you?”

“You’re Grant Stenson, aren’t you? I remember you.”

The two couldn’t believe how the phrase, “It’s a small world,” fit them to a T. They reminisced about their days in kindergarten, what they could remember of it, that is. She didn’t remember much about Grant from back then, except that she had a crush on him. She certainly took notice of him now. Their conversation came so easily, and it was as if they had remained friends their whole lives. Brielle’s face flushed when Grant impulsively offered to take her out on a date. He told her he’d take her somewhere special as soon as they were both released from the hospital. She quickly accepted the invitation, but their enjoyable conversation abruptly ended when nurses came in to take Grant to surgery. She watched as his deep green eyes didn’t leave her as they wheeled him away. Before the gurney turned the corner, he gave her a wink. She felt her cheeks warm, forgetting how alone she felt earlier. What were the chances that she’d be in a hospital room with someone who was in her kindergarten class? Especially since that was on the other side of the country. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so afraid of surgery anymore.

The hour Brielle spent alone in the room awaiting surgery felt like five minutes. Her mind was on Grant, despite the pain in her abdomen. She wondered how he was making out in surgery, hoping he was alright. She couldn’t explain the attraction the two had for each other. She guessed at first that it could be because of the kindergarten coincidence, but she felt it was much more. He was incredibly handsome and kind. The fact their conversation came easily, and he was so charming, was a bonus. Thanks to Grant, she felt much calmer about her pending surgery than before. It helped to focus on their upcoming date, eager to get to know each other better. She wondered briefly if it was fate that brought the two together. She thought to herself, what are the chances I’d be put in a room with him, us being in the hospital for the same type of surgery at the same time? Also, being in a hospital in Philadelphia, on the other side of the country from Oregon. She couldn’t help but think her prayers had been answered. She wanted to have someone special in her life. She never expected an amazing man to appear when she sat in a hospital bed awaiting surgery.

Two nurses entering her room broke her thoughts. It was her turn for surgery. She was no longer afraid. As they wheeled her down the hall to the operating room, they passed the nurses station. A conversation caught her attention. She heard someone say how sad it was that someone so young passed away during a relatively routine surgery. She knew there must be many surgeries being performed that day, and the chances that they were talking about Grant were slim. She decided to ask the nurses who were wheeling her to the operating room anyway.

“Do you know who those nurses were talking about who died during surgery?”

“Unfortunately, a little boy didn’t survive a kidney transplant,” one of them told her. She felt relief that it wasn’t Grant, but sad for the child’s parents. She put her mind back on her upcoming date. It was a more pleasant thought.

In what felt like five minutes to Brielle, she was back in her room after surgery. The pain she had experienced was already becoming a memory. She felt great. Wondering how Grant was doing, since he wasn’t in the room, she tried calling the nurse to find out. When no one came, she assumed they were busy with another emergency. Since she felt so much better, she decided to slowly walk the halls in search of someone to ask about Grant. She guessed the nurses wouldn’t be too happy with her for getting out of bed so soon, but since they weren’t bothering to answer her call, she told herself she’d take it slow and stop if she was in pain. Surprised by her lack of discomfort as she stood, she chalked it up to pain medicine, and she left the room to slowly stroll the halls, searching for someone to ask about Grant. She guessed he was still in recovery.

All the nurses and doctors seemed to be rushing somewhere. She didn’t want to interrupt them, so after walking around without getting anywhere, she headed back to her room.

Before climbing back into her bed, she went to the window to check out the view. She barely noticed the cars in the parking lot or the various people walking around. What caught her eye and gave her pause was the man standing in the street below. It was a bit far away to be sure, but to her, it looked like Grant. He was standing there looking up at her. He waved to her and motioned for her to join him. She wondered how he could be outside so quickly, but guessed that maybe he felt as good as she did and decided to take a stroll himself. She returned the wave and went to her door to check for a nurse. Frustrated with the fact that no one came to see how she was, she left the room to see why Grant was in the street, waving her down to join him. She told herself that if they were too busy to come and see her, they were too busy to give her grief for wandering around this soon after surgery.

No one noticed her leave through the front door of the hospital in her gown. She forgot about what she was wearing, eager to find out what Grant was doing outside. She stopped and froze when a woman pushing a stroller quickly headed in Grant’s direction. With her determined pace, Brielle thought the woman didn’t notice Grant. Brielle yelled, “Watch out!” but it was too late. Before Grant had a chance to get out of the way, the woman rushed right toward him; only she didn’t hit him. She went right through him. Brielle’s hand shot to her mouth as she suppressed a scream. Grant froze in his spot, unsure what had just happened. Before either of them had a chance to figure it out, neither saw the car that was headed right for Brielle. Before she had a chance to react, the car went right through her, just as the stroller had gone through Grant.

Brielle and Grant closed the gap between each other. Brielle suddenly knew the reason she couldn’t get any nurses to pay attention to her. Her concerns before surgery were well-founded. Grant didn’t make it through his operation, and neither did she.

Both, without words, now knew why they met again when they did. It was much more than coincidence. Grant held out his arm, and she took it without hesitation. Even though fate took them apart in kindergarten, they both knew without question, that you just can’t hide from destiny.