Jordan
Three Years Later

The banquet hall hummed with quiet conversation, the kind that filled the spaces between speeches and polite applause. I was sitting at a round table near the front with some of my fellow graduates, but I hadn’t made much small talk. I was too busy staring at the place card propped up on the other side of my food plate.

Dr. Jordan Mayfield, M.D.

It still didn’t feel real. Even after all the years of school and residency, I didn’t feel like I should be called a doctor. The imposter syndrome occupied most of my mind, even now. Even here.
“All right, let’s get to it,” the program director, Dr. Casey, announced while she stepped up to the podium.
The room quieted.
“I know all of you are itching to finally have some sleep, so I won’t take too long.” A chuckle rippled through the audience. I only smiled. I was glad I had chosen a less crazy residency schedule, even if it meant taking longer to reach graduation.
I’d made a lot of good decisions in the past three years.
“Residency is brutal,” Dr. Casey said, which drew a lot of nods. “You’ve learned. You’ve struggled. You’ve sacrificed.”
She paused to scan the room.
“This is the part where I say you’re ready, but let’s be honest—you probably don’t feel ready. I doubt you’ll feel ready a year from now, or even two. But I want to tell you a secret: that feeling is how you know you’re ready. Embrace it, then go out and be the best medical professionals you can be.”
One by one, the residents were called up to the stage, each name met with applause and a handshake. I felt strangely nervous until my name was called, and then I practically skipped up the steps.
“Congratulations, Doctor Carter,” she said, her voice softer now so only I could hear. “Your patients are lucky to have you.”
“You probably say that to all the graduates.”
“Yes, I do.” She smiled. “But it’s still true.”
The words hit me harder than I expected. I murmured my thanks, barely hearing the applause as I retook my seat.
But I did catch a glimpse of Haley and Bran in the back, cheering and jumping up and down.
Fuck. I was about to cry.
Fortunately, I reined in my emotions by the time the ceremony ended. Everyone stood up and began mingling, but I immediately bee-lined it to the back of the room.
“I try not to give you too many compliments, to keep your head from getting too big,” Lucas said while clasping my hand. “But I’m proud of you, buddy.”
“Please address me as Doctor from now on,” I replied. “Because I’m a doctor. Of medicine.” I held up the placard I had stolen from the table. “Doctor Jordan Mayfield.”
“See? It’s already gone to his head,” Lucas complained.
“Doctor Jordy!” Bran said, throwing himself into my arms. He came up to my shoulder, now, even though he was only nine. At the rate he was going, he would be taller than me by next year. “I don’t know whether to call you Coach Jordy, or Doctor Jordy.”
“How about Doctor Coach Jordy?” I suggested.
Shay pulled me into his arms and clapped me on the back. “I’ll call you Doctor if you start calling me Esquire.”
“I know you’re joking, but I’m going to start doing that,” I teased.
“Well done,” Shay told me.
Then Haley, the woman I loved, the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, shoved him out of the way and clung to me with every ounce of energy she had. I grunted, but folded my arms around her and welcomed her embrace. Haley had a way of making me feel loved in a way I never had before.
“I am so proud of you,” she whispered through her tears. “You have no idea.”
“I have some idea.”
“No,” she insisted. “You don’t. Whatever you’re imagining, multiply that by a billion.”
“Oh, wow. That’s a lot of pride.”
When she finally let go and wiped her eyes, I turned to Lucas. “What special title do you get when you’re an engineer?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “There isn’t one.”
“Wow, really? Oh man, that’s too bad,” I said in a patronizing tone. “Take note, Bran. If you want to get a cool title, you have to become a lawyer or doctor.”
It was a running joke of ours, but Bran emphatically shook his head. “I want to work with cars, just like Dad!”
“Atta boy,” Lucas said, putting an arm around his son. “Engineers make more money, anyway.”
“Money isn’t everything,” I replied, glancing at my watch. “We’re going to be late for your game. Let’s get out of here.”
We drove to the baseball field, where I removed my tie and rolled up my sleeves. Now that my residency was over, I was beginning a full-time job at the children’s hospital. My hours were about to get a lot crazier.
But for now, I was able to finish out the season coaching the baseball team. Which worked out, because Bran was about to graduate to the next level. Even though he was only nine, he was good enough to play with the twelve-year-olds next year. In any case, I wouldn’t be coaching him anymore, which made it easier to say goodbye to the team.
I left my truck and walked toward the field, then stopped in my tracks. All the kids were there, everyone on the team. They were standing in a line at the edge of the field, holding up a long banner.

CONGRATS DOCTOR JORDY

The parents of the kids stood up on the bleachers, turned to face me, and started clapping. Some of the kids cheered and hooted, even some on the other team who didn’t know why they were cheering, but wanted to get in on the action.
“I was doing a good job of not crying until now,” I said, rubbing my eye with a fist. “You guys had to go and ruin it.”
Haley put an arm around me. “Got him.”
“Told you this would do it,” Shay said. “You owe me ten bucks.”
“I never disagreed. I just thought it would take more,” Lucas said.
I looked at each of them. “You guys were betting on whether or not I would cry?”
“I’ve seen Lucas and Shay cry before, but never you,” Haley said, thumbing away a tear from my cheek. “I just wanted to make sure one of the men I love is human.”
“Mission accomplish,” I said through my sniffles.
My team dropped the banner, then all ran forward to gather around me, jumping up and down and cheering. That’s when the tears really started flowing.
Stop judging me. I never knew I could be this happy, okay?
“Warm-up drills!” I shouted, though my voice cracked a little. “Line up on the foul line. First pitch is in twenty minutes, and all of you had better be ready.”
Bran gave me a little salute. “Yes, Doctor Coach Jordy.”
“Doctor Coach Jordy!” the other kids repeated, taking up the new title.
I turned to Lucas. “Just so we’re all aware: I have two titles. Doctor, and coach.”
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh my God, dude.”
“I have two, Shay has one, and you don’t have any.” I turned to Haley. “Surely that means I’m ahead in the standings.”
“You’re number one.” She leaned up to kiss me. “But only for today.”
I grinned. “I’ll take it.”
I shouted more orders to my kids, then walked toward the field. This may be my last year coaching little league, but they were in good hands. Lucas didn’t know it yet, but I was going to convince him to help coach the twelve-and-under league that Bran was being promoted to.
Our gazes met as he climbed up into the bleachers, so I held up a single finger. He glared and started to show me one of his fingers, but then stopped himself since we were around all these kids.
I guess he was growing into fatherhood after all.
But I was number one all by myself. Even if it was only for a day.