Archive of Our Own

It had been one week since Frank signed the divorce papers. Since he and Abby made it official, even though they had been separated for at least 4 months–or maybe it was 5. It was mostly a blur, of tense phone calls with his parents, of rushed packing, of more than a few conversations with teary little ones. 

(Tanner and Penny had started to adjust around month two, but Frank would be lying if he said it didn’t kill him to put his kids through all this.

Better this than growing up watching their parents slowly eat away at each other, his mom reminded him every time he brought it up.)

Frank also would be lying if he said another big life change (the most recent being his one year anniversary of sobriety) had rocked him to his core yet again. This had been a long time coming. The day Abby agreed to it, he walked around feeling like a balloon floating upwards, towards something bigger than he could even imagine.

Of course, a tiny part of Frank wished it hadn’t ended up like this. Abby was an amazing mother to their kids, and they had loved each other once. It wasn’t her fault they’d grown apart, or his.

In any matter, this wasn’t what Frank woke up thinking about on this particular day. It was a Tuesday, his first day off in a week (he usually had weekends off, but he’d ended up switching some shifts with Cassie when Harrison had gotten sick). One of the promises he’d made to himself in his post-divorce era was prioritizing himself, starting over in the ways that he could (he did have a life here and two small human beings he was responsible for, after all). It was the fresh start he’d secretly been craving for months now. 

He was thinking about the new routine and little traditions he’d been creating for himself. It helped to have something to look forward to day by day, week by week, and do things that were just for him. That reminded him he was so much more than an ex-husband, a recovering addict, a father, and a man who was trying every day to be someone he actually liked and was proud of.

Today would include: arm day at the gym, a peanut butter banana smoothie at his favorite juice bar nearby, lunch with his mom, and finding a new documentary to watch. Because of his unpredictable schedule at the hospital, juggling two small children, AND attempting couples’ counseling with Abby, Frank hadn’t stepped foot inside a gym or exercised beyond walking the dog in quite a while. This was something new just for him. Working out made him feel good beyond the usual endorphins–having something to focus on for an hour and moving his body quieted his mind and restless energy. 

Frank had decided to commit to 4 days a week for now. It was a good start, plus Shen had already pledged to spot him on the days their shifts synced up. His gym was good enough, nothing special. Clean, usually not too crowded. The clientele would vary on the day, and the staff was courteous and pretty good about enforcing rules. His first few times, he’d notice interesting characters–beefed up guys crowding around the one weight machine that was working, dolled up girls with their phones recording them, and suburban moms loudly airing out their husbands’ dirty laundry to their friends on the treadmill next to them. He tried not to pay them too much mind. And he wasn’t stupid either–even with his confidence shaken after his failed marriage, Frank had always known women usually found him easy on the eyes. That wasn’t him being cocky–he’d heard variations of this over the years as he grew out of his awkward phase after high school. And if he let a pretty woman hit on him while he was still with Abby, or acknowledged someone’s flirty gaze, he reckoned it wasn’t a crime. God forbid he enjoy a little attention–it had been forever since Abby made him feel wanted, anyway. 

So had he gone into this expecting to ogle hot women or pick one up and maybe even have a reckless one night stand? Or two? No, not necessarily. 

(Although…Shen kept telling him women went crazy for single dads.)

It was like Frank promised himself–this was his time now, and he wasn’t really interested in rushing into anything new. Even if it was just casual sex or flirting.

It was 8:23am, and Frank was halfway through his second cycle of weight lifting. Upbeat rock blasted through his headphones as he counted out reps in his head. He glanced up, feeling someone’s gaze on him. He locked eyes with a girl who looked like she was still in college, maybe five feet away at the leg extension machine. She gave him a slow grin, which Frank had no idea what to do with, so he quickly averted his eyes. 

35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Frank exhaled, setting the weights down on the bench in front of him and grabbing his water bottle by his feet. He let his mind drift for his 2 minute break, thinking about meeting his mom for lunch later and wondering if she’d remember to bring that new sweater for Tanner she’d mentioned the day before. What kind of documentary did he want to watch that night? He should make popcorn, he thought. Did he need to go to the store for that? Frank couldn’t remember what was in his pantry, considering he was still settling into his new divorced dad apartment and he’d barely had time to stock his kitchen beyond the home cooked meals his mom brought over and the frequent frozen dinner he’d had to grab after a long shift. Shen did mention a new one that had just come out, about the legend of Atlantis. Frank had always secretly been into that–he’d watched the animated movie as a kid every day for 2 weeks straight, driving his poor parents half-mad.

Motion near one of the studio spaces across the room caught his eye and he watched other gym goers file out. Yoga, he guessed, based on the rolled up mats hanging on most people’s shoulders or tucked under their arms. Maybe he should try that out, too. He could already hear Yo’s voice in his head telling him all the ways it could help his back. That, and the physical therapy he kept putting off making an appointment for.

(He was going to do it, he swore.)

Then his eyes fell on a woman walking out with a dark-skinned woman, both chattering excitedly with yoga mats over their shoulders. The first thing Frank noticed about her was the way her hands moved through the air, gesturing as she talked. She had kind of a nice smile, Frank thought. She was donned in a pair of glasses and loose workout clothes, her dirty blonde hair tied back in a braid. He watched her cover her mouth as she giggled, and felt a jolt of something he couldn’t quite name when she glanced over in his direction. Frank tore his eyes away quickly. 

Don’t be a creep, he chided himself. Feeling College Girl’s eyes on him, he flicked a cursory glance over to find her looking again. Frank resisted the urge to roll his eyes or frown at her and picked the weights up again. Only 3 more reps to go before he could move on to the rest of his routine.

The rest of the week passed by quickly, filled with hectic shifts at the hospital, talking to Tanner and Penny on the phone at bedtime, and slowly bringing some semblance of order and personality to his apartment. (Thank you, Facebook Marketplace.) Which meant he didn’t find himself back at the gym until Friday morning. Shen was spotting Frank as he huffed his way through bench press curls. 

Normally, Frank would have his headphones on, but Shen was yammering on about a story from the other day about a patient with extreme nausea and vomiting. Frank had heard about it at handoff the next morning–he thanked any and all gods he didn’t get stuck with that case.

“Yeah, I mean, poor Toomarian had to change her scrubs twice,” Shen continued as Frank carefully placed the dumbbell back on its rack and let out a long breath. “And they ran out of her size. She was practically swimming in them. I would’ve offered her my extra set, but you know…”

He sipped from his water bottle as he surveyed the room. Frank sat up, stretching out his hands a bit. He mirrored Shen, reaching down to grab his own bottle and shooting a teasing grin up at him. 

“Yeah, because you’re always losing them.” 

Shen tutted at him, pretending to look offended. “I do not lose things. They escape me.”

Frank just chuckled, shaking his head at him. He took another sip of water when he heard Shen let out a low “Oh, hello”. It took one look at Shen for Frank to realize that was his “just spotted a pretty girl” face. On impulse, he followed his gaze to the treadmills, where he noticed the blonde woman from the other day. It took him a second to place her because she wasn’t wearing her glasses. She must wear contacts sometimes, Frank mused, finding himself tucking that piece of information away in his brain. But he remembered the way she smiled, and how the overhead lights shone off her hair, and he suddenly wondered what color her eyes were. She was walking fast on the treadmill, hands on her hips, eyes down. Frank glanced back at Shen to see him still staring at her. His chest felt a little tight, all of a sudden. 

“She’s cute,” Shen declared, then turned back towards Frank. “Okay old man, my turn.”

Frank spluttered. “I’m, like, six months older than you.”

The other man smirked at Frank. “Exactly.”

Frank swapped out with Shen, a mischievous look in his eye. “Brave words for someone who’s about to put their life in someone else’s hands.”

Shen just tsked at Frank, who bit back a smile. He risked a glance back at the blonde on the treadmill as Shen situated himself, adjusting the weights. Even from across the room, Frank could agree that yes, she was most certainly pretty, in a quiet way he hadn’t seen very often. Hell, at least half the girls who came in here would sport false eyelashes, curled ponytails, and tight Lululemon pants (which he only learned about after Abby had started her athleisure wear phase a year ago). 

Not that there was anything wrong with looking nice at the gym. Frank just figured the whole point was to get a good workout in, not act like it was a beauty pageant. But Abby would gripe at him for much less than that, and he was just a clueless man, so what did he know?

The blonde’s hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, a hairstyle that Frank had always secretly liked on women. He couldn’t quite explain it, but there was just something about letting your eyes trail down their bare neck that sent a thrill through him. He suddenly wished he was a bit closer to the treadmills.

Frank shook it off and turned his gaze back to Shen before she would look up and meet his eyes this time. His neck felt hot just thinking about it. Focus, Langdon. 

He watched Shen huff as he pushed his arms up and down slowly, making sure he wasn’t about to drop the dumbbell. His mind started wandering as it usually did–Penny had been especially fussy the night before when he dropped her and her brother off with Abby. Frank made a mental note to ask Abby how she was that day. He needed a new shelf for his bathroom–maybe he could look on Facebook Marketplace again or swing by a Home Depot after he finished up here. It would need to have hooks, he thought. There wasn’t even a towel rack in there, if you could believe it. Then Frank’s mind wandered to the blonde woman that Shen had noticed–taking care to not glance up and look over again. He was paranoid enough that she would be able to tell he was thinking of her. She liked yoga, that he knew about her. Probably the only thing so far, besides the fact that she also wore glasses and seemed pretty expressive. She seemed like the kind of person who’d fit right in at any party, Frank thought. 

He wondered what she liked to do in her free time, and that’s when Frank promptly stopped himself before falling into a rabbit hole. 

He didn’t even know anything about her. He was supposed to be focusing on himself, not becoming fixated on the first pretty girl who caught his eye. 

She probably had a boyfriend, anyway. 

Frank didn’t realize Shen was trying to get his attention until he felt a hand thwacking his arm. 

“What?” 

“You’re supposed to be spotting me, man,” Shen teased Frank, sitting upright and rolling his neck around his shoulders. Frank shot him a sheepish look.

“Sorry…guess I zoned out for a second.”

Shen eyed him for a moment, clearly debating whether to ask about it or shrug it off with a joke like he always did. “Everything good?”

Frank resisted the urge to sigh. Of course the hospital’s resident jokester would choose now to show he cared when something didn’t seem right. “Yeah, man. Of course. Just dealing with a lot this week.”

“Oh yeah? Like what? And why haven’t you invited me along for the ride?” Shen swung his leg over the bench to rise to his feet, making his way over to the next machine and shooting Frank a smirk.

He followed Shen, his eyes only darting over to her for a second. She’d moved on to jogging now, her ponytail swinging behind her. Frank thought back to his track and field days in high school and wondered how they would measure up alongside each other in a race. He’d always been the fastest on his team, but that was a long time ago, and Frank hadn’t gone for a run since…probably since Penny was born, to be honest.

He ignored the twinge of shame in his chest. “Ah, I’m not gonna bore you, Shen. Just adjusting to my new apartment still, I guess.”

Frank didn’t add that he was still adjusting to being on his own, too. He may not have been 100% happy being married to Abby, but he couldn’t deny that he’d grown comfortable in that kind of life. Now that he was single, he needed to get used to doing things for himself again, on his own. Like doing his own laundry (if he could just figure out how to work the washing machine), decorating his apartment, figuring out what he liked and what he wanted to do–instead of following Abby’s lead. 

It was all a process, he reminded himself. This was the price for getting his happiness back.

Shen settled into the machine and started doing leg press curls. “Right, right. And when are you gonna invite me over? Got any furniture that needs building? God knows your old man back couldn’t handle building some IKEA shit.”

Frank barked out a laugh. “Very kind of you, Shen, thanks.”

Later, after Frank had showered and put on a fresh set of clothes from his gym bag, he checked the notifications on his phone while exiting the locker room. A few from Instagram, some emails, a text from his mom about something she’d seen that morning that reminded her of him…and nothing from Abby. He wasn’t really expecting anything, but he’d kind of hoped he’d get at least a crumb of an update on how Penny was doing that day. She’d been having a few mood swings lately, neither him nor Abby able to pinpoint what would usually incite them. 

And because of this, Frank was so lost in thought scrolling through his phone that he didn’t register the figure about to walk straight into him until her head snapped up and he heard–

“Oh, sorry! Didn’t see you.” 

Frank’s own head snapped up to see the blonde girl from the treadmill staring right at him, an apologetic look in her eye. He opened his mouth to say it was okay, don’t worry about it, he wasn’t paying attention either. But nothing came out, to his growing horror. Time had slowed down to a glacial pace, and all Frank could see was her. God, she was even prettier up close. He noticed a small mole under her left eye, which caused something tiny to wriggle around in his stomach. She was flushed after her run, and she was clutching her phone and water bottle in one hand. She’d spoken in a lower pitch than he was used to hearing. Frank wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t that.

It couldn’t have been more than two seconds, but it felt like forever to Frank, and before he knew it, she’d breezed past him into the women's locker room. He realized he hadn’t taken a single breath since she spoke, and that his mouth was still hanging open. He quickly clamped it shut, feeling like the biggest idiot. 

“Nice going,” Frank muttered to himself, suddenly grateful that Shen wasn’t around to witness what just happened. God knows he’d get a kick out of it and tease Frank about it on their next shift together.

And because Frank was thinking about this as he walked out of the gym towards his car, he didn’t realize until he’d arrived back at his apartment one very important thing.

Her eyes were the color of molten amber. 

Frank didn’t see the woman the next time he came to the gym. He ignored the twinge of disappointment in his chest, reasoning that maybe she only went a few days a week. Plus, wasn’t this exactly what he told himself he wouldn’t do right now? 

So he shook it off, donning his headphones and throwing himself into the routine. Today was smoothie day, and he was looking forward to getting his weekly peanut butter banana fix.

The next time Frank saw her was in the studio the following Tuesday, currently hosting the 8am yoga class. He’d only glanced in on his way to the locker room on a whim, almost stopping right in his tracks when he picked her out towards the front of the room. He could see her in the reflection of the mirrored wall–her glasses and braid were back and she wore a loose tank top. 

Maybe he should take up yoga, too. For his back. Obviously.

For the next twenty minutes, Frank alternated between doing his reps and glancing out of the corner of his eye towards the studio space. Waiting for the class to end and everyone to file out. He told himself he was just waiting to catch the instructor so he could ask when the next class was, but what Frank really wanted was one more glimpse of the blonde woman. Maybe he would get to see her smile again. 

And soon enough, the door to the studio opened and people began wandering out, some towards the exit, some towards the treadmills. Frank had just finished his last rep on the chest press machine, so with a deep breath, he slowly made his way over to the studio entrance. He hadn’t seen the woman come out yet–god, he hoped he wouldn’t bump into her again like an idiot.

(Frank wanted to so bad, just to hear her voice again and look into her eyes. He was fine.)

After hanging around outside scrolling through his phone and desperately trying to act casual and like his heart wasn’t gunning for a sprint, Frank only glanced up when he heard the door close. The yoga instructor was facing him, talking to–

Her.

Frank couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could hear the low deep tone of the blonde’s voice. Her back was to him, and because Frank’s lizard brain told him that she probably hadn’t seen him standing there yet, he let himself look. His eyes lingered on the back of her head, her golden hair braided meticulously, with a pink hair tie at the bottom. Her tank top was loose, but still flowed over her shape enough to show off her curves. Her arms were sprinkled with light freckles, and he noticed another mole on the back of her right shoulder. 

And if they weren’t in the middle of a crowded gym and Frank didn’t think he would be caught, he would’ve let his eyes trail down to the rest of her, but–

The yoga instructor noticed him, then. “Can I help you?”

Shit. 

The blonde spun around, her eyes going wide at the sight of him three feet away. It almost would’ve been comical, if Frank was actively trying not to freak out.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit.

“Uh,” Frank began. Did they turn the AC off just now? “I was just…when’s the next class?”

“Thursday, I think. You can sign up at the front desk, hon.” The yoga instructor shot the woman a friendly smile before walking away, and then…

It was just the two of them.

Frank glanced away from the yoga instructor to see the blonde already turning to head in the opposite direction, towards the locker room. He couldn’t tell whether he was relieved or disappointed–if he’d had just a few more seconds, he probably could’ve come up with something to say to her. 

It took him another long second, to his embarrassment, to register that she was probably leaving soon, if she was heading to the lockers. Frank felt his window of opportunity closing, which was ridiculous, because he didn’t even know this woman. He had told himself he wouldn’t rush into anything with someone so soon, he would focus on himself. He wanted to. Besides, wasn’t it cliche to pick up girls at the gym?

It was stupid. They hadn’t even spoken two words to each other. Well, besides her hurried apology when she almost bumped into him. He didn’t even know her name. She probably thought he was just another gym bro. She was probably just trying to focus on her workout, she definitely didn’t want to deal with creeps ogling her or trying to chat her up.

Shen would have a fucking field day if he was there, Frank thought.

“Okay,” Frank said to himself under his breath. He stood there a moment longer, debating between making a beeline to the front desk to sign up for the class, or forgetting about it and continuing his workout. He didn’t even know if she would be in that class too, or if she just took it once a week. Just the thought of being in the same room as her and trying not to look as she moved her body through the different poses both terrified and thrilled Frank. 

Again, it was stupid.

He would decide when he finished his workout.

But Frank found himself almost dropping the 60-lb weight in his hand when he happened to glance up and see the blonde woman emerge from the locker room and trail towards the treadmills instead of the exit. Something surged all of a sudden in his chest–maybe it was excitement, or maybe it was nerves, or nausea. Could’ve been all three. 

Maybe he’d had too much coffee that morning. 

Frank did his best to keep his gaze off her, but couldn’t help one or two glances. She was jogging, headphones on and huffing lightly. He wondered faintly what she was listening to. On the second glance, Frank was horrified to see a guy two treadmills over glance at her every few seconds. Even from across the room, Frank could recognize the intrigue on his face. His stomach turned to concrete. You idiot. Of course she’d catch someone else’s eye, too. 

And if Frank found himself at the front desk signing up for the Thursday yoga class on his way out, that was no one’s business but his.

It was for his back, after all.

“Oh, she did? Thank god,” Frank quipped on the phone to Abby. It was her week with Tanner and Penny, and she’d been filling him in on Penny’s latest dramatics. Frank was relieved to hear she’d kept the stomping to a minimum that day. It seemed to be her new favorite thing. She was so cute doing it too that Frank almost couldn’t bring himself to be frustrated. He wouldn’t tell Abby this, but he was secretly proud that his little girl was learning how to express herself more.

He and Abby were still working on getting her to use her words, but. You know. This kind of thing was always a work in progress. Kids were funny creatures sometimes.

Abby sighed. “I swear to god, Frank, she gets it from you.”

“From me?” Frank let out a surprised bark. “That’s funny, Abs, when was the last time you saw me stomp my foot when I didn’t get my way?”

“Well…”

“Exactly. Besides, I’m pretty sure she got it from that one movie with the, with the mean high school girls.”

Frank heard a clink then, and he could almost picture his ex-wife standing at the kitchen sink loading dishes into the dishwasher after dinner. It was around 7:30 anyway–she usually liked to serve it around 7 when she had the kids. That way, she could have them in bed by 8. He felt a twinge of something, he wasn’t sure what–but how many nights had he spent helping her with this, even on nights he cooked? How many nights had he spent shooing her away from the kitchen insisting that he could handle it and put the kids to bed?

He knew he hadn’t been a perfect husband, but god knows he tried. And he didn’t miss being Abby’s husband, necessarily, but…it was just a previous life he was still adjusting to not having now.

It was a work in progress.

Frank cleared his throat. “Bedtime in 30, right?” Out of all the weird and uncomfortable and shaky changes that had entered all their lives since Frank and Abby decided to separate, this nighttime tradition with the kids was probably Frank’s favorite. Abby would call him every night she had the kids, right before bedtime, so he could talk to Tanner and Penny. He did the same for her on his weeks with them. 

“Yes, Frank, just like it is every night,” Abby teased him. “I’ll call you back then. Tanner wants to tell you about something that happened at school today.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows shot up. “Everything okay?”

Frank heard Abby sigh again. “I think so? I mean. He’s not telling me anything, just keeps insisting he wants to talk to Daddy. But he doesn’t seem upset or anything.”

“How did he seem when you picked him up?” Frank’s mind started whirring, going into Dad Mode. He couldn’t help it. If he even caught a whiff of something less than positive going on with either of his kids, he started veering into overprotective territory. It tended to drive Abby a little crazy, seeing how her approach was usually just giving them some extra love and space to communicate what was wrong. 

It was just one of the many things they butted heads on. 

“He was…fine.” Abby responded after a moment. “The same. I don’t know, Frank. I was kind of preoccupied with making sure our daughter wasn’t having a tantrum leaving daycare.”

“Did he–?”

“Frank, I have to finish the dishes. You worry too much. I’m sure Tanner is fine. If something is really wrong, we will handle it. I’ll call you soon, okay?” Abby had on that tone she pulled out when she was done with the conversation. Frank knew it well.

He let out a frustrated huff. “Yeah, okay. Talk soon.”

And with that, they hung up. Frank stared at his phone lockscreen for a second, the sight of Tanner and Penny in matching Halloween costumes bringing a smile to his face as always. Halloween was still a ways away, but he and Abby would have to start thinking about how they would handle it. Maybe they could tag-team, or do two Halloweens, one with her and one with him.

It made Frank’s head hurt just thinking about it. So he glanced up and looked around his living room instead. It wasn’t as bare as it was a week ago–Frank was slowly but surely decorating it how he liked, or at least thought was cool enough. It was starting to feel like his space, not just a boring blank slate with walls, doorways, and windows. Maybe he could even paint the walls a nice color, or hang a tapestry or something over by the TV. That section of wall was practically begging to be covered in something, anyway. Frank made a mental note to look online later to peruse options. 

And even after three months living here, Frank thought it was still too quiet. Sure, there were the distant sounds of the freeway, the occasional helicopter or police car, and sometimes loud, heavy footsteps from above him. While he liked to listen to music or a podcast as he was getting ready in the morning or making dinner in the evening, Frank couldn’t help but miss the rowdy noises and hubbub of his kids. Wrangling them usually left him exhausted before the day had even begun, but he loved every second of it. 

Frank briefly wondered if it would be too pathetic to put on any of the videos he’d taken of Tanner and Penny since they were born while he puttered around the house. Just so he could hear their voices and screaming laughter. 

The price of happiness, he reminded himself as he rubbed his hands over his face, suddenly tired. He would get to talk to them soon enough.

And sure enough, Tanner’s face filled his phone screen as he chattered away. Frank couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. His worries were soothed a bit, too, when he didn’t see any of Tanner’s usual tell-tale signs of being upset or frustrated. 

“Wow buddy, that’s so exciting!” Frank interjected when Tanner took a breath in between babbling about his day at school. “Sounds like you made a new friend, huh?”

“Yeah!” Tanner exclaimed. “Mom said–Mom said maybe we could do a playdate next week. We’re gonna do Legos.”

“That sounds so cool, I love Legos too. Are you gonna bring the one Mom got you for Christmas?”

Tanner nodded enthusiastically, glancing off screen for a second, presumably getting distracted by his sister again. Frank loved how close they were most of the time–it was like they were two peas in a pod. His parents kept telling him and Abby to enjoy it while they could. They’d probably hate each other’s guts by the time they hit their pre-teens. 

“Wait, what?” Tanner mumbled, facing away from Frank and wiping his nose with his pajama sleeve. Frank already knew that would annoy Abby.

“Is that your sister?”

Tanner made a face off screen before returning his attention to Frank. He nodded, the usual easygoing look back on his face. 

“Is she being silly again?”

Tanner nodded again, giggling. Frank chuckled along with him. It was time to pivot to what was really bugging him before Abby took the phone back and ended the call.

“Hey buddy, your mom said you wanted to tell me something?” Frank resisted the urge to let his brain conjure up any and all negative scenarios that could happen to a four year old.

“Yeah!” Tanner’s eyes lit up. Frank’s chest ached. God, he loved his son. “I saw a frog at lunch.”

“A frog?” Frank almost barked out a laugh. “Like, a real frog?”

His son rolled his eyes over the phone screen, and this time Frank did laugh. “Yeah, Daddy, a real frog. Are you silly or something?”

“Sorry, buddy. I was just surprised,” Frank said, still laughing. “That’s really cool. I don’t think I’ve seen one in a long time. Where was it?”

“It was–it was by the fishes.” Frank knew he meant the koi pond near the playground. Fucking fancy, if you were to ask him. It had been a hell of a long time since Frank went to school, but he couldn’t remember preschools being swanky enough to have a whole koi pond and a greenhouse. “I touched it too! It was slimy, ewww.”

Frank laughed again at the face Tanner was pulling now. “Why’d you do that, buddy?”

“Because Penny said to.” 

“Ah, I see. Your sister is a silly girl, huh?”

Tanner nodded vehemently.

“Sounds like you had a good day, Tan. Is your sister there?”

“Yeah, she’s right here. Penny, here’s Daddy.” Tanner sat up and walked quickly across the room to hand the phone to Penny, almost dropping it in the process. Then Frank was face to face with his daughter. She looked a little distracted, a book open in her hands, but lit up once she saw him.

“Daddy!” Penny cooed. 

“Hey sweetie, how was your day?”

Frank spent the next 5 minutes chatting with Penny, and before he knew it, Abby entered the frame. She looked a little tired, but relaxed. Frank knew she always felt lighter and more ready for bed after the kids had their baths and got into their PJs. Reading to them was another story, though.

“Hey,” Abby said. This was Frank’s least favorite part of their nighttime tradition. Abby had never said anything to him when it was her turn to FaceTime on his weeks, but he was sure she shared the feeling. 

“Hey.” He and Abby stared at each other through the screen for a moment. Frank wondered when this would feel normal. He could tell she was thinking the same thing. “Mystery solved, by the way. With Tanner. Apparently Penny showed him a frog by the koi pond.”

She snorted, gazing down at Tanner fondly. “I didn’t even know there were frogs there.”

“Me neither.”

“Bathtime go okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, just like always. I told you, by the way, you didn’t have to worry. Although now I’m wondering if I should be jealous that he wanted to tell you first and not me.”

“Ha ha,” Frank quipped back sarcastically. “Well. I’ll let you guys go. Have fun with storytime.”

Abby gave him a smile, a real one this time. “Thanks, Frank. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

And with that, the call ended and his phone screen went black. Frank looked up at the blank spot by the TV again. Yeah, he’d order a tapestry online. It would be nice to have a pop of color in here. 

Frank walked into the gym Thursday morning, chugging from his water bottle, headphones on. His stomach churned as he tapped his mobile app code at the check in station and strolled towards the locker room. What was wrong with him? He was just going to do freaking yoga, for Christ’s sake. People did yoga every day. Besides, maybe it would soothe his back muscles a bit–they’d been flaring up the last day or so. And he’d learn some new poses he could tuck under his belt. 

He checked his watch as he shoved his gym bag inside the locker and swung the door shut, locking it. The class wasn’t until 8:30, and it was only 7:55 now. Frank was way too early. He let out a long breath, rocking back and forth on his heels. He suddenly wished he could jump on a treadmill and get his feet moving and his blood pumping, if only to burn up some of this restless energy. But he didn’t want to be too keyed up before the class. It was supposed to be calming, after all. 

He needed some calm right now.

So he settled for some leisurely weight lifting, eyes on the floor, techno rock playing in his ears. Frank checked his watch again after a few reps to see the time was now 8:20. He shot a glance towards the studio to see the door open and a few people milling in. Frank wasted no time in making his way over, finding a spot towards the back. He’d completely forgotten to get a yoga mat for this, but to his relief, the instructor pointed out extras rolled up in the corner. He let his eyes subtly scan the room as he got situated. No sign of her, but Frank was half-expecting that. Even though he’d had no idea if the cute blonde would come to this class too, he couldn’t help but hope she would. 

He did a few basic stretches, reminding himself not to push too hard with any of the more advanced moves (it was still a beginner’s class, after all), and took another swig from his water bottle when his eyes landed on a small figure rushing in to take their place at the front of the room.

Frank could barely hear the instructor’s calm voice leading the class as they began over his heartbeat in his ears. It was definitely her–he would recognize that braid anywhere, and he could just catch a glimpse of her in the reflection of the mirrored wall in front of her. There were too many people in the way, making Frank wish he’d chosen a closer spot. 

Focus. Frank tried his best to mirror the others around him while listening to the instructor, feeling a little silly and out of place moving his long limbs around in various poses. He couldn’t deny it was very calming, though. His mind was actually quiet now. Yeah, Frank thought he could get used to this. He breathed in and out as he moved through what the instructor called a standing warrior pose. He let his eyes drift towards the blonde. From what he could see through the crowd of bodies, she looked completely at peace, her movements graceful. She was wearing a loose faded T-shirt and yoga pants. Frank tried not to think about the mole on the back of her shoulder. 

When they moved into the downwards dog pose, Frank almost choked on his spit when he prepared to get into position and happened to glance up at the exact moment that she placed her hands down on the mat and stuck her ass up into the air. 

It shouldn’t have been affecting him as much as it was–after all, Frank was in a room full of people with their asses in the air. So what if one of them just happened to belong to a girl he couldn’t stop thinking about? It was fine. It was normal. His dick was definitely not twitching in his sweatpants right now. 

So he clenched his jaw and kept his eyes facing forward, his own hands on his mat. Frank didn’t look in her direction again until they all assumed a child’s pose at the end of the class. The final wind-down resting movement, the instructor explained in her soothing voice. The blonde sat up once the instructor ended the class, her braid falling over her shoulder again. Frank watched her exchange a soft smile with the instructor and roll her neck around her shoulders. He didn’t realize he was staring until he noticed others around him were rolling up their mats and meandering outside, the blonde included. Frank quickly shot to his feet and scrambled to return the mat, a voice in him yelling to approach her. Talk to her. Something. Anything. 

Preferably something that wasn’t “oh hey, I was definitely staring at your ass and I think about you even when I’m not at the gym. Not in a creepy way though.”

By the time Frank turned around to check where she was, she was already walking out the door, her yoga mat under her arm. Shit. He fought not to rush after her, still without a clue what he would actually say to her. Maybe he could ask her where she got her mat. Yeah. That was good, that was normal, right?

He didn’t even get a chance, because she was gone once he managed to exit after a few others. Frank heaved a sigh. If Shen were here, he would be giving Frank shit all day. 

Maybe she’d somehow seen Frank looking at her ass and rushed out to get away from him. Maybe this was a bad idea. This seemed to be her regular thing, judging how she seemed close with the instructor and the fact that she owned her own yoga mat. The last thing Frank wanted was to scare her off before he even got the chance to have an actual conversation with her.

He wanted that, he realized with a jolt. He wanted to talk to her and learn things about her and find out what she liked to do outside of the gym. 

Yeah, Frank was definitely in trouble. He hadn’t even been officially divorced a whole month yet. Yolanda would get a real kick out of this too, he thought.

Get it together. Frank grabbed his headphones from his locker again and slid them on, opting to do the treadmill for the rest of his workout. The class had definitely done wonders for his muscles and anxiety level, but there was still something humming loudly under his skin. So he turned the speed level up until his feet were pounding on the track and all thoughts left his head, only blaring music in his ears.

It took almost a whole week for Frank to work up the courage to approach her. 

He’d just dropped Tanner and Penny off at school–it was “Bring Your Favorite Stuffed Animal” Day, and he’d spent a good portion of the morning running around trying to locate Penny’s giraffe. She wouldn’t go anywhere without it lately. Which normally wouldn’t make Frank want to gouge his own eyes out, but he was already behind on his routine, which meant he would be late for work. He’d just have to do a quick one that day, maybe hit the treadmill for 20 minutes.

Shen was working nights as usual that week, so he wouldn’t be able to join Frank until Friday and Saturday. No matter, Frank was planning on taking it easy that week since his back started twinging a little more than usual on the day before. That day, Frank was listening to a podcast about emergency room procedures. It was a new one Yolanda had recommended to him, and so far, it was actually really interesting. Which explained why he was thinking about fasciotomies  rushing through his stretches in the locker room and beelining for the row of treadmills closest to the front door. 

Frank gulped from his water bottle as he set the speed to 5 miles. His feet started pumping faster and faster as the treadmill picked up speed, and his mind quieted save for his breathing and the soothing voice in his ear. He let his eyes wander a few minutes in. It was morning peak time–it seemed everyone and their mother was here. Frank was lucky he even snagged a treadmill, honestly. And because he was so zeroed in on the podcast (he should really ask Shen if he listened to it) and fretting over being late to work, Frank almost did a double take when he glanced over at the row in front of him to his right and spotted a flash of dirty blonde hair waving back and forth. 

Frank was utterly amazed when he didn’t trip over his own feet and crash face first into the treadmill. He hadn’t expected to see her today–but then again, he did promise himself that the next time he did, he would absolutely say something. 

Well, now was his chance.

Not right this second, obviously–they were both mid workout and Frank’s brain was still struggling to come up with coherent and non-embarrassing things to talk to her about. God, this should not be this difficult. Abby would laugh at him if she knew he was sweating bullets over it.

Normal. You’re normal. Be normal. She’s just a girl.

Fifteen minutes in, Frank watched the blonde slow down on her treadmill and put her hands on her hips, breathing hard and looking down for a moment. She stretched her legs and arms out briefly before stepping off, grabbing something from the cupholder. He felt alarm bells going off in his head as she sauntered away towards the locker room. Frank blindly hit the stop button and staggered off, panting and grabbing his water bottle. Was he really about to follow this girl and try to get her attention when she was clearly ready to leave?

Yes. Yes, he was. Frank felt like he would tear his own face off if he had to go one more day thinking of her and not even getting her name. 

(And hopefully, her number. But there would be time for that, he hoped.)

His feet moved in her direction before he could register it. She paused for a moment as Frank got closer, digging around in her pocket for something. She continued on after a second, not even realizing she’d dropped something. Frank’s eyes shot to a bright colored lanyard with keys and a card on the ground, and without even thinking, took two large strides to pick it up. He felt a little breathless, which–he was just on a treadmill, that was definitely the reason.

“Uh, hey!” Frank called out to her retreating back. Unfortunately for him, the gym was too loud and she was too far away to hear him. Shit. Frank cleared his throat and rushed to catch up to her before she disappeared into the locker room and then he really would’ve lost his window of opportunity.

He would look like such a creep if she found him waiting outside the women’s locker room with her lanyard in his hands. 

He was only a few steps away when he tried again. “Hey, sorry, you dropped something.”

The woman spun around, her eyes wide. Frank tried not to melt–he could already tell she was expressive. He couldn’t explain why he found it so adorable. 

“Uh.” Frank held up the lanyard, the card drifting around to show him a glimpse of her face along with text spread throughout. Maybe it was a work thing. “I didn’t mean to…you dropped this and it seemed important.”

She looked down at it, her mouth falling open. “Oh! Shoot, I do need that. Thank you.”

She reached out her hand and Frank realized half a second later he should be handing it back to her. “Yeah, no problem.”

“I would’ve been in trouble if I lost that.” The blonde chuckled, letting the lanyard dangle from her fingers. “Especially considering I need it after I leave.”

Frank tried his best to tamp down a grin, but he couldn’t help it. She was just so damn cute, and he couldn’t believe he was actually talking to her. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“For work,” she explained. “I’d probably have a hard time even getting in without this little card.”

She grabbed the ID card and brandished it towards him. “So you really saved me, I owe you one.”

“Ah, don’t mention it.” Frank glanced away, starting to heat up under her gaze. He took a sip from his bottle for something to do. “Sounds pretty strict, do you work in a lab or something?”

The blonde laughed. “Oh, no, I wish. That would be so cool. I work at a hospital.”

He glanced back, his interest piqued. There was no way she was at the Pitt, unless she just started and he hadn’t had any shifts with her yet. Or she worked in a different department. “No way. Me too. Which one?”

“Presby! What about you?”

“I’m at PTMC.”

“Huh.” The blonde stared at him with a look Frank couldn’t quite read. “What are the odds?”

A tiny part of Frank’s brain started yelling at him to cut it short, to give her an out and make a beeline for the showers so he could rush through getting ready and maybe make it just in time for handoff, if he was lucky. He firmly ignored that part. “Yeah…that’s pretty cool. What department?”

“I’m in the ER”. She smiled, looking down. “It’s…usually crazy, but I love it.”

It was at that moment that Frank was impossibly glad she wasn’t looking at him, because he was gaping at her for a full three seconds before he shut his mouth. There was no way. “No you’re not,” he managed to get out. Her head snapped up, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What? Um, yes I–”

Frank laughed, putting out a hand to stop her, his words tumbling out. “No, no, sorry, I’m sorry, I just–I work in the ER at the Pitt too.”

“Oh,” she said after a moment, looking a little surprised. “You do?”

“Yeah. I’m one of the senior residents there.”

“I’m an R3.”

He stared back at her for a second. He really should be getting into the showers. “That’s cool.”

What were the odds?

“Yeah, I guess! Well, um…I actually should go. I have to be there pretty soon, actually.” The blonde held up her lanyard, shooting him a warm smile. “Thank you, again.”

Frank thought his chest would split open right then and there and pour out sunshine and warm honey.

Just like the color of her eyes.

He cleared his throat, nodding. “Yeah, of course. And yeah, I should–I have a shift soon, too.” But he made no effort to move. Maybe he wanted to spend every second he could looking into her eyes and drinking up every ounce of attention she gave him. Sue him. 

She turned to walk away, took a step forward, then hesitated and turned back towards Frank with a shy smile. “I’m, uh…I’m Mel, by the way. I’ve, uh, I’ve seen you a few times around here. And since we’re hospital twins, I figure we should be on a first name basis.”

Mel. Already Frank could just tell that it suited her, despite him knowing barely anything about her. 

“Nice to meet you, Mel. I’m Frank.” He could swear that he was floating just then. Robby could yell at him for being late, he could be slammed with cases all day, Penny could have a full on meltdown, and none of it would matter because now he knew her name.

Mel. He wondered what it was short for. Melody? Melanie? Melissa?

Mel nodded, her smile bigger now. She raised the lanyard as she turned to walk away. “Nice to meet you, too. Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” Frank managed to say, somehow still rooted to the spot. God, he really should be driving to the hospital by now. “See you later.”

Frank was fifteen minutes late to work, already preparing to deal with Robby’s wrath throughout the day.

It was so worth it.