Come Back To Me

"You have no new voice messages" The answering machine declared as Hollis pressed down the play button. She could have sworn that the computerized voice was mocking her, making fun of her obvious lack of a personal life. She sighed heavily and threw her laptop case and briefcase onto the leather armchair and walked into her bedroom. She took off her suit and high heels and replaced them with slippers and sweats. She pulled her perfectly curled hair into a ponytail and trudged into the kitchen. After setting up the coffee maker to make a fresh pot, she plopped herself on the couch and began to aimlessly flick through the channels.

"Nothing. Nothing. Nothing." She murmured to herself as she channel surfed, not really paying attention to anything that was on the television. After a few minutes the coffee machine beeped, letting her know that her coffee was ready for her. She poured herself a mug and took a quick sip, enjoying the feeling as it seared down her throat.

"If you looked up "rut" in the dictionary...it would say have "Hollis Thompson's life" for a definition" She mumbled to herself as she made her way back to the couch and TV. She pulled her laptop from it's case as she continued to drink her coffee.

After doing her nightly routine of coffee, TV, working on patient's files and making a frozen dinner and laying in bed with a book and TV in the background. It was the first time in a while that her life seemed completely unsatisfying. Her frozen dinner tasted like cardboard and her patient files seemed even more monotonous than she usually found them. It had been two years since she had seen or heard from Zacky or Brian. All she knew was that Zacky had been going to a new doctor that she had recommended - Dr. Ava Wright - and that he was doing quite well despite the fact that he hadn't opened up nearly as much as he did with Hollis. Ava gave her weekly updates on his progress for the first few months, until it became too hard for Hollis to hear about him, it was then that she cut off her correspondence with Dr. Wright.

She had done everything she could to try and make her life less boring, her once dark auburn hair was now blond and hung around her shoulders - significantly shorter than it once was. But nothing had worked, she was still Dr. Hollis Thompson - most boring person on earth. She was married to her job, and it stopped being as satisfying as it once was.

The only good thing that had come of Hollis' last two year was that she had gotten back into contact with her mother, someone she hadn't talked to years before. She learned that her older brother (who she hadn't seen or talked to in about ten years) had enlisted and was stationed in Iraq. When she heard that, she knew that God just enjoyed making her miserable.

She had tried most everything to make things more interesting, she had tried to find a roommate, she had tried getting a cat - only to find she was allergic - and she had gone on dates with multiple people, but never finding anyone she connected with.

As she sat in bed, reading a new psychiatry book that been recently published, her phone began to ring. Pulling it off of the bedside table she saw that it was her mom, something that was weird to her because it was already eleven o'clock and her mother never stayed up late.

"Hi mom" She said, putting the phone to her ear and continuing to flip through the book.

"Hi honey." She replied almost cheerfully, confusing Hollis even more.

"Is there a reason you called? It's pretty late."

"Well...do you remember Ryan?"

"Your boyfriend? Yeah I remember him. You've been with him for a while, right? How 's it working out? You didn't break up did you?"

"Enough with the questions Miss Shrink!" She said with a laugh, "Everything is fine and no we didn't break up. I was calling to tell you that...well...he asked me to marry him!" She exclaimed and Hollis nearly jumped out of bed.

"WHAT?!"

"I KNOW! He asked me tonight and I said yes!"

"Mom that's amazing. I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks honey! I know that it's late but I just wanted to tell you. I'll call you again tomorrow when you're eating your lunch and we can chat more. I love you!" She said and hung up before Hollis could say anything else. Hollis took the phone and plugged it back into the charger on her bedside table before looking back to her book.

"Unreal" She said under her breath. "Even my freaking mother is getting married...what am I doing with my life?"