Meeting Hilary Stanley

          Maria exhaled heavily and ran a hand across her head with drained spirits.  She was tired and fed up with dealing with someone who simply had no interest in his treatment whatsoever, and she did not doubt that he would continue to deny her treatments, even though she was only doing her job and nothing else.

"What was that all about?" She muttered to herself, rubbing her temples to relieve the headache she had developed since the moment Jayden had mentioned some nonsense about repentance of sins.

Her eyes wandered around the large space, unsure of what to do next. She felt exhausted and was considering taking the day off. Yet, she couldn't afford to miss any appointments because of his arrogance. Regarding her equal passion when it came to her work, she decided to go ahead and treat him anyway, regardless of his attitude or lack of cooperation.

Maria stepped forward, giving a shot at finding her way inside a house that looked like it was built for giants. She passed through the hallways and didn't miss stealing glances at the massive paintings and sculptures that lined the walls. At the end of the hallway, she was beginning to feel lost. She stared down the carpet that seemed to stretch out far beyond her sight, not knowing which of the many doors would lead her to her destination.

During her deep pondering, the sounds of footsteps approaching the corridor made her startle. She turned around in surprise but managed to conceal her emotions quite successfully.

Her eyelids stretched to see the lady coming in her direction. Her features were sharp and her hair was dyed a vivid violet, matching her dress perfectly. She carried a black leather bag on one shoulder, small enough to require little support.

Maria instantly recollected seeing her on her first arrival at the Stanleys' home. She was the lady on the phone who was moving through the corridor with speed, seeming like a blur; the youngest member of the family.

Her fancy pair of heels clicked against the floor as they came closer to the gaping doctor. The lady eventually stopped moving, revealing a bright smile, and looking surprisingly friendly with her perfect white teeth. Maria opened her mouth to greet but the woman beat her to it.

"Oh, hello there," She greeted, addressing her warmly. "You must be the new doctor they hired."

Maria was taken aback by the lady's friendliness. She was not judging her based on the spoiled brat stereotype of every billionaire's daughter but her encounters with her egotistical brother made her assume that that kind of attitude was the most common among people like them. Nonetheless, She nodded in agreement before responding. "Yes, I am. Good morning." Maria returned, her voice cautious.

"Call me Hilary," she gave out another smile, extending her hand for a shake. "Nice to have you here, doctor."

Maria glanced down slowly and clung her palm against Hilary's offered ones in the same careful manner. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Hilary." She returned, noticing the faint scent of lilac perfume lingering around the fingers wrapping hers.

"'Hilary will do please," The lady brushed off gently, withdrawing her hands.  Her eyes surveyed their environment and her smile faltered slightly. She returned her eyes and Maria could see the confusion written on her face. "Well, where is your patient? Or are you just arriving?" She inquired politely, eyes turning towards the staircase once more.

The doctor's shoulders involuntarily slumped slightly. How was she going to tell the lady that her brother was already back inside, refusing his treatment after presenting an underrated act of craziness?

Maria quickly composed herself, clearing her throat to hide her discomfort. She was determined not to show how frustrated she was at being unable to help Jayden. She answered without looking directly into the woman's face, avoiding eye contact so as not to make her uncomfortable.

"Well, I'm on my way to find him." That wasn't exactly a fabricated response, she really was trying to figure out the path to his room in a house that huge before his sister showed up. But she would just skip the fact they already met before that.

Hilary tilted her head in confusion. "Find him?"

"Yes, well, I've been trying to explain his treatment options and-"

"He's refusing, right?" Hilary interrupted with a knowing expression. It seemed that everyone was aware of Jayden's arrogance and unwillingness to cooperate with anything that might involve even a single change in his lifestyle. They might even be aware of the hard time Maria was having with him as well.

"Well..." Maria began. She wasn't sure if Hilary wanted an explanation or simply a confirmation of what everyone else knew about Jayden. But she was silenced when the lady picked up one of her hands. She stared at her and Hilary smiled compassionately in return.

"I know. He can be really difficult, even to us, his family." Hilary's words were full of sympathy and Maria couldn't bring herself to refuse them. "But we have so much faith in you, doctor." She added, squeezing the woman's hand softly before letting go.

"Faith?" Maria paused, pondering the lady's words. Hilary had said 'we'. She hadn't referred to Jayden or herself. It seemed she meant to include everyone at the estate in her statements, and that implied she was also talking about herself. She didn't want to think of the implications of this if she ever failed in helping her patient. She was quick to dismiss the idea though. This wasn't something she would let happen. Not after meeting Hilary. And especially not after hearing the lady's encouraging voice, telling her that her parents trusted her completely. Those words were supposed to ginger her perseverance and not discourage her from her efforts.

It was true that Jayden was difficult, but no one could deny that he needed help. Maria sighed inwardly, feeling the weight of her responsibility pressing on her shoulders again but she was ready for it now. 

Her cerulean eyes darted back to Hilary and Maria smiled genuinely for the first time. "Thank you for your confidence in me. I promise to do everything I can to help him overcome his difficulties, Ms. Stan...I mean, Hilary." She responded with enthusiasm, which caused the other woman to beam with pride.

"Oh, if anything, we appreciate you working so hard on my brother." Hilary laughed a rich and beautiful sound that echoed through the halls. The woman's personality made Maria feel good, like medicine, and she found it strange to feel such drawn feelings towards someone she barely met. She knew she was getting ahead of herself, but Maria could feel the camaraderie between them in the future. "Besides," her voice came again, bringing Maria back from her reverie, "You already proved yourself by being the first doctor to last three days with him." 

Maria chuckled nervously. Hilary was certainly flattering her, making her look better than she felt. But there was truth behind her words. Maria was proud of herself for holding her own during those few hours and she was eager to prove herself worthy of the respect that she'd gained since. "Wow..." she whispered, staring straight into the other woman's eyes. She couldn't believe how much the conversation had turned her mind off of Jayden. She felt energized instead of discouraged.

They shared smiles in silence following Maria's words. Maria approved her earlier thoughts with an enthusiastic nod. There was certainly a genuine warmth between them, one that only strengthened with each second they spent together. It was like the feeling of seeing someone for the first time and then liking the person without a particular reason.

Maria could only think about how different Hilary was from her brother although the two siblings shared a clear resemblance. Their eyes were the same shade of brown and their skin tone almost identical, but where one's features spoke of arrogance and haughtiness, the other's reflected grace and elegance.

Hilary widened her beam before breaking the silence." Well, Maria... I can address you casually, right, doctor?" she asked playfully, smiling at her new friend.

Maria dissolved into a smile once more. The lady's easygoing manner made it impossible to keep her face from reciprocating her beam. "Of course," she answered cheerily, nodding once.

"Nice. Well, Maria, I wish our conversation could last for longer but my phone which keeps buzzing silently in my pocket keeps calling out to me." Hilary expressed, bringing out the mentioned gadget to prove her claim. "So please forgive me, I must take my leave now. If you need any further assistance regarding Jayden, just ask one of the workers. They are all willing to help." She continued, offering Maria another warm handshake.

"Thank you. It was great talking with you, Ms. Stan- - erm, I mean, Hilary." Maria corrected herself as soon as the words left her mouth.

The other woman chuckled lightly at her repetitive mistake and Maria blushed deeply, feeling silly. Then Hilary broke eye contact, glancing at the door that led outside the mansion. After a brief pause, she turned around to face Maria and gave her a reassuring smile. "I gotta run now, doc. How about a cup of coffee when next we talk?"

Maria blinked, taken aback by the invitation. Hilary was looking forward to talking to her again. Who would say no to that exciting offer? "Sure, coffee sounds great." She agreed, accepting the other woman's generous suggestion.

"Nice. See you another time, doctor." Hilary called over her shoulder with a wave, turning to head towards the door.

Maria waved back and watched the gorgeous lady walk down the hallway, her steps seeming almost proud as they carried the royal body of the young aristocrat down the hall.

When the tall woman disappeared through the doorway leading outside, Maria turned to the nearest window, gazing at the bright sky above the city. She sighed contentedly. It was all happening very fast. One moment she didn't even know who the famous Hilary was, then suddenly she found herself in the presence of the celebrity stylist and was now friends with the woman, drinking a cup of coffee together in their next meeting. This kind of stuff happened to people in movies, not to real doctors in reality. But somehow she felt comfortable, happy, and optimistic.

As she looked up at the sky, Maria thought back to her previous encounters with Jayden. He was definitely interesting. And yet he was also frustratingly distant and aloof, treating everyone but himself as though they were unimportant. Even the servants treated him differently than the others; they saw him less often and always appeared worried or fearful whenever they entered his room. It wasn't surprising that his mother hired a doctor like that to care for him. But now, she felt like she was finally beginning to understand the man. He was not perfect but he wasn't completely hopeless either. Maybe she could make a difference for him after all.

She breathed once again, determined to find her patient and tackle the day's tasks with enthusiasm. With the fresh determination coursing through her veins, Maria resumed her search for Jayden, this time getting assistance from staff. It would be another long and hard day, but she was sure she could handle it.

***