I glanced out at the glittering skyline. "Let me guess. You're thinking if something was gonna happen between Nate and Retta, it would've by now. So, there's no room for you, right?""Exactly! When I liked Nate, he liked me back. We've always been in sync, even if we weren't together," Lena said, totally confident and glowing.Whether she was really feeling it or just talking herself up, I didn't want to crush her vibe. So, I nodded. "You guys are totally soulmates."Then, a mischievous thought popped into my head, and I nudged her. "So, have you and Nate taken things to the next level yet? You know, soulmates and body mates?"Lena's face turned bright pink. "Not yet.""Wait, is it him? Or are you holding back?" I asked, way too curious now."Something just... I don't know, isn't right yet."She knew she could tell me anything, no judgment."Ohhh, I know!" I grinned. "How about Hayden and I book you guys a suite tonight? If the mood's right, everything else will just click."L
Hayden and I ended up snagging the room right next to Nate's, which worked out perfectly because, let's be real, I was dying to see if Lena was gonna spend the night with him. I didn't really care about staying at the hotel—just straight-up nosy.The second we got to our room, we made a beeline for the balcony. I wasn't even all the way outside before I caught Nate's voice floating over."Lena, have you ever thought about working abroad? With your skills, you'd kill it overseas," he said, voice all soft and serious.I crouched down, peeking over the edge. Sure enough, there they were—Nate had his arm around Lena, both leaning against the railing, staring at the city lights."I haven't really thought about it... until tonight," Lena's voice was quieter than I'd ever heard it—like a totally different person from the cool doctor I knew."Would you consider it?" Nate asked, still soft.She didn't answer right away, so he kept going. "If you wanted, I could help set things up for you.
"And... hard," I teased, watching Hayden's jaw tighten.He didn't say a word, but I could feel the tension. His grip loosened on me, but his mood was obvious."Seriously, Hayden?" I tugged on his arm, pouting like a pro. "You're not actually mad, right?""No," he muttered, but his face said, 'absolutely yes.'"Come on, you're not the type to get all worked up over something like this, are you?" I tilted my head, trying to figure him out."I know exactly what you mean," he said, lifting me like I was nothing and plopping me right onto the hotel room's rocking chair.I laughed, wrapping my legs around his waist. "Oh, so you think you've got me all figured out, huh?" I tugged him closer.He swallowed hard, trying so badly to keep his cool, but the way his body stiffened under my touch? Oh yeah, I had him right where I wanted.He looked so serious, almost adorable in this new, flustered way. I couldn't help but push more."What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" I smirked, my legs sti
I wasn't sure what was happening over in Lena's room, but judging from earlier? Yeah, it was probably getting just as heated as things were with Hayden and me.Getting interrupted during that moment, especially their first time, would definitely leave a mark.I pressed down on Hayden, who was beyond ready. "Hold up a sec."His chest rose and fell, and his eyes were smoldering. "Hmm?"I nodded toward the door with a pout. "You hear that? Someone's trying to ruin the vibe next door."His gaze stayed locked on me. "So?""Come on, a hero's gotta step in when there's injustice," I said, already wriggling out from under him."And what about the injustice happening right here?" he asked, making me grin.I cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss. "Just hang tight, babe. I'll go handle the villain."I knew I sounded ridiculous, but honestly? That's how I felt with him—like a carefree kid.It's wild how true that old saying is: when you're with someone who really loves you, you just
Lena wasn't about to back down. "Totally. Nate's my boyfriend, so I'm sure you'll respect those boundaries."Her confidence? Unshakable. She knew her place, and she owned it.Retta held her gaze, clearly trying to push buttons that weren't getting pushed. After a few awkward seconds of back-and-forth, Retta finally gave in with a sharp, "Tell Nate to leave an hour early tomorrow. If he's late, no one's waiting."Like, okay, chill. We all knew she was just being dramatic.Lena smiled, all calm and collected. "Sure, we'll be up all night anyway."Honestly? I wanted to give Lena a standing ovation—she crushed that.Retta's flawless face finally cracked. She scowled, then stormed off in a huff.As Retta disappeared down the hall, I flashed Lena a thumbs-up from across the way.She pointed right back at me with a look that screamed, 'I can't believe you're staying right next door to us.'Lena: 1. Retta: 0. She handled it like a boss, and I was riding that high with her.Back in th
The thing I've been chasing for years... just dropped into my inbox like some sketchy mystery gift.At first, I was excited. But then confusion hit me.Why now? Why this random person? And how did he even know what I was looking for?The accident happened forever ago—over a decade. Why had this person been sitting on that missing page for so long? Was it even real? Or was this some kind of weird trap?A million questions ran through my head, but honestly, I couldn't let this go. No matter what.My hands were shaking as I typed back: [When can we meet?]No response.I waited, like, five seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Who even was this person? When did he add me?I checked his profile and realized he'd friended me a while back, and I'd even left a note: [Officer Sawyer.]Right. He had sent a friend request ages ago, but I'd forgotten about it.So, this was the officer in charge of my parents' case? My pulse picked up again, hard.I fired off another message: [Officer S
I woke up the next morning as soon as Hayden slipped out of bed. I wandered to the balcony, just in time to spot Nate getting into his car.He was holding Lena's hand—not in a full-on PDA way, but there was definitely something there. Like, they clearly had a night.Then, right on cue, Retta appeared, looking effortlessly chic in her beige blouse and white pants. Honestly, without her lab coat, she could've been straight out of a fashion magazine.She was obviously trying to catch Nate's eye, probably hoping to throw Lena off her game."Nate, good morning!" Retta called out, flashing her most charming smile, acting like it didn't faze her that Lena had totally stayed over.Nate barely glanced her way, just nodded. "We're all waiting on you."I had to grin. He wasn't giving her anything. He definitely knew about her little stunt last night.Retta's smile slipped for a second, and she shot Lena this look, like, 'How dare you tell him what I said.'Lena? Totally unbothered. She ju
Lena didn't say anything at first, just buried her face in the crook of my neck.I stroked her hair, teasing, "Missing Nate already, huh? It hurts, doesn't it?""It's worse than when I was just crushing on him," she sighed dramatically."Well, duh! You just got a taste of what you've been wanting for, like, forever, and now you're left hanging. Of course it stings," I said, nudging her with a playful grin.Lena flashed a bold grin. "Who says I have to wait? I could hop on a plane and be with him whenever I want."That reminded me of their convo from last night. "Wait, are you seriously thinking about it?"She sat up on the couch, tucking her legs under her. "I don't know yet."Which meant she was seriously considering it. I mean, who wouldn't? After years of secretly crushing on Nate, she finally got him, and now he's miles away."Take your time," I said, giving her a playful nudge. "But come on, spill. How was last night?"Lena poked me in the arm. "Didn't you say what I have
"Got it!" Lena responded cheerfully. She washed her hands before sitting back down, picking up the utensils Aaron had prepared for her, and diving into her dumpling-and-dipping-sauce breakfast combo. "Uncle, why aren’t you eating?" She had already eaten two dumplings before realizing he hadn’t touched any. "I’m not hungry." Three words. Which meant he hadn’t eaten yet. "There’s too much food. I can’t finish it all by myself. Eat some too," Lena said casually as she picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and held it up to his mouth. She did it so naturally—until she realized what she had just done. Aaron froze for a second, surprised by her gesture. The moment of hesitation made her realize too—wasn’t this kind of inappropriate? She was just about to pull her hand back when— He leaned in and took the dumpling straight into his mouth. Lena’s face flushed red in an instant. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and focused on eating. Meanwhile, Aar
She was shocked to see him here so early. Especially today—a day when everyone was celebrating the new year, spending time with their loved ones—and yet, he was here. With her. Lena wasn’t made of stone. She felt it. A warmth, an unspoken emotion that settled deep in her chest. "Uncle, why are you here so early?" She walked over, hands casually tucked into her coat pockets. "I didn’t want you to go hungry," Aaron replied simply, lifting the bag of food in his hand. He glanced at her break room. "Open the door." She unlocked the door and stepped inside, with him following close behind. Her break room was small—a single desk and chair, a narrow bed, and a tiny wardrobe. Nothing extra, nothing unnecessary. "Sit down, Uncle," she said naturally, settling onto the bed while motioning for him to take the chair. Aaron placed the food down and asked, "Did you sleep at all?" "I did," Lena replied. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she thought of that dream—and let o
"If it weren’t for my goddaughter, I wouldn’t even bother with you," Lena said, gently rocking the baby in her arms. "Right, little Aurora? Your godmother just adores you." "Come on, Aurora, it’s time to eat," Lena said as she carefully placed the baby in Keira's arms. Although it was her first time, Keira wasn’t embarrassed. She followed Lena’s instructions, trying to breastfeed for the first time. But the process was… painful. And since her posture was incorrect, neither of them got it right—Keira ended up covered in sweat from struggling, and her baby still hadn’t eaten properly. Panic set in. Anxiety crept up her spine. "What do I do?" Keira asked, her voice tight with unease. "It’s okay. This happens at first. Let’s transition with formula for now," Lena reassured Keira before glancing at Hayden, who had been standing there the whole time, watching anxiously—and sweating just as much as Keira was. "Go make your daughter a bottle," she told him. Hayden, the man wh
That conversation… Lena shuddered. Yeah, she had definitely come back too early. It was best to leave now before she ruined the mood for those two inside. Not wanting to hear any more, she quickly turned to leave—only to smack her leg against a nearby chair. The pain was real, but worse was the noise it made, drawing attention to her presence. Inside the room, Hayden—already feeling awkward from Keira's teasing—froze. The sound from outside made him even more uncomfortable. Keira couldn’t hold back her laughter. The moment Keira burst out laughing, however, pain shot through her lower abdomen. "Ah—ow!" Keira gasped. Hayden immediately panicked. "What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?" Hearing her cry, Lena rushed in as well. "What happened?" "I laughed too hard and pulled my stitches," Keira explained, gripping Hayden’s hand tightly. Lena glared at Keira. "You’re a mother now, and yet you’re still acting like a child. Do you have any idea what condition you’re in?"
"It’s fine. I can do it," Hayden said naturally as he picked up the basin and went to fetch warm water. The moment he stepped out, Lena turned to scold Keira. "You went through so much pain to give birth to his child. Why would you feel bad about letting him do something for you?" "It’s not that I feel bad—I just feel embarrassed," Keira whispered in defense. Lena rolled her eyes. "So dramatic." Keira shot her a glare in return. "Just wait until it’s your turn. When your husband has to handle your private matters, you’ll understand how awkward it is." The moment the words left Keira's mouth, she saw Lena’s face turn red. Lena quickly hugged the baby and turned away. But Keira caught it. Something was off. "Wait… why are you blushing?" Keira asked suspiciously. "I am not blushing," she denied immediately. What Keira didn’t know was that her words had triggered the memory of Lena's ridiculous dream—where she had been lying on the delivery bed, cursing Aaron while gi
The moment she finished cursing, Lena jolted awake. She sat there, dazed. What kind of ridiculous dream was that? She had assisted in delivering countless babies before, but this was the first time she had ever dreamed of giving birth herself. And not only that—she had dreamed of giving birth to Aaron’s child? That was beyond outrageous. Absolutely absurd! What a way to start the new year. That dream was anything but beautiful. Lena ran a hand down her face, shaking off the lingering unease. She quickly got up, poured herself a glass of water to calm down, and then left the break room. Back in the hospital room, Hayden was feeding Keira. Keira was perfectly capable of eating on her own, but he insisted on feeding her, saying that she was in a special period and should be treated like a queen. That this was the time to learn how to be spoiled properly. Fine. If this was how he wanted to make up for the suffering she endured giving birth to their daughter, she’d give
Keira looked at Lena and smiled as she followed up on Hayden’s words. "You’re family. It’s different." Lena shot her a subtle glare before stuffing the red envelope into her pocket and saying, "Give me the rest. I’ll hand them out for you later." Hayden passed her the prepared stack of red envelopes, and as she took them, she asked, "What about the other departments?" Hayden and Aaron exchanged a glance and chuckled. "Of course. Every medical staff member in this hospital gets one." "President Hart, you’re too generous," Lena said, giving him a thumbs-up. With that, she took the envelopes and left. Aaron glanced at the time. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back now." "Mm. Happy New Year!" Hayden said, offering his holiday wishes. "Happy New Year to your whole family," Aaron replied, adding a few extra words that made both Hayden and me instinctively turn toward the baby in the bassinet. From today onward, we were officially a family of three. Outside the h
When Keira returned to the hospital room, she was greeted by a sight that made her pause. The room was decorated with fresh flowers and balloons, and beside her bed, there was a small cart filled with various gift boxes. The atmosphere was so festive that if someone walked in, they might have thought it was a birthday party rather than a postpartum recovery room. "What’s all this?" Lena asked on Keira's behalf. "A reward for my wife," Hayden answered, his hand still holding Keira's as he gazed at her with deep affection. "She went through so much. This is my way of thanking her." Keira smiled faintly. "I don’t need any of this." "Whether you need it or not is one thing. Giving it to you is my choice," Hayden said, pressing a kiss onto Keira's fingertips. "Even if everything I have already belongs to you, I still want to give you more." "Such a loving husband—honestly, what more could a woman ask for?" Lena teased before patting Keira's hospital bed. "But if President Hart r
Elder Mitchell wasn’t buying it. "That just means you guys didn’t really want to give anything. If you truly wanted to, there’s no such thing as a gift that can’t be delivered." The two old men started bickering again, but Hayden ignored them. Instead, he kept his eyes on the infant bathing room. Before long, the nurse finished bathing the baby and carried her out. Hayden reached out to take her, but the two elders immediately moved to get closer. He blocked them without hesitation. "Don’t you know old people’s eyes are toxic? You shouldn’t be staring at her for too long." Elder Hart: "…" Elder Mitchell: "…" With that, Hayden carried the baby and walked away. The two old men trailed after him, hoping to catch another glimpse, but Hayden wasn’t about to give them the chance. "Congratulations," Aaron, who had been standing nearby, offered his well wishes. "It’s a daughter. Take a look," Hayden said, his pride practically radiating off him. Aaron lowered his gaze to the