Chapter 17
1562 Words
Wednesday morning arrived with a knot in Ava’s stomach.
She’d barely slept.
Every time she’d started to drift off, her mind found another reason to wake up.
What if I say the wrong thing?
What if someone else is more qualified?
What if they realize they made a mistake inviting me?
By six-thirty, she gave up trying to sleep and wandered into the kitchen.
Chloe was sitting at the table in fuzzy slippers, scrolling through emails while drinking coffee.
She looked up and smiled.
“You’ve got interview face.”
“I have interview face?”
“You’ve had it since five this morning.”
“I wasn’t awake at five.”
“You were tossing around enough that I thought we were having an earthquake.”
Ava laughed despite herself.
“I hate interviews.”
“No.”
Chloe shook her head.
“You hate not knowing the outcome.”
Ava opened the refrigerator and grabbed the creamer.
“I guess that’s true.”
Chloe pushed a plate toward her.
“I made toast.”
“I noticed.”
“You also haven’t eaten.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You are.”
“I’m nervous.”
“Which is exactly why you should eat.”
Ava reluctantly picked up a piece of toast.
“You’re bossy.”
“I’ve accepted that about myself.”
They ate quietly for a minute before Chloe spoke again.
“Tell me something.”
“What?”
“If you don’t get this volunteer position…”
Ava looked down at her coffee.
“I’ll be disappointed.”
“And then?”
“I’ll keep trying.”
Chloe smiled.
“Exactly.”
She pointed toward Ava with her coffee mug.
“So go in there and remember…”
“What?”
“They’re interviewing you.”
“But you’re also interviewing them.”
Ava frowned.
“I never thought about it like that.”
“I know.”
“It makes it less scary.”
“It does.”
For the first time that morning, Ava smiled without forcing it.
⸻
Campus buzzed with Homecoming Week excitement.
Students hurried between classes wearing university colors, volunteers hung banners for Saturday’s football game, and music drifted from the student center where clubs were setting up booths for the afternoon activities fair.
Jordan spotted Ava as she crossed the quad.
“There she is!”
She laughed.
“You don’t have to yell.”
“I absolutely do.”
Emily joined him carrying two iced coffees.
“For you.”
Ava accepted one.
“I owe you.”
“You owe me by surviving your interview.”
Jordan nodded.
“And by coming to the game Saturday.”
“I already said maybe.”
Emily looked offended.
“You definitely said yes.”
“I said…”
She thought for a second.
“I think I accidentally got peer pressured.”
Jordan grinned.
“We prefer ‘enthusiastically encouraged.’”
They all laughed.
Emily glanced at her watch.
“What time’s your interview?”
“Three.”
“You’ll do great.”
“I hope so.”
Jordan smiled.
“Anyone who remembers everybody’s coffee order can definitely remember interview questions.”
Ava laughed.
“I don’t think those are related.”
“They’re absolutely related.”
His confidence made her feel a little better.
As they headed toward class, Ava noticed volunteers setting up booths around the quad.
One caught her eye.
Campus Photography Club
Several students were hanging photographs from strings stretched between two trees.
She slowed for just a second.
One day.
Maybe.
Then she hurried toward the nursing building.
⸻
The morning flew by.
Professor Lewis reviewed pediatric communication techniques before dismissing the class ten minutes early.
As everyone packed their bags, he stopped Ava near the door.
“Nervous?”
“A little.”
He smiled knowingly.
“Good.”
She blinked.
“Good?”
“It means you care.”
He handed her a small folder.
“One last piece of advice.”
She waited.
“Don’t tell them what you think they want to hear.”
He smiled warmly.
“Tell them why you wanted to become a nurse.”
She nodded.
“I can do that.”
“I know you can.”
⸻
By two-thirty, Ava stood outside Willow Creek Children’s Hospital.
The building wasn’t enormous.
It wasn’t intimidating.
In fact…
Colorful murals decorated the entrance, butterflies were painted across the windows, and bright flowers lined the sidewalks leading inside.
Children deserved places that didn’t feel frightening.
She liked that.
Inside, the volunteer coordinator greeted her with a warm smile.
“You must be Ava.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Karen.”
She shook Ava’s hand.
“Thank you for coming.”
Karen led her through bright hallways filled with artwork created by young patients.
Finger paintings.
Crayon drawings.
Construction paper dinosaurs.
The walls felt alive.
“They’re beautiful,” Ava whispered.
Karen smiled.
“Our patients keep us humble.”
Ava couldn’t stop smiling.
The interview took place in a small conference room overlooking a healing garden.
Karen wasn’t alone.
A pediatric nurse named Miguel joined them.
“So,” Karen began, “tell us about yourself.”
Ava took a slow breath.
Instead of reciting the speech she’d practiced…
She remembered Professor Lewis’s advice.
“I’ve always wanted to help people.”
She smiled.
“But somewhere along the way…”
“I realized helping isn’t always about fixing something.”
Karen nodded encouragingly.
“Sometimes it’s just sitting with someone who’s scared.”
Miguel exchanged a glance with Karen.
They asked about school.
Volunteering.
Working at the café.
Her photography.
Even why she’d chosen nursing.
The conversation didn’t feel like an interrogation.
It felt…
Comfortable.
Near the end, Karen smiled.
“What would you do if a child refused to speak to you?”
Ava thought carefully.
“I wouldn’t force them.”
Miguel leaned forward.
“Why not?”
“Because trust takes time.”
She smiled softly.
“I’d let them decide when they were ready.”
Silence settled over the room.
Karen smiled first.
“I like that answer.”
When the interview ended, Karen walked her toward the elevator.
“We’ll be making decisions by next week.”
Ava nodded.
“Thank you for meeting with me.”
“No.”
Karen smiled.
“Thank you for applying.”
As the elevator doors closed, Ava let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Whether she got the position or not…
She had done her best.
And somehow…
That felt enough.
⸻
On the drive back to campus, her phone rang.
“Mason.”
“Hey.”
“How’d it go?”
She smiled.
“I think…”
She laughed nervously.
“I think it actually went well.”
“I knew it would.”
“How was your meeting?”
“It went okay.”
Just okay.
His voice sounded tired again.
“Long day?”
“The longest.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s almost over.”
“I wish we could celebrate together.”
“So do I.”
A pause settled between them.
“I’ve got another dinner tomorrow.”
He sighed.
“With the internship?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
She smiled even though he couldn’t see it.
“We’ll figure something out.”
“I promise.”
“I know.”
After they hung up, Ava stared at the silent phone for a second.
She missed him.
She knew he missed her too.
But lately…
Missing each other seemed to be happening more often than actually being together.
⸻
That evening, she stopped by the Willow Bean before heading home.
Denise immediately noticed the smile on her face.
“Well?”
“I survived.”
Denise laughed.
“I never doubted that.”
“I don’t know if I got it.”
“You don’t have to know today.”
Ava nodded.
“I know.”
She tied on her apron.
The café was unusually quiet.
Just before closing, Mrs. Patterson from the flower shop came in carrying a bouquet of bright orange daisies.
“These are for you.”
Ava blinked.
“For me?”
Mrs. Patterson smiled.
“I had extra.”
Denise laughed from behind the espresso machine.
“She’s lying.”
Mrs. Patterson smiled mischievously.
“I am.”
She looked back at Ava.
“I saw you walking into that hospital today.”
“I figured you deserved flowers afterward.”
Emotion caught Ava completely off guard.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.”
She gently placed the bouquet on the counter.
“Sometimes people need flowers for ordinary victories too.”
After Mrs. Patterson left, Ava looked down at the bouquet.
No award.
No acceptance letter.
No guarantee.
Just…
Someone believing she’d done something worth celebrating.
She smiled as she arranged the flowers in a glass vase behind the register.
Maybe success wasn’t always about reaching the finish line.
Maybe sometimes…
It was simply having the courage to take the first step.
As she locked the café doors that night, she had no idea that another opportunity—one she’d never even imagined—was quietly making its way toward her.
- Writer
