Laura
The day after Michael and Skylar’s wedding, I returned to work. It was supposed to be comforting to dive back into the familiar routine of patient rounds and consultations, but my mind refused to cooperate. Every thought was a tangled mess of David’s actions, his kiss, and last night’s fleeting intimacy. Was it a goodbye? Was it closure? Or was it another cruel twist of hope that I’d never asked for?
I walked the hospital corridors mechanically, my clipboard in hand, but my focus was shattered. Ethan, the male nurse I trusted more than most of my colleagues, noticed it immediately.
“You look like you haven’t slept in a week,” Ethan said, half-joking as he joined me during rounds.
I managed a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just… a lot on my mind.”
We moved through the motions together, b
