But the thought of never practicing medicine again feels like amputating a limb.
"How did you know?" I ask, genuinely curious. "That moving here was the right call, even though it scared you?"
She plucks at the blanket’s lose threads as she thinks over my question. "I didn't," she finally answers. "It was a leap of faith."
Sebastian looks back at me again, as if checking that I'm still here, still okay. When our eyes meet this time, something passes between us, an understanding, a promise. I don't know what comes next, don't know if I can face the hospital again or pick up the broken pieces of my career. But I do know I won't be facing it alone.
For now, that's enough to keep the darkest parts of grief at bay.
***
The walk back to the cabin is peaceful. Sebastian's hand brushes against mine every few steps, an almost-touch that sends little sparks up my arm. We're quiet, but it's a comfortable quiet, the kind that settles between people who don't need constant words to fill the space. His shoulder occasionally bumps mine as the path narrows, and I find myself leaning into the contact, seeking the solid warmth of him beside me.
When we reach the cabin, the sun has shifted to late afternoon, casting long shadows across the porch. Sebastian reaches past me to unlock the door.
"I'll get some water going for tea," Sebastian says, heading toward the kitchenette. "Unless you want something stronger?"
"Tea sounds perfect."
I notice my phone on the side table, its screen blinking with the blue light of notifications. I'd almost forgotten I'd left it here—a deliberate choice this morning when Sebastian suggested we join Bradley and Hailey at the creek. A few days ago, the thought of being unreachable would have sent me into a panic. Now, it feels like breathing room.
I pick up the phone, surprised to see seventeen missed calls and a flurry of texts, all from Laney. My stomach drops as I scroll through the increasingly frantic messages:
Where are you???
Mia this isn't funny. CALL ME.
At your apartment. No one's answering. I'm freaking out.
I swear if you don't answer soon, I'm filing a missing person’s report.
The last message was sent an hour ago.
I talked to Dr. Patel. He says you're with Walker? Call me right now!
"Shit," I mutter, feeling a wave of guilt crash over me. In my emotional hurricane, I completely forgot about Laney. Of course she'd be worried. I disappeared without a word, quit my job, and then went radio silent.
Sebastian appears at my side, two steaming mugs in hand. He sets them down when he sees my face. "What's wrong?"
"Laney," I explain, holding up my phone. "She's been trying to reach me. Sounds like she went to my apartment and panicked when I wasn't there."
His brow furrows. "You didn't tell her you were leaving?"
"I wasn't exactly thinking clearly," I admit.
Sebastian's hand finds the small of my back, a gentle pressure that somehow both grounds me and makes my skin tingle. "Call her," he says. "She's probably worried sick."
"Yeah." I glance at the texts again, imagining Laney pounding on my apartment door, perhaps thinking the worst. "I should."
He presses a quick kiss to my temple. "I'll give you some privacy," he says, already backing toward the door. "I'll be outside if you need me."
The door clicks shut behind him, and I sink onto the couch. Taking a deep breath, I hit Laney's number and press the phone to my ear.
She answers on the first ring. "Mia? Holy freaking shit, are you okay?" Her voice is tight with worry and relief.
"I'm okay," I tell her, guilt twisting in my stomach at the fear in her voice. "I'm so sorry I worried you."
"Worried me?Worried me?" Her voice rises with each word. "I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere. Or having a complete breakdown alone in your apartment. Or—"
