When we reached our floor, we walked in silence until we arrived at the glass balcony. The space was empty; it was not a popular spot to hang out, despite its view overlooking the city.
There weren’t many seats, but we took the front one, the nearest to the glass wall.
We sat quietly, sipping our coffees. I finished the half-eaten donut from earlier.
“I heard what you said to your friend back there,” he said softly.
I swung my head around to look at him.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—I just happened to be there, standing off to the side. I only came down to buy coffee.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I hesitated before stepping out... but I was worried someone else might walk by and overhear. So I figured if I showed up, you’d both stop talking.”
“Okay...” I said quietly, unsure what else to say.
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise,” he said. “And I’m not going to say you can talk to me, either, because I get the feeling you’re not the type to unpack feelings out loud.”
“And?” I prompted.
“I’m just offering to sit with you for half an hour each day during your break if you want. No talking, unless you want to. Just... company. Anywhere you choose.”
He smiled, eyes creasing at the corners. “That’s a good offer, Doctor. I suggest you take it.”
The smile that stretched across my lips was slow and grateful. I nodded at him. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“I’m good company. I’ll prove it to you,” he said, smiling widely.
“I believe you.”
“Good.” He turned to face forward, stretched out his long legs, slouched back, and let out a long sigh.
We sat quietly together, in comfortable silence. I ate another donut and sipped my coffee while he took the last one, finishing it in three bites.
When I went back down, I felt somehow lighter.
Iwent back to my usual routine, but every so often I’d notice Cameron. He’d be standing somewhere nearby, watching—silent.
He was everywhere today.
And whenever I caught his eye, he’d give me this small, unreadable smile, then just walk away.
Caleb caught me just as I stepped out of a patient’s room, chart in hand. I hadn’t seen him in a while. He’s a trauma surgeon stationed down in the trauma unit on the first floor, the busiest department in the hospital, hands down.
Between incoming codes, emergency consultations, and back-to-back surgeries, he was constantly on the move. So seeing him up here, outside the med-surg wing, was unexpected.
“Hey,” he said, catching up with me as I walked toward my next patient. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Haven’t seen you either.”
“I stopped by Mom’s a few times, but only found Cameron there.”
“He’s been taking Harper over.”
He hesitated for a moment. “Mom’s been asking about you.”
That made me stop. I turned to face him.
“Please visit her,” he said quietly. “You’re not coming around... It’s making her think you’re mad at her, too, because of Cameron. She’s sad.”
“Oh.” I blinked, caught off guard. The realization tugged at something in my chest. I hadn’t considered that I might have made Anita feel that way. “I didn’t think about that.”
