Page 93 of Sweet Heart

“God, that was stupid,” her wife murmurs. “It only drew the attention of the board, and although relationships between staff happen, like, all the freaking time,” she says, exasperated, “ours was suddenly under scrutiny. Everyone just had to have an opinion. I couldn’t show my face in there for well over four months without somebody talking behind my back.”

I feel Mary shudder beside me, her grip suddenly tightening.

“Four months?” she asks quietly, and I can hear the fear in it.

Her eyes are big as she stares at Riley, and she is a bit white around the nose. She holds on to me like I am the only thing keeping her from spiraling, so I run my thumb gently over her pinky.

“Give or take. Hospital staff is like one big toxic family. Some of them pretend to celebrate your wins while they secretly wish it was them. So, when something bad happens, they are the first to point and scream, ‘I told you so’.” Riley says with a shrug. “But honestly, most of them just want to have a calm workspace with no drama. Especially in the critical departments like Cat’s.”

Celeste’s eyes gleam as she looks at her wife, and she nods.

“Those departments are built on trust and connection. People’s lives literally depend on it. That is not a risk any of us is willing to take over some petty gossip.”

Her lips tick up in a brief smile at Mary, who relaxes a little before Celeste turns her face back toward mine. I find that I appreciate that small gesture, her care. Especially since she doesn’t have to do it. She doesn’t have to share any of this with us. She is being your friend, Katherina. Cherish it.

“They will test you, and you’ll have to be cutthroat about it. Never allow it to reach the OR.”

She doesn’t need to say more. I know she is right. If I allow even the slightest speck of doubt into those rooms, my authority will crumble, and with it, my reputation. My father had warned me about this as well.

‘Hija, people you thought you could trust will now turn against you, like sharks smelling blood. Be prepared to make it theirs.”

“They would be stupid for even trying,” Carmen mumbles under her breath, and her eyes catch mine. Mi hermana.

“They are stupid for thinking there ever was a power imbalance between Cat and Mary,” Isa instantly huffs in response.

The words hit me harder than they should, and I gasp for air. All their heads instantly turn to me, while my eyes start to brim. So embarrassing. Especially since Mary told me over and over again that she chose me. I didn’t coerce her or force her hand. She had already decided when she bumped into me. If anything, she was the one overpowering me. But hearing it validated by a person other than her or my best friend brings peace to my mind.

“Gracias, Isa,” I whisper, and she shrugs.

“De nada.”

“God, I need a drink,” Mary finally murmurs, the color back on her cheeks. “Who wants margaritas? I finally learned to make something decent.”

All hands shoot up, and laughter fills the dining room. Carmen starts a story about a patient with a weird foreign object in their rectum while Mary slips out to get the drinks. I follow her to pull the stew from the stove, but slip my arms around her waist before either of us touches anything.

“Te amo, Maria,” I whisper as my lips brush the shell of her ear, and she shudders against me.

“I love you, too.”

She turns in my arms and presses her lips against mine. And in that moment, the rest of the world is a nuisance. I’ll find a way, as long as I have her at my side.

Chapter 34

Mary

My legs are pulled up under me while I stare angrily at the blinking cursor on the screen. My mind keeps drifting back to Cat. To how she has been coming home from work the past few days with a tight jaw, dark circles under her eyes, shoulders a little higher than they normally sit. To how she keeps telling me that she is okay. I know she is not. How can she be? Half of the staff has decided to deem her professionally unfit, especially after the lobby kiss.

“Doctor Salim questioned her call during a trauma handoff, Mary. The patient was stable but in pain, and instead of moving, they had to pull in a second attending to confirm what Cat already knew. Aïda made that man suffer just to make her point.”

My blood ran cold when Carmen told me what had happened, but when I asked Cat, she just shrugged and said doctors call second opinions all the time. And who am I to argue with that? What do I even know? Nothing. Even though I know that’s not how it works. Not for her. Not really.

I blink again when my screen turns black. There is just no way I can focus on my writing today. Not even in this beautiful office that Cat has set up for me in her spare bedroom since she ‘doesn’t use it, anyway.’ I’m spending more and more time here, so it only made sense to her to give me my own space. My lips curl up at the thought, my chest warming as I remember her fingers pressed against my sternum. This is the same thoughtful woman who now chooses to suffer for me. Why?

My body jolts when the bell rings, and for a moment, I am frozen in my seat. Carmen has visited a few times when I was here alone, but I know she is at work. I have no idea who’s on the other side of the door, and if I… just open up. Cat doesn’t hide you, remember?

I swallow hard and press my nails into the palms of my hands as I make my way to the entrance. There is another soft but persistent round of knocking. One, two, three. Not intrusive, but with an edge of authority to it. My hand shakes when I reach for the handle, and I push it down, realizing too late that I should have used the peephole first.

There is an older man in front of me. He has a sharp jaw, thick gray hair combed back, and dark umber-colored eyes. I suck in a gulp of air and feel another jolt of surprise course through my body when I realize who he is.