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The boy nodded enthusiastically before running off.
"There, the secret is safe," Ethan said.
I shook my head negatively and smiled. "You really are something else, aren't you?"
"I get that a lot," he said. "But you love me all the same, right?"
"I do," I admitted with a wide smile.
The night wasn't over. There were games to play, and he lost almost all of them due to silly mistakes.
He intended to get me a big teddy bear, but all he could manage was a tiny bear keychain. Ethan sulked about it, but it was the effort that mattered. We continued to explore the event, trying as many food stalls as we could, making me forget about my plan of watching my weight. We enjoyed playing games, and I even got to watch Ethan dance. For someone so clumsy, I half expected two left feet, but he knew what he was doing.
It was fun…the most fun I had had in years. After the night sky started to darken and the people present became fewer, it was time to leave. We took a walk, with no destination in mind…just his hand holding mine. His shoulder became my support structure. We were quiet, each step we took reminding us of our experience at the farmer's event…until we got back to my house.
"Here we are," he said as he stared at the building. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
"I should be the one thanking you," I said. "I had forgotten how much fun these things used to be."
"Why did you stop?" he asked.
"I don't know. Maybe I felt that it wasn't going to be the same without Mom around," I replied. "And I still want the hospital to thrive; so, I couldn't afford to slack off."
"Stacy…" he called as he placed his hand on my right cheek, stroking it carefully with his thumb. "I understand the drive to achieve your dream, but there are moments you'll miss if you don't take a break."
"I know, I know. But still…"
"It's not really a but thing," he said. "It's how things are supposed to be. You'll burn out, otherwise. Promise me you'll take more breaks."
"I probably won’t," I admitted. "If someone forces me to, it's a different case."
"Is that an invitation?" he asked.
I had just said the words without really thinking about it. But hearing what I said, it did sound like I was asking him to do it.
"Well… maybe," I offered and shrugged.
"I'll make sure you pause and relax," he assured me as he let go of my face. "You should go in. It's getting cold."
Just then, a gust of wind blew, sending chills down my spine. I nodded and made my way to the door. I was about to open it when he called out, "Stacy?"
I turned to find him still standing in the driveway.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"I love you," he said. "I love you so much."
His words seeped through my skin, and my heart fluttered. He wasn't lying. All his actions up to that moment were proof that he was being genuine. And me? It was clear as day. I no longer saw him as the man who had hurt me. I saw a man ready to save lives, who was clumsy yet trying to improve, a man who could be playful but at the same time take things seriously. He was a man who had been trying to win my affection all over again.
I can't count the number of times I've felt his passionate gaze. Or the mornings when I put extra thought into my outfit for the day, knowing he'd be excited to see me in something new. The jealous pangs would strike my heart whenever I saw any of the nurses or female doctors getting chummy with him.
The feeling of pride would take over when he politely turned them down or ignored them. The jealous or pouting look on his face whenever I would laugh at a male patient's joke was intense. I, who was always focused on trying to take over the hospital, was torn–one part of me supremely conscious of Ethan Sullivan.
"I love you too," I confessed.
It was dark, with nothing but porch lights and the moon illuminating the area. But the smile on his face shone brightly. He chuckled and covered his mouth as he tried to suppress the grin that held his face hostage. How could someone so handsome become instantly adorable at the same time?
I stared at the foodstuffs in my hand that we had gotten from the market and an idea formed in my mind.
