uro

e filled the inside of my car j

he road, I slipped on my Bluet

Aurora

you?" Dr. Harris bar

shboard clock and my

8:

ere in a few

le boy in the pediatric ward has refused

d respond, the

h and tightened my gri

for a peace

d green, and I drove toward the h

the Pacific c

ed by the Blackwells one of the wealthiest families in Los Angelos.

my pants that I matched with a cute blou

iar scent of antiseptic and disinfectant wrapped around me like an old friend. The emergenc

ses exchanged reports as one shift handed over to the next. Somewhere nearby, a c

lace was

as exh

ow, it felt

ning,

n my first day of work we became friends because she wanted to help me carry my files but when she saw a wedding ring o

od mo

day," she teased. "Did your h

augh escap

t exa

gled her eyeb

't need

s I tucked a loose strand of

're te

e been

ore slipping on my white coat. The embroidered wo

e I looked at that

exams, sleepless nights, and double shifts had pu

sacrifice

t I helped reminded me

dn't stop at bein

e of the best pediatric

deserved ge

d someone who

ted to be t

Aur

. Harris approached

lve is aski

cifically r

nod

gained yourself

before taki

be right

he pediatric ward, I c

ng h

ck p

pped

ht sh

of it m

ghtened patient feel safe, the

strangers, the people I loved most were slowl

fore pushing open the

aming down his cheeks. His small fingers clung tightly to his mother's ar

d the syringe in one of the nurses

he cried, burying his face in

oked at me with

pered. "We've been trying

uring smile before walk

matically. "Who is this handsome

peeked at me th

m not h

lacing a hand

told yo

sni

y si

y head. "Then your s

ugged at the cor

es exchanged a

ucc

until we we

e is Nurs

r a few seconds befo

s a stro

odded

d, looking at the syri

ok his little

know so

looke

t scare

You

omet

ough you'r

sm

urses get

t do y

a deep b

inhaling slowly be

that being brave doesn't

widened wit

the hard thing even

t before taking the deepest bre

ike

stop myself f

tly lik

led, tears glist

hank

ll nod before look

here's o

hat

me instead of

Oka

you don'

aited

the cafeteria gives you two ch

eyes l

Rea

lie to my

is tiny arm with sur

'm r

ed the injection as Et

seconds

was

nked in

hat'

laug

hat'

didn'

u did

was b

e incredib

ace could have lit u

e repeatedly, I felt warm

reminded me why I l

of healing hearts wit

e da

ve a little boy

the door pulled me

s one of the junior nurs

rse A

"Y

red me a s

ter has been lo

wned sl

Rya

e no

d it's im

sigh escap

there in

Alr

ind her, leaving me alone

ng Ethan to be brave for his next hosp

e and every

my office, wondering wh

weeks had bee

inded him that I was happily mar

e he'd finally g

door and wrapped my fi

ep breath, I

iced was the cute gift

my eyes

y chair one leg crossed over the other asif he

es met, a smile spr

y," he sa

waiting for

heart

me he's about to d