“You’d better believe it. I called your grandmother to thank her.” She decided not to tell him about Ms. Della’s trying to play matchmaker. She seemed to be more than excited about their dating, and Serenity had quickly ended the call without answering any of the woman’s questions related to the seriousness of the relationship.

“By the way, I talked to Andrea the other night and she said to tell you hello.”

“How is she doing? We spoke a few weeks ago and she was still getting acclimated.”

“She said things have calmed down, and she mentioned maybe visiting for a weekend sometime next month.”

“It’ll be good to see her. I have to make sure everybody’s available for dinner.” She wanted to ask if he still planned to be here by then but changed her mind. Today she only wanted to enjoy some good music and food and the company of a really nice guy.

Gabriel merged onto the freeway. “I checked the traffic and it said we should make it to Oakland in about two hours.”

“That’s not bad, considering it’s a Saturday. But I’ve known it to change in a heartbeat, so I’m going to make myself comfortable and enjoy the ride.” They shared a smile, and he refocused on the road. Soft music flowed through the speakers, and Serenity leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

They’d been on the road for twenty minutes before he said, “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for weeks, but I keep forgetting. What made you decide on a career in nursing?”

She rolled her head in his direction. “I’ve always loved helping people, and nursing is one of the most respected professions around. And because it’s always changing and evolving, I don’t have to be stuck in one area. There’s something rewarding about knowing my voice, my touch, and my care and time can help my patients make it through the tough moments in their lives. It’s those little things, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. I noticed how caring you were at the Fourth of July festivities whenever someone stopped to ask about some ache or pain. You were amazing.”

Her heart did a little flip. “Thanks. Like you, I’ve found my passion.” From the time she entered high school, Serenity knew she wanted to become a nurse. She’d studied hard, earned her bachelor’s degree, then went back for her master’s. Initially, she had thought about working in the field for a few years, then moving into academia. However, more than a decade later, she still loved working with her patients, even more so after moving from the ER to family practice, and had no immediate plans to change her career path.

Gabriel reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “And everyone is the better for it.”