“You need to understand that Rebecca and Fiona are my work family. If they need my help, I have to be there for them, the same way I would want them to be there for me. And as long as I’m employed at the hospital, that will always be the case.” I tucked my knees into my chest. “Helping people is all I know. If that’s what someone needs from me, it’s impossible for me to say no. I just don’t have it in me.” I stared out the window, the reflection of the room reflecting in the glass.

“That’s one of the reasons I love you, Whitney. I shouldn’t have used it against you.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I wrapped an arm around my knees, holding them tightly. “But some of the things you said about my job weren’t all that far off. I recognize I need to make changes. I’m not happy here, and I haven’t been for a long time. I’m just asking you to be a little patient while I figure this out.”

“I can do that.”

I leaned my head against the rough cushion, glancing up at the stained ceiling tiles. “Good.” I felt the anxiety start to leave my chest; the last few hours had been almost unbearable. “We need a redo that includes flowers in the Jacuzzi and chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne because that’s what I had planned for us.”

“Dammit, we’ll make it up, I promise you.” He was quiet for a few moments and asked, “What time can you leave the hospital?”

I yawned, feeling the weight of the next nine hours. “Around seven thirty tomorrow morning.”

“How about I pick you up? If you’re not too tired, I’ll take you to breakfast. Then, we’ll come home, and I’ll tuck you in.”

I was envisioning our bed and how amazing it would feel to be under the comforter, my head sinking into the fluffy pillows. “You’re not going into the office?”

“I’ll go in late. I think we could use some time together first.”

I sighed, knowing he liked to be there extra early after his run, especially following a blow like he’d had today.

But he was doing it for me.

We weren’t perfect. We were going to have problems like every other couple, and there would be tears and harsh words, but somehow, we’d make it right again.

There was too much love between us to consider any alternative.

“That sounds like heaven,” I whispered. All I wanted in this moment was to wrap my arms around his neck and tell him how much I cared about him. It would just have to wait until the morning. “I’ll shoot you a text if I’m running late.”

“Sounds good, baby.”