I felt an overwhelming rush of emotions as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the ID clipped to my coat. Excitement bubbled inside me as I prepared to return to St. Luke’s Hospital—not as an intern this time, but as a full-fledged resident. Every sacrifice, every sleepless night, and all the hard work had led me to this moment, and I could see it reflected in my own eyes.
As soon as I stepped inside the hospital, a familiar scent greeted me—a mix of antiseptic, coffee, and something else I couldn’t quite place but had always associated with long shifts and relentless duty. Despite my eagerness, there was an underlying tension in my chest. It wasn’t because it was my first day, but because I knew there was a high chance I’d run into Lucas here.
I pushed the thought aside. I needed to focus.
I walked past the nurse’s station, barely glancing at the staff there. The familiar faces I had once known were gone. Elise—I had no news about her anymore. Dr. Clara had left for a medical mission overseas. Everything felt the same yet different.
When I opened the door to the Residents’ Lounge, I was met with a familiar sight. Noah was sitting at one of the desks, typing away on his laptop, barely looking up as I entered. Two other residents were also in the room, focused on their own tasks, too busy to acknowledge my presence.
I made my way to my assigned desk, setting my laptop down as I waited for instructions or anything to keep me occupied. Just as I was about to turn it on, a soft knock interrupted the quiet.
“Excuse me, Dra. Aurora?”
I straightened instinctively at the sound of my last name.
“You’re being called to Neuro Ward, Bed 14.”
I didn’t bother asking who had sent for me. If a doctor needed me, that was all that mattered. I quickly stepped out of the lounge and headed toward the assigned room.
But when I pushed the door open, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
A familiar figure stood with his back to me. He was wearing a crisp white polo with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with black slacks. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it too many times.
The moment the door opened, he turned slightly at the sound, but it was brief—just a quick glance over his shoulder before shifting his focus back to the clipboard held by Dr. Ivy.
My eyebrows lifted. She’s still here?
I had overheard their conversation at the resort, but I hadn’t expected her to stay at the hospital for over four years.
A strange feeling settled in my chest—something tight, uneasy. I hesitated at the doorway, unsure if I should approach them. They looked deep in discussion, and for a split second, I questioned whether I had entered the right room.
But there was no mistake.
I was exactly where I needed to be.
And so was Lucas.
“The MRI shows multiple areas of demyelination,” Dr. Ivy said, tapping her pen against the clipboard she held. “It’s consistent with MS, but given the rapid progression, I’d suggest an aggressive approach. High-dose steroids for now, then we reassess.”
Lucas nodded, arms crossed as he listened. “I was thinking the same. Did you check for oligoclonal bands?”
“Still waiting for the results, but clinically, it lines up.”
I swallowed, shifting slightly as I inched forward. They were standing close, exchanging observations in a rhythm that felt practiced, familiar.
I shouldn’t care.
I really shouldn’t.
But the way they spoke—seamless, effortless—made me feel like I was intruding. Like I had stepped into a space where I didn’t belong.
I don’t even know why I’m here—it doesn’t seem like they need me.
I glanced at the patient, a man who looked like he was in his late 20s.
"You called for me?" I interrupted.
Dra. Ivy turned to me and gave me a small smile. "You must be Dra. Aurora. Nice to meet you."
I forced a smile. "Likewise."
Lucas glanced at me again, but I knew he wouldn’t acknowledge me, so I walked straight to the couch near the large mirror that doubled as a pillar in the room. As I crossed my legs, my skirt rode up slightly, and I noticed his gaze flicker toward it. I arched a brow before subtly adjusting it—not that it made much of a difference.
I listened in silence as they discussed the case, my irritation barely concealed under a professional facade. Why was I even here? Was he deliberately making a point?
“We'll need to finalize everything first, then Dra. Aurora will take over.”
The words barely registered. My frustration drowned out the rest of their conversation.
I swallowed, shifting slightly as I leaned forward. The two of them stood close, their conversation flowing effortlessly, their exchange practiced and familiar.
I shouldn’t care.
I really shouldn’t.
But the way they worked together—so in sync, so seamless—made me feel like an outsider. Like I had stepped into a space that wasn’t meant for me.
“Dr. Aurora, what's the first-line DMT for MS patients with high disease activity?”
My gaze, previously fixed on my shoes, slowly lifted to meet Lucas’s. Dra. Ivy was also looking at me, expectant.
If this were before, his sudden questions might have thrown me off. But not anymore.
“Natalizumab,” I answered flatly.
His eyebrow twitched slightly at my tone, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he simply gave a small nod before turning back to the clipboard.
The air felt heavier. My irritation simmered beneath the surface, growing more suffocating by the second.
Was I brought here just to observe? Or was Lucas making sure I understood exactly what I had left behind?
“I’m so pissed off!” I grumbled, gripping my fork like I was actually considering stabbing something—or someone—as I ranted to Noah about what had happened earlier.
The asshole just laughed. Like my misery was some kind of entertainment for him.
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” he teased, smirking.
We were at our usual coffee shop right next to the hospital. It was our break, though we didn’t have much time. Still, it was enough for me to vent.
“No way!”
I lied.
I hated to admit it, but Dra. Ivy was nothing like me. Her aura, her confidence, even the way she dressed—she had everything I knew Lucas would be drawn to.
I was about to take a sip of my coffee when my phone lit up on the table. A familiar name flashed on the screen.
“Meet me in the office. We need to discuss the case in Bed 14.”
Are you kidding me? Why me? Why not your precious Dra. Ivy?
“Hey, you good?” Noah asked, noticing how I suddenly stood up, grabbing my things in a rush.
“I’m fine. Just off to play third wheel again—since that seems to be my actual role here.” I huffed, making him laugh as I left the café and headed straight to Lucas’s office.
When I arrived, I didn’t bother knocking. Instead, I made sure to shut the door a little louder than necessary before marching right up to his desk.
He barely spared me a glance from behind his glasses. He had been writing something but paused when I stood in front of him, arms crossed.
No sign of her. Interesting.
“Why did you call me here?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“There’s something I need to discuss with you—”
“Why not Dra. Ivy?” I cut him off, my irritation spilling over. “Wasn’t she the one you were talking to earlier?”
The jealousy in my voice was painfully obvious—even to me. I hadn’t meant for it to come out that way, but there was no taking it back now.
A faint smile played on his lips.
“She’s going back to the Philippines, baby,” he said, his voice calm, unbothered by my tone. “That’s why I called you. You’ll be taking over her work. You’ll help me—not as a nurse, but as a doctor.”
I wanted to stay mad. I wanted to throw another sarcastic remark. But somehow, I forgot what I was even mad about.
Before I could gather my thoughts, he stood up, walking around his desk until he was right in front of me.
Then he reached out his hand.
And like I was under some kind of spell, I took it.
He gently pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
His warmth seeped through my skin, waking something inside me that had been buried for too long.
His embrace was firm yet gentle, his breaths heavy against my shoulder. We stayed like that, unmoving, and for the first time in a long time, I found myself silently wishing that no one would come knocking.
I had missed this. The warmth of his body, the way his arms fit around me.
“You have no idea how proud I am of you, Vivienne,” he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. “You’re slowly making your dreams come true.”
My throat tightened. My eyes burned. Even after everything, he still cared about me.
A wave of guilt settled in my chest.
“I missed you… so much,” he whispered.
I tightened my grip on his arms, holding him closer, and he let me.
“I… miss you too.”
That moment made him loosen his embrace. I turned to look at him, wondering if I had said something wrong. But before I could even process it, he suddenly kissed me.
His hand trailed up from my jaw to my ear, positioning me so he could kiss me deeper. My eyes fluttered shut as if I had lost all sense of awareness. He guided me toward the other side of the table without breaking our kiss. His right hand held me steady, while his left cupped my cheek. Then, suddenly, I felt my feet lift off the floor.
He had lifted me onto his desk, positioning himself between my legs. My skirt had ridden up, making me glance down.
“Lucas…” I whispered, though it came out more like a soft moan.
His grip on me tightened, and his kisses trailed down my neck. I gave him full access, threading my fingers through his hair as his lips explored my skin. My mind was spinning, lost in the moment, unaware of time—completely indifferent to anything else.
His hands roamed up and down my back while his lips pressed against my neck.
“Lucas…” I called again.
I felt his hand traveling lower, inching toward my chest, and I braced myself for what would come next. But then, nothing.
Instead, I felt the warmth of his lips on my forehead, followed by something sliding onto my ring finger.
My breath caught.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might break free from my ribcage. My tears spilled as I stared at the ring.
I wasn’t scared. Not even a little.
All I felt was happiness.
Before, I wasn’t ready. But now? Now, I knew. I was ready. I wanted to marry him.
“Damn, this is the third time I’m proposing to you.” His voice was rough with emotion. “I’m not accepting another ‘no,’ Dra. Aurora.”
A laugh bubbled through my tears as I nodded eagerly, not trusting my voice. Relief flooded his face—the hesitation, the lingering fear that I might reject him again, completely wiped away.
He held me close, his grip firm yet gentle, as if he was afraid to let go—as if he needed me to understand that this was real. That this time, he wasn’t letting me slip away.
For years, we had been consumed by our careers, buried under the weight of expectations, always choosing responsibility over what our hearts truly wanted. We lived in a world where emotions were pushed aside in favor of logic, where love often took a backseat to duty. But despite the long hours, the late-night shifts, and the countless times we told ourselves that this—we—couldn’t happen, we had always found our way back to each other.
And now, with his arms wrapped around me and a ring on my finger, I knew—this wasn’t just about the titles we carried or the white coats we wore. It wasn’t about the rules we thought we had to follow. It was about us. About the love that had endured through every fight, every moment of hesitation, every time we thought we had to choose between our dreams and each other.
But maybe love was never something we had to choose over our dreams. Maybe it was the very thing that made the pursuit of those dreams worthwhile.