C5 THE BIRTHDAY DINNER

**Aurora**

I struggled to carry Jason to our room after he passed out on the couch. I placed him down,undressed him and put him in a comfortable position to sleep.

I laid down beside him.

Sleep never came.

I had lost count of how many times I’d turned over in bed, hoping exhaustion would eventually win. Every time I closed my eyes, Jessica’s hesitant voice drifted back into my mind.

Then Jason’s cold expression from the night before replaced it.

The words hurt far more than I wanted to admit.

*************** ********** *************

I reached across the bed instinctively.

The other side was empty.

Cold.

My eyes snapped open.

“Jason?”

Only silence answered.

I pushed myself upright and glanced at the clock.

8:12 a.m.

My heart skipped.

Jason never left without kissing me goodbye.

Never.

He always woke me up to know how my night was no matter how late he was running. The thought of not waking up beside him bothered me, I’m starting to get worked up about what happened. In just few seconds my phone rang, I could hear it but I was not seeing the phone. I hurried downstairs to look for it as well before I found it lying on the couch..

It was Jessica.

The apartment was quiet.

The breakfast table was spotless.

No coffee.

No note.

No sign that he’d even been there.

A strange ache settled in my chest.

Maybe he was still upset about last night.

Trying not to overthink it, I picked up my phone and dialed his number.

“The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable…”

I frowned.

“That’s strange.”

I tried again.

The same recording greeted me.

One more time.

Still unavailable.

I stared at the phone for a long moment before typing a message instead.

Good morning, honey. I hope you got to work safely. Call me when you’re free. Love you. ❤️

I watched the message send .

I didn’t know how to feel. I got back upstairs and rushed to prepare for work because I was already running late.

****************

I grabbed my car keys, forcing myself to believe everything would return to normal once the day began.

Deep down…

I didn't even believe that.

The moment I stepped through the revolving doors of pacific crest hospital the familiar scent of antiseptic wrapped around me like it always did.

Normally, the chaos of the emergency wing had a strange way of calming me. The hurried footsteps, the ringing telephones, the soft beeping of heart monitors—it was a rhythm I knew by heart.

Today, however, none of it reached me.

My mind was somewhere else.

“He wasn’t alone.”

Jessica’s words echoed again, refusing to leave me in peace.

I tightened my grip on the patient file in my hand and forced myself to take a deep breath.

No.

I wasn’t going to let my personal life interfere with my work.

I had patients depending on me.

“Morning, Nurse Evans.”

My colleagues greeted me as I walked toward the pediatric wing.

I smiled politely.

“Good morning.”

The smile disappeared the moment I looked away.

I wasn’t fooling anyone.

I could even feel how distracted I was.

The pediatric ward was already bustling with activity. Children cried from different rooms while anxious parents waited impatiently for updates. Doctors rushed through the corridors with clipboards tucked beneath their arms, calling out instructions to the nurses following closely behind.

It was another busy morning.

Normally…

I loved mornings like this.

They reminded me why I’d chosen medicine.

But today, every sound seemed distant.

Like I was watching everything from underwater.

“Hi”?

I blinked.

A little girl sitting on the examination bed was staring at me.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” I knelt until we were eye level. “Where were we?”

She held up her tiny arm.

“You were writing my medicine.”

“Oh…”

I smiled gently.

“Thank you for reminding me.”

Embarrassment prickled beneath my skin.

I quickly finished the consultation and handed the chart to the attending nurse.

“Please prepare the medication.”

“Yes, nurse.”

Feeling uneasy, I walked out into the hallway.

“Aurora.”

Dr. Harris’s deep voice stopped me.

I turned immediately.

“Yes, Doctor?”

He looked down at the chart in his hands before slowly raising his eyes to mine.

“Did you write this prescription?”

“Yes…”

My confidence faltered.

“Is there a problem?”

“There is.”

His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone at the nurses’ station.

“You prescribed fifteen milligrams.”

I frowned.

“Yes…”

He flipped the chart toward me.

“The correct dosage is one point five.”

The color drained from my face.

My eyes darted across the page.

Oh my God…

I’d misplaced the decimal point.

A simple mistake.

Yet one that could have been dangerous if it had gone unnoticed.

“I…”

“I am so sorry, Doctor.”

Dr. Harris didn’t lower his voice.

“This isn’t the first-year classroom, Nurse Evans.”

Several nurses stopped what they were doing.

Two junior doctors exchanged glances.

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

“You know better than this.”

“I do, sir.”

“Then explain how someone with your experience makes such a careless mistake.”

I lowered my head.

“I don’t have an excuse.”

He sighed heavily before handing the chart back.

“Get yourself together.”

“One careless decision can cost a patient their life.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“I won’t tolerate this again.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Without another word, he walked away.

The corridor slowly returned to life

But I could still feel every pair of eyes lingering on me.

Humiliation burned through my chest.

I clutched the chart so tightly that the edges crumpled beneath my fingers.

I had never been scolded like that before.

Not once.

“Aurora.”

I looked up.

Ryan stood a few feet away, concern written all over his face.

He waited until the last of the curious staff disappeared before walking over.

“That wasn’t like you.”

I tried to smile.

“I’m fine.”

He folded his arms.

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m just tired.”

“Tired doesn’t make you write the wrong dosage.”

I looked away.

“I’ll be okay.”

Ryan studied me for a long moment before speaking again.

“Come have lunch with me.”

I looked back at him.

“What?”

“Lunch.”

He shrugged casually.

“No flirting.”

“No confessions.”

“Just two colleagues having lunch.”

“I’m fine thank you”.

Ryan let out a defeated sigh before shaking his head.

“You know what your problem is?”

I folded my arms.

“I wasn’t aware I had one.”

“You carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders.”

Despite everything that had happened that morning, the corner of my lips twitched.

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

He pointed at me dramatically.

“And if you don’t eat lunch with me right now, I’m filing an official complaint.”

I blinked.

“A complaint?”

“Against who? Me?.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

“For what exactly?”

“For starving herself.”

“That’s not a crime.”

“It should be.”

I shook my head, trying to suppress another smile.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ve been told.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“So…”

He extended his hand toward me.

I stared at him for a moment before sighing in defeat.

“Fine.”

His ocean-blue eyes lit up.

“That’s a yes?”

“It’s lunch, Ryan.”

“Don’t make it sound like I’m proposing.”

A small laugh escaped me.

“You’ve got exactly thirty minutes.”

He grinned triumphantly.

“I’ll take it.”

The café across the street was unusually quiet for lunchtime.

Ryan pulled out a chair for me.

“Such a gentleman.”

“I will try.”

I rolled my eyes before taking my seat.

A waitress walked over and handed us the menus.

“I already know what you’re ordering,” Ryan said confidently.

“Oh?”

“You always order grilled chicken salad and fresh orange juice.”

I stared at him.

“That’s… a little creepy.”

He chuckled.

“I work with you almost every day.”

“I notice things.”

Heat crept into my cheeks.

“You notice too much.”

“Occupational hazard.”

For the first time since waking up that morning…

I found myself smiling without forcing it.

Lunch passed surprisingly quickly.

Ryan avoided talking about work.

He didn’t ask about Jason.

He didn’t bring up the incident with Dr. Harris.

Instead, he told me embarrassing stories about his internship, including the time he accidentally fainted while assisting in surgery.

“You fainted?” I laughed.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“In my defense…”

“There was a lot of blood.”

I laughed harder.

“A doctor who’s afraid of blood?”

“I never said I was afraid.”

“You literally passed out.”

“I temporarily lost consciousness.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“No.”

“It sounds more professional.”

I laughed so hard that tears gathered in the corners of my eyes.

“There she is.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“The Aurora everyone knows.”

My smile slowly softened.

“I was beginning to think I’d lost her today.”

Something inside me tightened.

Maybe I had…

At least for a little while.

Ryan glanced at his watch.

“We should head back.”

I nodded.

“Patients are probably wondering where their favorite doctor disappeared to.”

“They’ll survive thirty minutes without me.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.”

He stood and offered me his hand.

I ignored it and stood on my own.

“You really enjoy ruining my gentleman moments.”

“I like keeping your ego in check.”

He laughed.

“You definitely do.”

Together, we walked back toward the hospital.

For the first time all day…

The heavy cloud hanging over my heart had lifted, even if only slightly.

As we stepped into the hospital lobby, my phone vibrated inside my coat pocket.

I pulled it out.

❤️ Jason

Without realizing it, a smile spread across my face.

Finally,

I opened the message immediately.

Don’t forget we’re having dinner at Mom’s tonight. It’s her birthday. Be ready by 7:00 p.m. I’ll pick you up after work.

The truth was…

I wasn’t sure I wanted to go.

Jason’s family had never hidden how they felt about me.

During the first year of our marriage, they welcomed me with warm smiles and hopeful expectations.

By the second year…

Those smiles began to disappear.

By the third…

Every family gathering somehow ended with questions about grandchildren.

“When are you going to make us grandparents?”

“Have you seen a fertility specialist?”

“Maybe you’re working too much.”

Then came the whispers they thought I couldn’t hear.

“A man like him shouldn’t waste his life waiting.”

“He deserves children”

And the one that haunted me the most…

“Maybe he should consider taking another wife.”

Each word had pierced my heart like a knife.

Yet every single time, Jason had taken my hand beneath the table and whispered,

“Ignore them, You’re all I need.”

Those words had always been enough.

Or at least…

I thought they were.

I looked at the message again.

Part of me wanted to make an excuse and stay home.

But….

No matter how difficult his family made things…

She deserved a gift.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

If I tried a little harder…

If I smiled a little brighter…

Things would finally get better between us.

Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I made up my mind.

I’d stop by a boutique after work and buy her something special.

Perhaps…

A thoughtful gift could say all the words I’d never been able to.

Little did I know…

No gift in the world could save a marriage that was already falling apart.

.