Paige had messaged:
You okay?
I replied:
I’m at work.
She answered:
Proud of you. Call me tonight.
I managed my first smile of the morning.
Then I put my phone away and entered the building.
Dr. Bennett had already arrived.
She glanced at me and quietly closed her office door.
“Natalie, I heard the wedding didn’t happen.”
I nodded.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“Do you need a few days off?”
I considered the offer.
Part of me wanted to retreat home, shut the curtains, and remain in bed until the heartbreak eased.
But another part welcomed the familiar environment where I understood my responsibilities.
“I’d rather work,” I said. “If that’s okay.”
“Of course.”
She hesitated.
“We can postpone our conversation about the promotion.”
My eyes moved to the folder on her desk.
I’d worked toward this opportunity for years.
I’d stayed late to master our patient management system, completed insurance billing courses, trained three employees, and helped reorganize scheduling as the practice expanded.
