16
It had been exactly one year since I left City A and started anew at the branch hospital.
After celebrating Theodore’s 3rd birthday, I realized something, maybe that simple, peaceful life was what I had been searching for all along.
Life in the city had always been complicated. Even my marriage to Liam had been tangled in secrecy and burdens that I never should have carried alone.
From the very beginning, I had known that Liam was someone I could not handle.
Even our marriage had been hidden, making it seem to the world as though Theodore had been born fatherless. And when Liam was injured in that accident a year ago, I had to scramble to find a reason to be his legal
guardian, just so he could receive immediate treatment
Had that been a sign? A cruel warning from fate that we were never meant to be?
I used to believe that our love could withstand anything. But then, seeing how Liam’s life had remained the same while mine had been torn apart and rebuilt from nothing, I could not help but feel disappointment settle in my chest.
It was not just the pain of losing him. It was the realization that he had let me go so easily.
Had he truly never looked back? Had he never questioned what really happened that night?
Despite trying to move on, there was not a single day that I did not write in my scrapbook
It had become more than just a hobby–it was a way to process my emotions, to document my days so that one day, when Theodore was older, he could read them and understand the journey we had taken.
But each time I finished compiling another page, another memory, tears would inevitably fall.
Because every word I wrote only solidified the truth–Liam was no longer here.
And Theodore… no longer had a father figure to look up to
With a heavy sigh, I set my pen down and stepped out of my room, heading toward the living room in search of comfort.
What I found instead made my heart ache in a different way.
There, on the couch, Theodore had already fallen asleep–his tiny body curled up peacefully against Nathaniel’s chest as the man held an open storybook in his hands.
Nathaniel had been nothing but kind to us since we moved here. Over the past year, he had become a con presence in our lives–always looking out for me, always making time for Theodore, always showing up when we needed him
And though I had never expected it, somehow, he had quietly stepped into the empty space Liam had left behind. He did not just care for Theodore–he adored him. And Theodore, in turn, had started looking at Nathaniel with the kind of admiration that made my heart twist painfully in my chest.
Nathaniel had become the father figure that my son never got to have.
So, as I stood there, watching the two of them, I could not help remember that one frustrating night at the ER, dealing with a particularly annoying patient. He was drunk iniwa
7:43AM
Forget Me Once Free Forex
“What can a female doctor do?” he slurred, waving a dismissive hand at me. “I don’t want to be treated by a
woman. Get me a male doctor.”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain professional. “Sir, I’m the only doctor on duty tonight,” I said, barely containing my irritation.
“No way!” he barked.
Before I could even attempt to reason with him, he suddenly swung his arm wildly, nearly hitting me in his drunken state.
I flinched instinctively, but before the impact could land, Nathaniel was there.
Effortlessly, he caught the patient’s arm mid–air, his grip firm but controlled.
“That’s enough,” Nathaniel said, his voice carrying a quiet authority that made the patient hesitate. “You don’t get to choose who treats you when you’re the one in need of help
The patient grumbled but did not protest further. Nathaniel ended up treating him while I stood aside, trying not
to roll my eyes.
That night was a turning point..
Ever since then, Nathaniel had taken it upon himself to always be around when I had the night shift. Even if it was not his turn, he would somehow find an excuse to stay.
“Don’t tell me you’re guarding the ER again,” I had teased him one evening, raising a brow
Nathaniel had only shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. “What can I say? Someone has to make sure don’t get into any more trouble.”
Over time, our closeness became a topic of gossip around the hospital.
“Dr. Amelia and Dr. Nathaniel are such a romantic couple, some of the outpatients would whisper as they watched us work together.
“That’s right,” another chimed in. “Theodore must be so happy that his parents get along so well.”
The nurses would exchange knowing smiles whenever they heard such comments
you
“Dr. Amelia,” one of them said playfully one afternoon, “if you two ever get married, I don’t think anyone would be surprised.”
“That’s right,” another agreed. “Even the patients here already assume you’re a family.
I could only smile awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.
Because the truth was I still could not fully open my heart to him.
Nathaniel had never been more than a friend for me.
He was indeed dependable, understanding, and genuinely cared for both me and Theodore. He never pushed, never asked for more than I was ready to give.
And yet, despite everything, the moment I saw him sitting there, holding Theodore, reading him a bedtime story so naturally, the memory that surfaced was not his.
It was Liam’s.
G
I remembered how Liam used to do this. How he would hold Theodore on his lap, his voice soft as he read a bedtime story. How he would glance at me with a small smile, as if this tiny, quiet moment was his favorite part of the
day.
I swallowed hard and approached Nathaniel.
“Thank you for taking care of Theo,” I said softly, bending down to lift my son from his arms.
But just as I reached out, Nathaniel suddenly leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Anything for you.” he murmured.
7:43 AM
Forget Me Once, Farewell Former
I froze.
A tremor passed through my heart–familiar, yet foreign. A flutter that I had not felt in a long, long time.
O
It was the same feeling I had once felt for Liam, back when love had been something simple and sweet, before it had turned into heartbreak and regret.
Was it possible?
Had I started to develop feelings for Nathaniel without even realizing it?
