Page 9 of Nocere

"And I got called in for a bunch of emergency surgeries," answered Samirah, nodding to Stella. "I'm grateful for my boarders."

"It's been great having an equal kid to adult ratio. I can say that much." Alice laughed and Stella nodded her agreement.

"Do you work in the E.R.?" asked Jordan.

"No. I'm an anesthesiologist," Samirah answered, in between bites of cheese.

"Fancy." Jordan swooned, and it made Samirah smile.

"Maybe the career path, but not the physician," she said, wagging her brows at Jordan.

"How long have you and Stella been friends?" Jordan held most of the small talk together while Ainsley entertained Luna. She wiggled her fingers and Luna slid from Stella's lap and into Ainsley's.

Stella and Alice took the opportunity to share a sweet kiss, followed by Alice wrapping her arms around her wife's shoulders. Stella leaned in to her, and offered me a soft smile when she caught me admiring them. I dropped my gaze to my glass, and took a sip of soda to distract myself.

"A few years now. I'm in and out of procedures all the time, and she checks up on all her patients admitted from the E.R. We've gotten to know each other that way and by shared meal breaks," said Samirah. "I'm not always at U.W., but I've chosen to move to put down some roots here."

"Not to mention she was Alice's provider when she had Aurora," added Stella.

"Best doctor ever. I felt nothing. No pain. Baby slid on out." Alice patted her now-flat stomach and it made all of us laugh.

"She's a liar. She forgets her thirty-six hours of labor," said Samirah, chuckling.

"Don't remind me. Amnesia is lovely." Alice scowled and it made us all laugh.

"All right, ladies. Dinner is about ready," said Jordan once the oven timer went off. She headed off into the kitchen and Alice released Stella to stand.

"Let me help, Jordy. Ainsley has Luna."

"Stell," called Ainsley. "Want me to make a quick cup of coffee for you with dinner?"

"I'll be okay. Thank you though."

"Mommy had work forever," said Luna, gazing up at Ainsley while nibbling on a cracker.

"I know, sweet face." She kissed her forehead. "Your mommy works very hard."

"Doctor work is important. Right?" Luna's eyes brightened at the declaration, and all of us gazed at her with reverent smiles.

"Right." Ainsley tapped her nose.

"She's so cute," said Samirah, looking from Luna to Stella. "And she looks just like you."

"We swear our DNA got mixed for that kid because she was Allie's egg in my uterus." Stella smiled at her daughter who Ainsley continued to entertain while Alice and Jordan toted dinner to the table.

"Really?" Samirah smiled at Stella, then glanced back to Luna. "I might agree about that mixing suggestion."

"Can I help?" I asked Jordan when she stood beside me to set down a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Nope. You relax yourself, Goldilocks. You're our guest. Allie isn't a guest. She works here." Jordan waved me off and Alice shoved her shoulder when they headed back to the kitchen.

"We wanted to carry a part of each other. It was the best way we knew how. Aurora was mine in Allie." Stella smiled at Alice when she returned with a dish of roasted veggies and leaned back when her wife offered her an upside-down kiss.

"They're super cute," Samirah leaned over to whisper close to my cheek.

"They are." Again, a rush of warmth overcame me and I sipped my drink, avoiding her gaze as I focused on the others who bustled around us.

Eventually, we all sat down to dinner, and Ainsley settled Luna into a chair beside her.

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