Page 27 of Shadows of Recovery

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then Sophie’s voice came, choked with emotion, "Tristan, I love you too. So much.”

A sense of happiness washed over him. "I can't wait to be back home with you.”

"Just stay safe as you come home to me. Tell James I’m excited to meet him."

"I promise." Tristan felt a newfound strength. "I'll be home soon. And we’ll start planning for Easter. I want my family to know the amazing woman I love."

She chuckled. “You do realize Easter is more than a month away.” Then she whispered, "I love you, Tristan. Take care of yourself."

"I love you too, Sophie. Good night."

As he ended the call, Tristan lay back on the bed, the ache of grief tempered by the warmth of love. In the quiet of the night, he found a semblance of comfort, knowing that soon he would be back with the woman who had become his home.

Ten

Sophie arrived at the emergency room with a box of cupcakes in her arms and a radiant smile on her face. The morning sunlight was just breaking through the windows, casting an eerie glow on the decorations scattered around the area. Cardboard hearts and cupids decorated the nurses’ station, and red and pink streamers adorned the halls.

Her heart was light, buoyed by the knowledge Tristan would soon be home. "Morning, loves." She flashed a bright smile at her colleagues. Laughter echoed through the ER as they indulged in some morning camaraderie.

Dr. Manish Parmar looked up from the chart he was going over with Jenna at the change of shift, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Ah, Sophie, you've brought sacrificial offerings to appease the singletons, I see."

Sophie chuckled, setting the cupcakes down on the break room table. "Absolutely. Figured everyone could use a little extra sweetness today."

Nurse Toni Watts, bustling past with a stack of charts, scoffed playfully. "Speak for yourself, Sophie. I've got a hot date with my cat and a rom-com marathon today." She paused. “I thought Tristan was due back yesterday. Is everything okay?”

Sophie sighed. “He is going to let the administration know when they get in. His dad died suddenly. He’s coming back tonight.”

After the group extended their condolences, Sophie ordered her colleagues, “No sad faces. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Dr. Cade yawned. “I’m going home to jump my husband’s bones and maybe make a baby.” Jenna, who was Sophie’s college roommate, was a newlywed.

“You’re trying?” Sophie squealed and hugged her friend. “Hurry home.”

The room erupted in laughter, the tension of the morning shift momentarily lifted. As they indulged in lighthearted conversation, the ER echoed with the warmth of friendship and the promise of sugary delights.

Sophie walked to the main desk to grab a chart before heading toward her first patient of her shift. The unit secretary smiled. “Dr. E, these are for you.”

Sophie stared at the largest bouquet of roses she ever saw. Four dozen red and four dozen pink roses filled a huge vase. She picked up the attached card and read,

Dear Sophie,

On this special day of love, I want to remind you just how much you mean to me. Your strength, your kindness, and your unwavering spirit inspire me every single day.

I am endlessly grateful for the love we share, for the laughter we bring to each other's lives, and for the comfort we find in each other's arms.

No matter the challenges we face, I promise to stand by your side, loving you with all my heart. You are my light, my love, and my everything.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my darling.

Forever yours, Tristan

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tidal wave of tears that threatened to fall.You are my light, my love, and my everything too.

After report, and a trip to the restroom to throw water on her face, Sophie’s first patient was a young man named Ryan, whose heartbreak had driven him to a bottle of alcohol and the brink of suicide. He had been ghosted by a woman he'd been seeing for three months, and in his anguish, he had consumed an entire liter of gin. His desperate cry for help to his mother had led to his rushed admission to the emergency room.

As Sophie entered the room, she found Ryan slumped over the edge of the bed, vomiting gin into a basin held by a nurse. His eyes were glazed, and his movements sluggish, a stark contrast to the usual vibrant energy of someone his age.

“Ryan, I’m Dr. Everhart,” Sophie said gently. “We’re going to take good care of you.”

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