Page 31 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

It wasn’t long before curiosity got the better of me. “Stay here, Ava,” I said, setting her down in the chair. “I’m just going to see what Enzo’s doing.”

“Okay,” she said, already distracted by a coloring book I’d pulled from my bag.

I followedthe sound of voices, stopping just outside Room 4. The door was cracked open, and I could see Enzo inside, talking to a young boy and his mother.

The boy looked nervous, his small hands gripping the edge of the exam table. Enzo crouched in front of him, his tone calm and reassuring.

“You’re doing great, buddy,” he said. “This is just a little check-up, okay? Nothing to be scared of.”

The boy nodded hesitantly, his grip relaxing slightly.

“And you know what?” Enzo continued. “If you’re really brave, I might have a sticker for you at the end. How does that sound?”

The boy’s face lit up. “A dinosaur one?”

“I think I can make that happen,” Enzo said with a grin.

I watched as he examined the boy, his movements gentle and precise. He explained each step to both the boy and his mother, making sure they understood what he was doing and why.

It was such a small thing, but it was clear how much it meant to them.

Seeinghim like this brought back memories I hadn’t thought about in years.

When we were younger, Enzo had always been the one everyone turned to. Whether it was helping a classmate with homework or listening to someone vent about their problems, he had this way of making people feel seen and understood.

I’d always admired that about him.

And maybe that was part of why I’d fallen for him in the first place.

“Mommy!”Ava’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned to see her running down the hallway, Bunny bouncing in her arms. “Ava, you’re supposed to stay in the office,” I said, catching her before she could dart past me.

“I got bored,” she said with a shrug.

“What’s going on?” Enzo’s voice came from behind me.

I turned to see him standing in the doorway, the boy and his mother gone. His expression was amused as he looked at Ava.

“She’s exploring,” I said, sighing.

“Curiosity’s a good thing,” he said, crouching down. “Hey, Ava. Want to help me with something?”

Her eyes lit up. “What?”

“I need to pick out some stickers for my patients,” he said. “Think you can help me?”

“Yes!” she said eagerly.

He stood, holding out a hand. “Come on. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

Ava took his hand without hesitation, and I watched as they walked down the hallway together, their conversation full of laughter and excitement.

I followedthem back to the office, leaning against the doorway as Ava rummaged through a drawer filled with stickers.

“This one!” she said, holding up a bright green dinosaur.

“Good choice,” Enzo said, taking it from her. “What else?”

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