“Enzo invited us,” I said, scanning the room.

“Is he going to play with us again?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.

“Not today, sweetheart,” I said with a small smile. “He’s working, but he wanted us to visit.”

Before Ava could ask more questions, the door to the back hallway opened, and Enzo appeared. He was wearing his white coat over a crisp button-up shirt, his stethoscope hanging casually around his neck. The moment he spotted us, his face broke into a warm smile.

“Hey,” he said, crossing the room to meet us. “You made it.”

“Of course,” I said. “Thanks for inviting us.”

Ava beamed up at him. “Hi, Enzo!”

“Hey, Ava,” he said, crouching down to her level. “How’s Bunny doing today?”

“Bunny’s good,” she said, holding him up proudly. “He wanted to see your clinic.”

“Well, Bunny’s in for a treat,” Enzo said, standing. “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”

The clinic was busierthan I expected. Nurses bustled back and forth, patients filled the exam rooms, and the air buzzed with a sense of purpose. Enzo guided us through the hallways, pausing every so often to greet staff members or exchange a few words with a patient.

“This is the treatment area,” he said as we stopped in a brightly lit room filled with exam tables and medical equipment. “It’s where most of the magic happens.”

“Magic?” Ava asked, her eyes wide.

“Medical magic,” Enzo said with a grin.

Ava giggled, and I couldn’t help but smile.

As we continued the tour,I noticed the way people responded to Enzo. Patients smiled when they saw him, their postures relaxing as he approached. Staff members greeted him with genuine warmth, their admiration for him clear in every interaction.

He was in his element here—confident, compassionate, and completely at ease.

We reached his office, a small but organized space with a desk, a bookshelf filled with medical texts, and a bulletin board covered in sticky notes and photos.

“This is where the paperwork magic happens,” he said, gesturing to the desk.

Ava wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound fun.”

“It’s not,” he said with a chuckle. “But it’s important.”

“Do you help a lot of people here?” I asked, glancing around the room.

“As many as I can,” he said simply.

A nurse appearedin the doorway, clipboard in hand. “Dr. Pearson, your 2:30 is ready in Room 4.”

“Thanks, Kelly,” he said. He turned to us, his expression apologetic. “Do you mind waiting here for a bit? I have a quick appointment.”

“Of course,” I said.

He crouched down again, looking at Ava. “Be good for your mom, okay?”

“Okay,” Ava said, hugging Bunny.

He smiled and stood, giving me a brief nod before disappearing down the hallway.

I satdown in one of the chairs by the wall, Ava settling on my lap with Bunny. The sounds of the clinic continued around us—phones ringing, muffled conversations, the faint hum of medical equipment.