Elizabeth sat on the roof of the hospital as she watched the beautiful orange hues of the sunset reflected on the lake. She had always loved sitting there when she needed a moment to herself, or when she had a chance to see Nathan while they were coworkers in love. Sitting there, she let the good memories from their past flow freely through her mind and she stopped fighting what her heart already knew. Nathan was the love of her life. Putting the past behind them might be difficult, but she knew that she had to trust him and open her heart to him once more. If not, she would only spend a lifetime punishing herself for things in the past that couldn’t be changed.

Just as she was about to stand up to find him and tell him just that, she heard the door to the roof open. There, right in front of her, stood Nathan. With her heart finally open to him, it was almost too much to take in all at once.

“You startled me.”

“I saw Bill and he said I might find you here.” He sounded breathless as though he had run there. When he saw William in the doctor’s lounge moments ago, his friend told him that he needed to find Elizabeth as soon as he could.

“Is mom okay?” Elizabeth was suddenly worried that he had rushed to find her because she was needed.

“She’s fine.” He was still trying to catch his breath.

“Oh, thank goodness.” She sighed in relief.

He stood there, just staring at her lovely face as the gentle rays of sunset illuminated her skin. She was almost too beautiful.

“Were you crying?”

“Yes.” She looked off into the distance as she tried to shape the words she needed to say to him.

“I don’t want you to be sad. I know that I’ve hurt you, that I still hurt you. I wish I could change it,” he told her, his expression so torn and pained that she couldn’t doubt that he meant it.

“That’s not why I was crying.” She closed the distance between them in a few slow steps, taking his hands in hers and looking up into his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He saw fresh tears welling in her eyes.

“Nothing’s wrong. I finally realized what’s right.” She smiled up at him through tears of joy. It felt so good to let love back into her heart.

“I don’t think I understand.” He lifted his hand and gently pressed it against her face.

“My mom and Bill both told me I need to live life with an open heart again,” she said, as though it were the most logical of explanations for her crying on the hospital roof.

“This makes you cry?”

“I came up here to think,” she explained, placing her hand over his own upon her cheek, savoring his touch and the bond that had always been between them.

“And?” he asked, unsure how her tender actions connected to her tears or vague words.

“And I realized that they’re right. No more apologies. The past is the past.” She slid her arms around his waist as she spoke.

“If you say so.” He lay his cheek on top of her head and wrapped her in a hug. He wanted nothing more than to beg her to forgive him and love him again. But he kept quiet and waited patiently for her to make her point.

Elizabeth remained silent for a few long moments, her face pressed against his chest. Listening to his uneven breathing, she inhaled his warm, masculine scent.

“I mean it. That’s the point. I’ve been letting the past define my future… our future.”

“Our future?” He pulled back far enough to look into her eyes as he asked her the most important question he ever had. “Are you saying there is a chance for us?”

“Yes. I’ve been using the bad memories as a shield,” she explained. “I’ve hidden behind them to keep you or anyone else from hurting me again.”

He struggled to believe that she was giving him a second chance. “What are you saying to me right now?”

“I’m telling you that I don’t want to hide behind those memories anymore.” She smiled up at him with the bright light of love that he remembered so dearly from their relationship.

“Ellie…” he whispered, struggling to put what he was feeling into words.

“I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ve been so afraid to let myself feel things for you, but I don’t want to hide from it anymore.”

“If I could change that moment when I left you, I would.”

“I believe you.” And, finally, she did. She knew that he regretted the past and she vowed to herself not to let that regret affect their future.

“You do?”

“I really do,” she promised him as she went up on her tip toes and kissed him. It was as if she were trying to put all that she felt for him into that kiss and he could feel the love and trust radiating from her.

“Thank you for that,” he said when their lips finally parted.

“I’m sorry that I ran from you the other night.” She wanted to start their new life together with a clean slate.

‘’I deserved a lot worse than that.”

“We’re not going to keep doing that. If I’m going to let go of the fear of being hurt, then you have to let go of the guilt.”

“You really mean this, don’t you?”

“I do. We both deserve to be happy. I won’t punish both of us anymore for one mistake.” She savored the comfort his warmth gave her.

“Huge mistake,” he pointed out, lowering his gaze.

She pulled his chin up, giving him a playful wink to lighten the mood.

“I’m in if you’re in.”

“Baby, I’m in. I’ll go anywhere you want,” he swore to her, his expression eager.

“What are you talking about?”

“Doctors Without Borders. Wherever your next assignment is, I’ll go too,” he promised, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You really mean that?” She had never imagined he would even offer. To do so would mean to lose his spot at the hospital and slow down his career.

“Yes. It’s almost a decade late, but I do.” He covered her face with kisses.

“That means the world to me.”

“Just let me know what to pack.” He smoothed her hair behind her ears.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“I thought you wanted to do this.” He was suddenly afraid he had done something to change her mind.

“I do, but I want to do it here. I’ve had my adventure. It’s time for me to build a life and I want to build it here, with you.”

“Ellie…”

“Surrounded by our family,” she interrupted, looking so content with her plan that it made his heart swell.

“Nothing would make me happier!” With those words, he impulsively picked her up and twirled her around.

“Then what are we waiting for?” she cried out as she watched the city spin around them.

“I promise to spend every day making you happy.”

“I can’t wait for it, Dr. Parker.” For the first time in almost a decade, she actually was looking forward to the future.