Nathan paced back and forth in his office. He had been on edge since the day before, when he had seen William with his arms wrapped around Elizabeth in the middle of the hospital cafeteria. Even from across the room, he could see that she was crying. It had taken everything in him not to rush to her and try to comfort her. But he knew, much to his regret, that his presence was not a comforting one to her anymore. Instead, he’d had to watch from afar as William hugged her and she took comfort from him.

There had been nothing inappropriate about it, but just the thought of them together had kept him from sleeping. He hadn’t been able to think of anything but Elizabeth and the pain he had seen in her eyes. The fact that he knew she was going to arrive in his office at any moment was not helping him to calm himself. He was no closer to getting his emotions in check when he heard a gentle knock at his door.

“The nurse said you wanted to see me,” Elizabeth said as she walked hesitantly into his office. He wondered why she was acting so guarded until he realized that this was the first time they had been alone together since the day that he had ended their engagement.

“Yes, take a seat.” He gestured to the chair across from him as he positioned himself in his own chair.

“Is something wrong with mom?” she asked without moving a step closer to him.

“Actually, she’s doing very well.” At those words, she seemed to relax and allowed herself to take a seat.

“Really?”

“Her counts are all where they should be and her strength is increasing daily.”

“I’ve noticed her getting stronger,” she said, more to herself than to him. The relief on her face was clear, but she was still holding back from him.

“I think she’s ready to go home with you.” Though they had hoped to send her home as soon as Elizabeth had arrived, the test results had been too low to allow for that in those first days.

“She’ll be so relieved.”

“I think being there with you and Baby Bird will help her heal.”

“I agree.”

“If you weren’t a nurse, I’d be hesitant but I know that you’ll monitor her vitals and pick up on any signs that she needs in-patient care.”

“Absolutely.” Elizabeth nodded, as if already cataloguing the symptoms she needed to be looking for.

“I’ll make a copy of all her files for you as well. I know you’ll want to review them for yourself.” Nathan remembered how thoroughly she had always studied the medical records of any patient she was working with.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

“It’s nothing.” He hated how hard she was working to keep emotional distance from him.

“No, Nathan, thank you for everything.” Her voice was full of vulnerability as she let her guard down for a moment and showed him just how thankful she was for everything he had done.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for your mother.”

Something in his words caused her guard to go right back up. She looked away from him, staring out the window as she struggled to appear unaffected.

“She cares a great deal for you too,” she whispered, though it made her soul bleed to say it. Once they would have been family, had he not thrown it all away.

“We were all like a family once,” he said, his words echoing her thoughts. The force in his gaze willed her to face him once again.

“We were a family then, yes.” Suddenly, all the pain washed over her as though it had happened only yesterday, but she was determined to remain strong and keep her emotions at bay.

“Will Baby Bird ever forgive me?”

“Not if you keep calling her Baby Bird,” she snorted.

“I’ve always called her that.”

“A nickname from your big brother is one thing. From you, now, it’s something different to her.”

“You know I love her and your mom.”

“Yes, I’m sure you do.” Elizabeth thought to herself that it was only her that he did not love.

“They must be glad to finally have you home.”

“They’re always glad to have me back. This will be the longest I’ve been here since I left.”

“You’ve been back?” He couldn’t hide the shock in his voice. He had just assumed that she hadn’t been home since she left. The thought that there were times that they had been in the same city struck him hard.

“Of course. My family’s here,” she answered, surprised by his disbelief.

“I didn’t know you’d been around over the years.”

“Bill never told you?”

“No,” he said, shifting from shock to anger. That William had seen her, been near her, while he himself had been missing her felt like a betrayal.

“I guess there’s no reason he would. We usually meet for dinner or coffee when I’m in town.”

“I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”

“He probably had his reasons.”

“Yeah, probably,” he replied sarcastically.

“You look upset.”

“I’m not upset. I’m worried. William is a player. You’ve watched him go through enough women over the years that I shouldn’t have to tell you that,” Nathan snapped at her. Rationally, he knew that her heart no longer belonged to him, but he was overwhelmed by emotions.

“And why is it that you feel you need to tell me any of it now?” She stood up, glaring down at him.

“Because he’s been all over you since you got back to town.” He surged to his feet and returned her glare.

“All over me?” she questioned, her tone one of warning although he was too angry to take notice.

“Yes, I saw the two of you yesterday.” The words spilled out before he could stop them.

“He had his arm around me because I was upset.” She looked at him in disbelief.

“I’m sure that’s his move.”

“Move?” Her voice seethed with barely controlled anger.

“I don’t want you to be hurt.” He threw up his hands in frustration.

“You don’t want me to be hurt?” She released a humorless laugh as the one person who had truly hurt her in her life professed to be concerned.

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“You have some nerve, after everything you put me through.”

Nathan felt his body tense. It was the truth. It was his own fault if he wasn’t a part of her life anymore and he had no right to interfere, but he simply couldn’t help it.

“William would just hold you back from your plans to travel the world. It’s what you’ve always wanted.” He tried to show her that his words were coming from a place of caring.

“What I’ve always wanted? Travel the world?” She frowned. “You think that’s what I wanted?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Did you ever listen to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted to do Doctors Without Borders for a few years to help people and have a once in a lifetime experience. Then I wanted to come back here to start my career at the hospital and to start a family.” She looked him in the eyes before she emphasized, “I wanted a family by now.”

His chest tightened as he thought of the two of them having a child, maybe two. He imagined coming home to her each night and hearing the sound of children’s laughter instead of the silence that met him now when he walked into his door. The idea of another man having all that with her made his blood boil.

“Don’t let William fool you into thinking that he wants to start a family.”

“What’s William got to do with this? He’s been nothing but wonderful to me.” She raised her tone, unsure why her relationship with their mutual friend bothered him so much all of a sudden or why he felt entitled to advise her on her life choices.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s been nothing but wonderful to you. That’s exactly my point,” Nathan snorted. “I’m just telling you to be careful.”

“What’s your problem, Nathan? If anyone ever fooled me into thinking he wanted a family with me, it’s you.”

The silence suddenly descended upon the room as their eyes locked.

“I’m so sorry you see it that way.” His voice quivered as he witnessed the pained expression on her face.

“What other way is there to see it?” She tried to keep the frustration out of her voice. “But I don’t want your apologies. It’s the past. I don’t even know why we’re talking about this.”

“Look, I never fooled…” he began, struggling to find the right words. “I really wanted...”

But she didn’t let him finish.

“No! This conversation is over. Please, just let us know when we can bring my mother home. I have to go. There’s a lot that needs to be done to get the house ready and I don’t have much time.” She rushed from his office without even saying goodbye.

“Elizabeth, please, wait,” he called after her before slumping down into his desk chair and wondering how their conversation had gotten so out of hand.