“Dr. Hayes has everything in place. If anything comes up, just call me.”
“Alright. I really appreciate it.”
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“No problem at all.”
Outside the operating room, Hadley waited beside Elissa in silence. A few patients were ahead, so they had no choice but to be patient.
“Hadley…”
“Hmm?” Sensing the heaviness in Elissa’s mood, Hadley kept her tone gentle. “Is there anything you’d like to say? Or maybe something I can do for you right now?”
“I don’t know…” Elissa slowly turned toward her, looking a little dazed. “I suddenly have this intense craving for ice cream. I know it sounds silly, but isn’t that something pregnant women go through?”
The request caught Hadley slightly off guard. “You want… ice cream?”
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“Yeah.” A faint smile tugged at Elissa’s lips. “Kind of odd, right?” Her lashes fluttered as her eyes glistened. “I don’t even like it usually… Maybe the baby does?”
A distant memory surfaced, and Elissa’s voice dropped. “When I was carrying Locke, I’d get these sudden cravings, too. Mom used to say it was because the baby wanted something.”
She gently rested a palm against her stomach. “It feels the same as it did before with Locke.”
Hadley’s throat tightened as emotion welled up. Despite the sting behind her eyes, she managed a smile. “There’s still time. Sit tight—I’ll go find some for you.”
“Thank you. And… sorry for making you run around.”
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“Quit thanking me already.” Hadley gave a quiet laugh, wiping at her eyes as she stood, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m not getting it for you, it’s for…”
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The words faltered as regret swept over her. That wasn’t something she should have said. It was utterly inappropriate.
She quickly cut herself off. “Never mind that—I’ll be right back, okay? Just sit tight!”
“Vanilla, please!”
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“Vanilla it is!”
As Hadley walked away, Elissa remained on the bench, her gaze dropping to her lap as she leaned forward and whispered, “Baby, I’m sorry. But look—Hadley’s getting you ice cream, so let’s just enjoy that first, alright?”
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.
.
A rush of footsteps rang out, bouncing across the polished floor.
For a split second, Elissa guessed it might be Hadley, though she doubted she’d return so soon. She raised her eyes to see who was coming.
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