Don’t Let Go

43. Aurora

43

Aurora

*Five years later*

“Have a nice night, Pamela!” I shouted, waving to her. She was one of my favorite nurses. She was like a mamma to me in a way, showing me the ropes of being an ER nurse. Plus, she never disappointed with her cartoon character scrubs.

“See you tomorrow, Rory! Tell that cute hubby of yours hello for me!” she called back, flashing me a smile as she gathered her tablet from the counter.

“I will!” I replied before the elevator doors closed.

As soon as I was out and crossing the ground floor, a sense of giddiness took me over. When I walked out of the main glass doors of the hospital, a silver Rolls-Royce was idling a few feet away. I opened the passenger’s door and slid in next to Tyler.

“Hey!” I said, leaning over to give him a quick kiss.

“How was your day?” Tyler asked, pulling out of the loading zone and driving toward the main road.

“I assisted in a live birth. The baby was already crowning right out of the ambulance.”

He glanced at me as we stopped at a red light, his eyebrows up into his hairline. “Wow! That’s amazing!”

I nodded, rubbing my hands on my pants. “It was. Other than that, my day was basic, the usual stuff: stab wound, sickness, nail in hand, that kind of stuff. How about you?”

He looked over his shoulder as he changed lanes. “Good. Practice went well. I’m glad our next game is at home. I’d rather wake up next to you than in another hotel room.”

“You know the home games are my favorite too. I already got that day off, so I can watch you play,” I said.

He chuckled, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “You’re the only one I want screaming my name.” He kissed my hand, and his thumb brushed my wedding ring.

“Our name,” I teased, playfully punching his arm. “We have the whole world before us.” I clicked my diamond ring on the window. “Why don’t we try that new burger joint for dinner?”

Tyler wrinkled his nose. “Nah. I have something better planned, but it’s a surprise.”

I gave him a quizzical glance. “Oh?”

“You’ll love it, I’m sure.” He gave me a grin.

“I’ll have to trust you,” I sighed, pulling up my sleeve to itch my arm. For a moment, I looked at my tattoo of Lizzy’s name with a princess crown above it. She was always with me, but I missed holding her in my arms every damn day.

“Hey,” Tyler said, squeezing my knee. It was as if he knew I was about to spiral. “We’re here.”

We got out of the car and walked into an Italian restaurant. There was nothing too special about it. We’ve eaten here before, and the food was good, but no reason for it to be a surprise.

The hostess smiled as she greeted us. “Table for two?”

“Ye—”

Tyler cut me off. “We’re meeting someone. Thank you.”

She nodded, putting the menus back in their holder.

Before I could question Tyler on why he was being so shady, I saw my surprise. In the giant booth in the back corner were my mamma, two brothers, and my sister.

“Oh my God!” I said, rushing over to hug my mamma.

“Fiore mio! Did we surprise you?”

I couldn’t stop smiling as I hugged everyone. “Yes,” I answered, sitting next to Mamma.

“Good. We wanted to visit you but didn’t want to bother you at work.”

“Today is perfect now,” I said, grabbing a glass of complimentary water on the table.

We all talked as we ate our food. My mamma, Chloe, and her mamma now ran a hair salon that only laundered money for the mob on occasion. For the most part, the mob let us go, which was a rare blessing. To make amends for Lizzy’s death, we were granted a pass.

My brothers also owned their own company painting houses, and Carmen was a rising star on Broadway.

Back in high school, the world was so dark and bleak. I never knew there was a way out and how amazing it would be to feel free. How spectacular it would be to save lives instead of cleaning up after someone lost theirs.

We continued to live not only for ourselves but for those we had lost. My family was always in my heart. My job as a nurse has become my passion. As for Tyler, he became my rock and my husband. We never broke that promise we made five years ago, and we never will. We will never let each other go.