Ethan strolled through the bustling corridors of the hospital, a bright yellow sunflower in hand.
Its cheerful hue was a sharp contrast to the usual clinical whites and grays around him.
It was a bold choice, maybe even a little corny, but something about the flower reminded him of Ava—resilient and radiant.
As he entered his office, the familiar hum of work surrounded him. Placing the flower delicately on his desk, he glanced at his watch. Ava should’ve been done with her rounds by now.
“She’s probably holed up somewhere bossing someone around,” he muttered with a smirk.
He walked out, moving towards Ava’s office. When he got there and she wasn't in, he decided to wait for her in front of her office.
He was anxious to get it done with. To finally tell how how he felt. He had thought about it all through the one week he had spent at home.
And now, he was sure. He liked Ava.
After twenty minutes of waiting, he grew restless. He flagged down a passing colleague.
“Hey, have you seen Ava?” Ethan asked casually, though his fingers fidgeted with the edge of his coat pocket.
“She’s in surgery,” the colleague replied. “It might take a while. She’s assisting Dr. Nolan.”
Ethan nodded, forcing patience. “Alright, thanks.”
Two hours later, patience wasn’t so easy to come by. He’d worked through a stack of charts, fielded a few emails, and even had time to mentally rehearse how he’d hand Ava the sunflower without looking like a total idiot. But there was still no sign of her.
Pushing his chair back with a sigh, he decided to check the surgical wing. Maybe she was there, catching her breath after hours in the OR.
As he turned the corner near the surgical rooms, his steps slowed. There she was—walking down the hall, her scrubs slightly wrinkled and her hair tucked messily under a surgical cap.
She looked exhausted but beautiful in that effortless way that always threw him off.
“Hey, Ava,” he called out, breaking into a smile as he walked toward her.
But she didn’t smile back.
His grin faltered. “Everything okay?” he asked, hiding the sunflower behind his back.
“When did you get back?” She stopped in front of him and asked with folded arms and a look of concern.
It makes Ethan smile again. “Just this morning. You weren't in. I've been waiting for you for God knows how long.”
Before she could answer, another voice interrupted them.
“Ava,” the voice called.
Ethan turned to see Dr. Spencer—a cardiologist with an air of confidence that always seemed a bit too polished—walking briskly toward them.
“Dr. Clarke, if you’ll excuse us,” Spencer said smoothly before turning his full attention to Ava. “I need to speak with you. Privately.”
Ethan’s brows knitted together in curiosity.
Ava shot Ethan an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back.”
Ethan watched, puzzled, as Spencer led Ava a few steps away. They stopped near the edge of the corridor, just far enough that Ethan couldn’t hear their conversation but close enough to see everything.
He considered walking off, but something about Spencer’s body language kept him rooted in place.
The conversation started normally—Spencer gesturing as if explaining something, Ava nodding politely.
But then, without warning, Spencer dropped to one knee.
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat.
“What the hell?” he muttered under his breath.
The sunflower slipped from his hand, forgotten, as he stared in disbelief.
On his knee, Spencer held out a small black box, the unmistakable glint of a diamond ring catching the fluorescent light.
Ethan’s jaw went slack.
The world seemed to tilt, the background noise of the hospital fading into an eerie silence. He couldn’t hear Ava’s response, couldn’t process what he was seeing.
A marriage proposal?
To Ava?