"The what?"Harper asks.
"The VIP maternity suite.Everything's been arranged."
We exchange confused looks as we follow her to an elevator that requires a special key.
"I think there's been a mistake," Mom says."We didn't book any suite."
"Oh, it's been booked for weeks," the nurse assures us."Mr.Sterling's assistant was very specific about the arrangements."
My heart stops."Mr.Sterling?"
"Luke Sterling, yes.He wanted to ensure the Winters family had everything they needed."She smiles as the elevator rises."We've never had someone reserve an entire floor before."
"An entire floor?"Dad asks faintly.
"The whole VIP section.Private rooms for family, catered meals, dedicated nursing staff."The doors open to reveal what looks more like a luxury hotel than a hospital."He was very thorough."
I'm still processing this when we reach Claire's room—a space bigger than my apartment with views of the Sound, medical equipment discretely hidden behind elegant panels, and?—
"Is that a goat?"Claire asks from her bed.
On the bedside table is a small plush goat, white with brown patches, wearing a tiny bow.There's a note attached.
With shaking hands, I pick it up and read:
For the new arrival.Buttercup insisted on being represented.
-L
P.S.I hope it's okay that I arranged this.Your family deserves the best care.You deserve everything.
"Oh honey," Mom says softly, reading over my shoulder.
“He had to have booked this weeks ago," I whisper."Before everything fell apart."
For a second, the world goes quiet.
Not because of shock or adrenaline—but because something inside me shifts.Cracks.Then opens.
He didn’t do this because I asked.
He didn’t do it because I “earned” it.
He did it because he knows me.Because he cares about me.
Not for saving the inn.Not for making nice with the guests or coordinating three-course breakfasts or always being the one who makes things better.
He did this for me.
Because I’m his to love.
Because I’m enough.
And maybe I’ve been so busy—with the inn, with Grandma Rose’s “legacy”, with striking out on my own after Derek—trying to prove I was worthy of being chosen…
I never saw that someone already did.
Harper whistles just as tears start to burn behind my eyes.“Man, that guy is good.”
