She narrows her eyes. “You ever heard about a self-fulfilling prophecy?”
I make a noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl.
“Jayne, babe,” she continues sharply, “If you keep waiting for Rhys to fail, hewill.”
I send her a flat, unimpressed stare. “I’m not waiting for him to fail.” As soon as the words are out, I wince at how defensive I sound.
Iris gives me a look that slices clean through my self-delusion.
I huff out a breath as I trace the rim of my wineglass. “Okay. Maybe I am. A little. But if this is all it takes to fix us, then the problem’s me, isn’t it? Why didn’t I say something sooner?”
“You weren’t ready.” Her gaze softens with understanding. “It’s not easy to hold up a mirror like that, Jayne. Which is why I’m proud of you.”
I let out a jagged laugh. “Feels like Rhys and I have had this same conversation a dozen times. Things getbetter for five minutes and then,boom, back to me being everyone’s doormat.”
The venom in my voice surprises me.
“You’ve never said it out loud like this before,” Iris soothes. “And as many flaws as Dr. Prescott has, he’s not the enemy.”
“I know.” I lift my glass and drain it in one go. “I love that stupid moron.”
She puts her hand on mine, her eyes twinkling with humor. “You two are on the same team, you just forgot which direction you were both running.”
Is she right? Have we been so busy surviving—working, parenting, managing—that we’ve forgotten how to be on the same side?
The check comes, and Iris waves off my card before I can protest. “Consider it a celebration.”
I give a dry look, not hiding my irritation. “For what?”
“For the return of you.” She pinches my cheeks like I’m a child. “I missed her.”
“Ouch,” I complain in good humor.
My mood stays high during the Uber ride home. The city blurs past. Neon signs, quiet row houses, the hum of Sunday night easing into Monday.
But even as I bask in the afterglow of an evening with Iris, a thought starts to take shape. A small, familiar voice, buried somewhere deep inside, whispers:How long will this last?
How long before the rhythm breaks again? BeforeSundays go back to being lists and errands and meals I don’t get to taste?
How long before I’m right back where I always am, catering to everyone but myself?
I push the negativity aside. For now, I want to stay in this moment, remembering laughing with my best friend, watching the city glow beneath us, pretending that balance isn’t a fragile thing.
CHAPTER 16
Rhys
Spring finally decides to show up in Baltimore, and for once, the air doesn’t bite. The sun’s out, the sky’s clear, and people are smiling again like they’ve just stepped out of hibernation.
Everyone’s lighter. Everyone except me.
Jayne and I are good. Better than we’ve been in months. We talk. We laugh. I pick up Finn from practice, drop Mikaela at gymnastics, handle takeout nights, and logistics. We’re in sync—or at least that’s how it looks. Because behind it all, I’m running on fumes.
I leave work early to make it home on time, then circle back after dinner to check on patients. I answer messages at stoplights. I’m juggling heart surgeries and permission slips, discharge summaries and grocery lists. I’ve never been this tired in my life, not even during residency.
Jayne looks peaceful, though. She smiles more. She touches my arm when she passes by. The tension in her shoulders has eased, and it should make me happy. It does.
But somewhere underneath, I’m simmering.
