When I got up to turn off the alarm, Oahu was still wrapped in that thick, damp blue darkness. I yanked my dark brown curls back hard, twisting them into a low ponytail tight enough to hurt. Made me look sharper. More like someone who'd been here for years.
The woman in the mirror wasn't Casey anymore—not that language major in cashmere sweaters dreaming about romance in Boston libraries. She was Ella. A single mom. Just another nurse at Oahu Community Hospital.
I buttoned my white uniform all the way up and checked the collar one more time.
Before I left, I cracked open the door to the next room. Five-year-old Tommy was out cold, one little foot sticking out from under the covers.
I walked over and tucked the corner back in. His dark brown curls spread across the pillow, his breathing soft and steady. I bent down and kissed his forehead. When my fingers brushed through that soft hair, something caught in my chest. Those bright blue eyes of his—they were Paul's. Exactly Paul's.
Every time I looked into those eyes, I remembered Paul in his tailored suit, standing on that street corner by the Four Seasons, telling me, "Casey, if you were in Diana's position, the Vincent Family would fall apart."
Yeah. I remembered it perfectly. I was just his "mistress." Something to kill time with.
I stood up and bit my lip, trying not to let myself go there again.
I grabbed a blue Post-it from the desk and scribbled fast: "Mommy's at work. Remember to drink the milk in the fridge when you wake up. Lina's coming to pick you up. Listen to your teacher at school. Love you, baby."
I stuck it on the alarm clock by Tommy's bed, took one last look at that peaceful little face, and walked out.
Downstairs, the morning breeze hit me head-on—thick with that Hawaiian heat and the smell of salt.
I climbed onto my beat-up secondhand bike, the chain already rusted, and started pedaling hard. The bike squeaked down the quiet street.
Six years ago, I'd left Boston with nothing but the tiny life growing inside me. Changed my name. Came to Oahu alone. From Boston's bone-cutting cold to Oahu's burning sun. From the fake sweetness of two people to the brutal reality of raising a kid solo.
I'd learned to fix pipes myself. Learned to reinforce the roof in a storm. Learned to hold Tommy through fevers in the middle of the night and run to the ER alone.
I didn't care that I'd gone from "prodigy" to "bottom-tier nurse." The first time Tommy wrapped his arms around me and said "Mommy," every bit of exhaustion and pain just evaporated. I swore I'd use these hands to earn real respect—for both of us.
When I got to the community hospital, the shift change was already underway.
The ER was always chaotic. No time to sit. I grabbed the chart and wove between beds.
"Ella, bed five needs a dressing change—cut himself on the reef, it's inflamed," the head nurse called from down the hall.
"Coming."
I crouched by the bed, peeled off the blood-soaked gauze, cleaned the wound, and applied ointment.
By ten a.m., I finally got five minutes. I stood at the vending machine, debating whether to blow two bucks on cheap black coffee.
"Have this instead, Ella."
Dr. Mark handed me a warm latte. He wore a crisp white coat, silver-rimmed glasses, and that perpetual gentle smile.
"Thanks, Mark." I took the coffee and sipped. Way better than vending machine sludge.
"Working nights today?" Mark leaned against the counter, eyes on my face. "I could pick up Tommy this afternoon. I'm taking my nephew to buy a surfboard—the kindergarten's right there."
My hand tightened around the cup. I nodded politely. "Thanks, Mark. You always pick him up. I feel terrible."
Mark smiled. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "It's no trouble. Tommy's a smart kid. I like spending time with him. Actually, Ella, I've been meaning to say, if you're free this weekend, maybe we could..." He stopped. That look in his eyes—I knew it too well. Hope.
Mark was a good man. Best pediatrician in the hospital. Kind. Six years ago, Casey might've fallen for that warmth. But I was Ella now.
"Mark," I cut him off fast, glancing at my watch, "I need to record vitals in room three. I'll get Tommy this afternoon. Thanks for helping out. I'll bring you some homemade coconut cookies tomorrow."
I didn't wait for an answer. Just turned and walked back into the chaos. I could feel Mark's eyes on my back. But I didn't turn around. Feelings were more dangerous than hurricanes.
