"You called my friends?”
He nods, glancing over his shoulder to turn onto Fifth Avenue. “Spinner had McKenzie’s number. Everyone’s been worried about you since your brother saw you were looking at flights.”
My stomach tightens. "Jason?"
"He's been scouring the airport looking for you since this morning, Ella. He thought you flew home." Bernard glances at me. "He wants to be there for you.”
I lean back in the heated seat and close my eyes. The sun is out. The car is warm. Bernard is beside me, and my friends are waiting, and my brother is coming, and I just became a real nurse.
The air around me feels different now. My body is … not relieved, exactly. Not happy necessarily. I feel a little like a joint that's been out of alignment for twenty-three years just clicked into place, and the pain I thought was permanent turns out to have been transient.
I did something difficult. I did it well. And the people around me--the ones I found, the ones I chose--chose me back. I trust that. They want to celebrate. Not because I'm somebody's sister or somebody's afterthought, but because I'm Ella, and Ella is enough.
I open my eyes and look at Bernard's profile. This man helped make all this happen for me. He gained nothing from this. Except, I guess, my heart.
"Bernard."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
He takes my hand. "For what?"
“Everything.”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles.
Chapter 24
Howie
Gianna meets us at the door with a wooden spoon and a grin. "I hear there's a new nurse in the ‘burgh.”
Ella blushes and nods, and Gianna pulls her in for a hug.
"McKenzie's been here for twenty minutes telling everyone how awesome you are.” Gianna ushers us into the back room. "I made something special. Sit."
The meatball joint is full. McKenzie spots Ella and screams — a full, fangirl whoop that makes Spinner flinch, and Mayhem raise an eyebrow — and launches herself across the room to grab Ella in a hug that lifts her off the ground. Aarthi is right behind, calmer but bright-eyed, squeezing Ella's arm and saying something I can't hear over McKenzie's continued shrieking.
The PAWs are out in force, even if a lot of my teammates aren’t here. I like thinking of Ella getting close to my friends’ partners and wives. I like the thought of her close, period.
Cam and Essence are at the big table with Banksy. Emerson Stag waves from beside Spinner, who appears to be explaining the rules of hockey to Aarthi using saltshakers. Mayhem occupies his usual corner, quietly watching the room fill.
Ella stands in the middle of it, and I watch her face cycle through surprise, overwhelm, and then pure joy. These people are here for her. For Ella Rujkowski, RN.
Gianna emerges from the kitchen carrying a platter of red, steaming balls. “Mercy Balls," she announces, setting them down at the center of the table. "Meatballs in a Bloody Mary reduction with horseradish and celery salt. In honor of our girl and her new gig.”
"That's disgusting," Spinner says, reaching for one. I notice that he winks at Gianna, and she actually blushes.
"It's genius," Aarthi corrects, already eating. Her eyes close.
Ella beams, one hand on her chest like she’s trying to contain her heart from swelling out of her body. She pops a meatball in her mouth and moans. “Oh my god, Gianna."
I adjust my pants, reminding myself that we are here for my girl, and try one of the meatballs.
Gianna pats Ella’s shoulder. "Eat. You're too skinny."
“Okay, boomer,” Ella laughs at the restaurant owner who is the same age as me and Rookie.
