Tucked between the flowers was a folded card. Elise opened it after her shift. In neat, looping handwriting, it read: For the friend who listens unconditionally. The simplicity of the sentence made her chest tighten.
She placed the card inside her locker, next to her ID badge. It wasn’t the first time a patient had trusted her with more than their medical story—but this felt different. Olivia wasn’t just confiding. She was confessing, in slow motion.