Loving Jaxton ✔️

Chapter 1 - exhausted

"Let me know if anything hurts." I tell him as I pull the bandages away. He looks over his shoulder at me smiling contagiously as I smile back.

"Mr. Galloway, what's that about?" I ask as he looks back. "Rylee you're the only one who has came in here to check on me. Thank you dear." He tells me as I nod. And there's the reason I love nursing right there, the instant gratification I feel when someone says thank you and I know I did everything I could to help them. The girls I work with might be lazy and this hospital might not be my favorite place in the world but my job makes me happy like this. These moments with patients who realize what I do means everything to me.

"You're welcome Mr. Galloway. Now this should be good for the rest of the night. I won't see you tomorrow, I have a few days off before next week. I'm about to leave actually, but do you need anything before I say goodbye for the night?" I ask him finishing up cleaning and redressing his wound before disposing of the products and washing my hands.

"Just a question." He tells me as I roll him back over. His wife should be here in a few hours and he's about ready to go home, he just needs to stop bleeding. That's the only reason I feel comfortable enough with him being alone for the night with the rest of the nursing staff.

"Why don't you have a ring on that little finger sweetheart? You're a beautiful young lady and kind as you can be." He tells me as I smile. Truth be told, I don't think there's much longer before I have a ring on my finger.

I met my boyfriend Jacob Thomas in college years ago. We actually met at orientation one year, I was an incoming freshman when he was a senior there helping recruit other nursing students, and when I saw him I knew I was going to be a nursing major. I knew it was the right choice years later when I developed a passion for helping people though. Jac himself was a nursing major and graduated before going to attend physician assistant school, which he loved. Now he's graduated and works at the hospital ICU, and I'm so proud of him.

Dating in college was hard, especially with our age gap, but luckily we graduated around the same time. I didn't want more education and we both wanted to get away from the chaos of the University of Georgia so we decided to move away and work together.

We both recently moved into a apartment in the city together, it's just a few blocks down from the hospital and we're happy. Now, the rent of Atlanta is something nobody prepared us for after leaving Athens. But luckily I'm not in student debt anymore, I was able to pay it off while going to school and working so we'll be okay. He however, has still got a ten thousand dollar loan, and is working full time to try and pay it off in a year or so. I just know that when it's payed he'll buy me an engagement ring, I know he will.

But I'm ready, if he asked today I'd say yes. I'm tired of waiting and he has to know it. I've been with him forever and I'm ready to marry him.

"My boyfriend is actually a PA in the hospital and medical school was expensive so we've got a little bit to pay off before we take any steps towards a engagement." I tell him as he nods at me.

"I understand that but you need a ring as kind and beautiful as you are Rylee. I was in debt to my eyeballs before I started investing in people worth my money." He tells me as I start back, "What do you mean?" I ask as he shakes his head and smiles.

"Oh it's nothing sweetheart. Just how I made a living for years and took care of my wife and now second wife. But this boyfriend he better keep you with him, you're a good one Rylee Jane. I wish you all the best, I know I won't be here when you get back." He tells me as I nod. He'll be home and with his staff before I get back and that makes me happy for him.