Summer Days

Chapter 43

We'd ended up sharing the slice of pie. I loved watching Sean's eyes light up as we tried it. "Just think, I've enabled you. Now you can make your own pie." I teased as he restrained himself from licking the plate.

"True. Or if I at least get the ingredients, maybe I can coax you into making it." He grinned at me.

"Maybe." I chuckled before taking the plate from him and going over to rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. I glanced at the clock. "Time for a timesaver recipe step?" I asked. "It'll make things go faster in the morning."

"I'm all for that." He said, reaching for the notebook he'd been writing things down in. "Fire away."

I chuckled and gave him first a list of all the things we'd need to make the soup for our lunch. After he repeated them all in Japanese and written them down, we worked together to pull everything out and arranged it on the counter while we opened, chopped, browned and stirred our way to a full crock pot insert. "Taco Soup... a lunch time favorite for all the boys." I said. "Just put the lid on it and then it goes into the fridge. We'll put it in the crock pot and turn it on to high before we go to the hospital tomorrow morning."

Sean looked so happy as he did what I said and carefully put the crockery into the fridge. "This is great. I love that you love me enough to take the time to help me learn to cook." He closed the fridge and pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"You're welcome." I said before yawning. He laughed at me and beeped me on the end of my nose.

"And off to bed you go. Nurse Pookie has a very full day tomorrow with organizing my office and sneaking down to Maternity to look at the babies." He dropped a kiss on the tip of my nose.

I smiled and tilted my head as I leaned into him, kissing him gently before backing out of his arms. "Then I'm actually going to grab a quick bath and go to bed. It will also make things faster in the morning. "

"All right." He said, letting me go. "I'll be up in a little bit."

I took my bath and got into my pj's and slipped into bed. I don't know what time he actually came to bed because I'd fallen asleep before he got there.

He surprised me in the morning, waking me up with breakfast in bed. He'd managed egg mugs and toast with a side of cut up fruit to go with our bottled coffees. "Rise and shine, Pookie. We have time to enjoy breakfast before we go to the hospital. I put the soup in the crockpot on high, that's what you said last night, right?" He asked, waiting for me to sit up in the bed before arranging the tray on my lap. He sat down on the bed, facing me as he reached for his coffee first.

I smiled. "Yes, Sean. High is fine and breakfast looks great." I said. He beamed at me as I started to eat breakfast. We talked over breakfast before I got out of bed and dressed in a skirt and top while he took care of the breakfast dishes. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and headed downstairs, double checking the crockpot and its contents before we headed out, off to the hospital for a morning together.

It didn't take long for me to settle in at his office while he made his rounds and visited his patients. I spent the time straightening his desk and staring at the murals that Gabriel had painted on his office walls. I pondered a few ideas for a moment before smiling slightly and busying myself back with the files. I got up and filed a few things in his filing cabinet before I realized it was a bit of a lost cause and I shouldn't do any filing until he had a chance to actually clean things up a bit more. I was sitting behind his desk, playing my game when he popped back into the office.

"Pookie!" he grinned at me and dropped into the chair across from where I was sitting.

"Everything okay?" I asked, pausing the game and studying him.

"Everything's fine. All patients appear to be healthy and happy and my favorite Nurse Pookie is sitting behind my desk in a fairly clean and organized office." Sean winked.

"Glad to hear that. I like for you to have healthy and happy patients."

"Mrs. Rose is here for a checkup, would you like to come say hi?" He asked.

"Oh, I'd love to. I haven't seen her in so long." I perked up.

"And then we can go ogle the babies." Sean said. "And go home for lunch because we will be all done and able to get dinner ready for Owen."

"That's a wonderful plan." I responded, getting up from his chair.

He stood up as well, taking my hand. He pressed a kiss to my knuckles and tucked my hand around his arm as we left his office.

We stopped in to see Mrs. Rose and spent several moments talking in sign language. I was glad for the chance to practice a bit more with her. It seemed like it had been so long since I'd signed. I glanced at Sean. "I'm a bit rusty." I said. "I need to work on this sometime."

Mrs. Rose beamed at me before signing ~you're doing fine. I can see you're happy. ~

I smiled at her and signed Thank you to her. "I am happy." I told her, dropping my hands. "Everything changed for me after camping and as much as I've been working through a lot of my issues, I couldn't be happier with where I am." I said seriously.

She studied me for a long moment before reaching out and gently patting my cheek. ~Happiness is the key. Family first, yes but no one said you have to be miserable. ~

I chuckled and raised my hands to sign to her again. ~I have not been miserable at all. I am well taken care of and happy." I nodded. She beamed again before leaning forward, waiting to see if I'd allow a kiss on the cheek. I had to take a deep breath but I nodded and leaned into her, letting her kiss me on both cheeks before I straightened up. "Thank you." I murmured, reading acceptance in her gaze. She turned her attention to Sean and I could only make out a few words that bordered on him choosing to make an honest woman out of me at some point.

His ears turned a faint shade of pink but he beamed at her before leaning in and kissing both of her cheeks before bidding her a good afternoon. He reached for me again, wrapping my arm around his as he led me away, heading for the stairwell so we could go down a floor to the maternity ward.