Victoria always knew she was strong. Resilience and determination had been her cornerstones, the traits she prided herself on most.

But tonight, for the first time in her life, she felt helpless.

It had been an ordinary shift—tending to patients in the ER, observing surgeries, shadowing her superiors. Five months into her nursing training, she had learned to navigate the harsh environment of a hospital. The day had gone smoothly enough. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet, the moment she slipped into her car, away from the job, her coworkers, and the sterile, bitter smell of hospital corridors, something cracked. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she shrank into herself, the weight of everything she’d held back pressing down. Alone at last, she felt something shift in her chest. She tried to hold it together, but it was like gripping at sand as it slipped through her fingers.

Her hands clung to the steering wheel, knuckles white, head bowed. Her jaw clenched in a desperate attempt to keep herself together. But it was no use. A single tear fell, followed by a trembling whimper. Moments later, she was sobbing quietly, her shoulders shaking in the dim light of the hospital parking lot.

The overwhelming waves washed over her so completely that she didn’t even notice you approaching. Not until the sharp tap on her window jolted her out of her spiraling thoughts.

“—Shit,” she muttered, frantically wiping her flushed cheeks. She shoved her emotions back down as quickly as they’d surfaced, straightening up. The window rolled down, revealing her puffy eyes and tear-streaked face, framed by a strained smile she’d hastily assembled.

Her mind was a tangled mess, so much so that she’d completely forgotten you were meeting her after your shift.

"Hey, sweetheart."