Olivia watched the numbers on the elevator go up. Max stood beside her texting on his phone. When the doors opened on the seventh floor, he stepped out and she followed.

"Is it okay for me to come with you?"

He nodded. "You'll like Kevin. He reminds me of Zach as a boy."

"Handsome, funny?"

"You're describing me."

"Zach was always funnier."

"Not now." He entered a room with a boy about twelve dressed and sitting in a chair. "Hi there. I hear you're ready to get sprung."

A woman stepped forward. "I'm taking him home."

Max smiled. "Not before I sign these orders. Did the nurse review them with you? He needs to take it easy. That includes laughing." Max had turned to the boy. "How did the doctor cure the invisible man?"

"I don't know."

"He took him to the ICU."

The boy groaned. "You said I can't laugh. I was in the ICU."

"But you recovered. You have a follow up next week. Is it scheduled?"

"Right here in this packet."

"Any questions?" The woman shook her head. "Kevin, we'll miss you. Study hard."

"I will doc. Is that your wife?"

Max winked at Olivia. "Her. She's my boss making sure I do a good job."

"He did and now I want to be a doctor."

"You will be if you work hard."

After they left, Olivia said, "He loves you."

Max smiled. "He's a great kid. I hope he succeeds." Olivia watched Max frown.

"What are you, the joker?"

He laughed. "Something like that. Let's go check on Jayden."

In post-op, Olivia stood back while Max leaned over the small bed. He shined the light in the baby's eyes and even tickled under his chin to get him to smile. Watching his tenderness, her heart filled up.

"He's waking, but we want to monitor him a little longer. You should go eat. Olivia can stay with him."

The couple looked at each other and nodded. Olivia slipped them a twenty as they walked past her. Max stepped away in the other direction. She sat next to the bed and held the baby's soft hand.

Getting a glimpse into Max's life had been interesting. It made her love him more, except when she met the girl he had slept with. She remembered when she learned about his high school girlfriend. Wiping a tear, she concentrated on how sexy he looked in scrubs.

Olivia sat with Jayden until his mother returned alone. Her eyelashes were wet and her face looked ready to take on anything in her path.

"Where's Dean?"

She shrugged and frowned. Olivia shut her eyes and silently pleaded the couple wasn't fighting. They had to stay strong together.

"Do you want to talk?" She would listen but didn't want to get in the middle.

Cami shook her head vigorously, so Olivia escaped. "I'll give you some time with Jayden."

She found a quiet corner in the waiting room and took her book out of her bag. She read until she needed a bathroom. After looking in the mirror, she put on tinted lip gloss. She wore it regularly, but also Max was in the building. Fantasizing about him seeking her out would only depress her when it didn't happen. Realistically, she knew he was working, saving lives.

She froze when she stepped out into the waiting room. Think of him and he appeared, if only every day. She watched as he approached another set of parents. They looked up to him like he was larger than life. A funny feeling rippled through Olivia, because she knew he wasn't. She knew him at eleven and every year of his life in between. She stopped knowing him after he entered medical school. Everything changed and anytime he visited he was in a rush to leave. He had a life in the hospital she wasn't a part of and soon if his wish came true, he wouldn't be less than two hours by train. He turned from the couple without seeing her.

She followed behind him to check on Jayden. Max had disappeared like a ninja. She was relieved to see Dean with Cami, but he looked tense. He held a phone, Olivia hadn't realized he owned one.

She cleared her throat. "Do you two need a break?"

Cami spit, "No."

Dean sighed. "Yes. Cam, come with me, please."

The girl deflated and stood. Olivia couldn't imagine what was worth arguing about with their child in the hospital. As she sat beside Jayden, her ears perked up. Max was speaking nearby, but too far away to understand him. She froze when his laughter tickled her ears. Jealousy pulsed through her. He should want to laugh with her. Instead, the laughter faded away as he disappeared without seeing her.

A pretty red-headed nurse walked in and froze. "You're not the mother."

She shook her head. "No. They stepped out."

She looked at her tablet. "Dr. Max would like him to eat and is hoping for a bowel movement."

Olivia bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her Max never said words like bowel movement. Hospital Max must say them daily. "Was he here?"

The nurse nodded. "He had a patient just come out of surgery, but he left. It could be awhile."

"But he'll see Jayden before he leaves."

"A resident can discharge a simple hernia."

Olivia's mouth opened and closed just as fast. The operation might have been simple, but the patient was special. Maybe she wasn't special at all.

She smiled like Lindy trying to get free drinks at an uptown bar. "Doctor Max is cute. Does he have a girlfriend?"

The nurse rolled her eyes. "Pfft. I wish I knew. He's private. I heard rumors of a fling or two, but no romances."

A few minutes later Max appeared. "Livvy. Where's Cami?"

"I don't know." Her pulse quickened but slowed just as quickly. Cami loved Jayden.

"I got you this tea when I grabbed a cup of coffee. I'm about to scrub in for an appendix, but I'll check back when I'm done."

He disappeared in a flash. Olivia gave a thin smile to the nurse who stood shell-shocked. "Would you believe he's my cousin? I was fishing, because he's totally secretive with the family too."

"Cousin?"

"Technically, step, but what did you mean by fling?"

"I don't know. I have to check on another patient."

As she sipped her tea, she worried her conversation would get back to Max. Cami returned alone with red eyes.

"What's wrong?" She shook her head as she hovered over the crib. "Max wanted him to eat. I gave him a bottle. He's hoping he'll poop before we go back to New York."

Cami sobbed. "We're not going."

"What? You have people who care, me, Junior..."

Cami shook his hand. "The lady made Dean put down insurance and called his father about covering Jayden." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "They, his parents, want us to come home. I don't want to go home. Dean says we can stay together. He'll work and we can get our own place."

"Oh. Are they coming for you?"

"They're here now. They wanna see Jayden."

"Where's home?"

"Connecticut near Mystic."

Olivia felt tears. "I'm glad you'll be safe, but I'll miss you." She stood. "You should let his grandparents meet him." She leaned over and kissed the sweet baby and hugged Cami. "I really think this is for the best. You don't belong on the streets."

Olivia walked out into the waiting room. Dean stood with an older couple. She walked over and reached out her hand. "I'm Olivia."

"She's been helping us."

She smiled."You should be proud. Dean has taken care of his family. Go meet Jayden. He's precious."

Dean's mother had tears in her eyes. Olivia said, "Dean, take care of Cami and your son."

He nodded, and she turned away. They didn't need her anymore. She didn't know why the tears fell. Maybe because it felt good to be needed. She thought she was going to save them, but it turned out they didn't need saving. She ordered a ride to the station.

By the time Olivia entered her house she was exhausted. Her mother and Kurt were both reading which meant working.

Kurt patted the seat next to him. "How's the baby?"

"Okay. We went to New Haven."

Anita gasped. "I thought you were at Presbyterian Children's."

"No. Cami trusted Max."

Kurt put his arm around her. "The baby is in excellent hands."

She nodded. "Somehow Dean's parents were notified. They aren't coming back. I doubt we'll see them again."

Kurt held her tight. "Sometimes it's easier if we don't get too attached. I did once years ago."

"What happened?"

"There was a winter cold snap. He spent the night on the street and died of hypothermia." Kurt shook his head frowning. "Only a kid. Twenty-two. When he came out of the foster care system, he went right to the streets."

"It's a problem." Her mother nodded.

Her phone buzzed. Max. Her heart sped. "I need a shower and sleep."

"Okay, honey. There are leftovers if you're hungry."

She wasn't. Once alone she looked at her phone. Cami was looking for you. She replied with two words: I'm home.

Her phone rang. "Why did you leave?"

"Why not? They have family and a home. I was just their chaperone or escort."

"Friend is the correct word, English major."

"Please. I'm not my mother or Zach. Did you discharge Jayden?"

"Yes, just before I left. He'll have a follow up. She gave me a phone number if you want to check up on them yourself."

"Kurt said it was a mistake to get too close."

"It can be, but it can also be rewarding. I couldn't treat kids if I didn't care. Often for the parents as much as the child. I get plenty of sleep compared to a mother whose child is in the hospital."

Her heart ached with the truth. She would never not love him. "I can't imagine a baby like Jayden on an operating table."

"I focus on my task, fixing what needs to be fixed."

"I enjoyed seeing Dr. Max. He's impressive."

He chuckled. "I'm a human with a lot of training, but you know my flaws."

Number one was not loving her the way she wanted. "Making fun of my boyfriends?"

"That's a minor offense." He yawned. "I have to be back at the hospital in the morning by six."

"Goodnight. I'll see you at the birthday party."

"Bye, Liv."

The silence overwhelmed her as the tears quietly fell.

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