27. Shep

TWENTY-SEVEN

Shep

12:05 pm

I scrub out after surgery, feeling the familiar mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. As soon as I spoke with the patient's family and cleaned up, I pulled out my phone to call Elle. My heart lifts when I hear her voice.

"Hey, how'd the appointment go?" I ask eagerly.

"Great news—Dr. Hampton officially discharged me," Elle says. I can hear the smile in her voice. "I'm cleared to head back to Florida."

A pang of emotion hits me—I'm thrilled for her recovery, but the thought of her leaving makes my chest tighten. I push that aside for now.

"That's fantastic, Elle. I'm so glad to hear it," I tell her warmly. "Where are you now? Want to grab lunch and celebrate?"

"I'm still at the cafe, actually. I've been catching up on work emails. Isabella stopped by earlier for coffee," Elle explains. "But lunch sounds perfect. Where should we meet?"

I suggest a deli sandwich place I love near the hospital.

"Sounds wonderful," Elle agrees. "I'll head over now and grab us a table."

"Great, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes," I say.

As I hang up, I feel a mix of emotions swirling. I'm genuinely thrilled about Elle's recovery and discharge. But I can't ignore the sadness creeping in at the thought of her leaving Birmingham. I haven't told her yet, but I've been doing some preliminary searches to see if any neurosurgeon positions are open around there. I never thought I would leave here, but surprisingly, I'm considering it. At least to the degree that I'm researching.

Brick & Tin

214 20th St N

I walk into the deli, scanning the room until I spot Elle. My heart skips a beat when I see her, just like it does every time. She's already seated at a table, looking radiant despite the weeks of hospital stays and rehab. I can't help but smile as I approach.

"Hey there," I say, leaning down to give her a soft kiss on the lips before sliding into the seat across from her.

"Hi," Elle beams back at me, her eyes sparkling.

"So, tell me more about the appointment," I say eagerly. "I'm so happy it went well."

Elle's face lights up as she shares the details. "Dr. Hampton said the scans look amazing. He thinks I should regain full range of motion and use once I'm fully healed."

I feel a wave of relief washes over me. I know how worried Elle is about potential long-term impacts on her hand function.

"That's incredible news," I tell her, reaching across the table to gently squeeze her good hand. "I know that's been weighing on you. I'm so happy for you, Elle."

She nods, a mix of excitement and relief evident on her face. "It's such a weight off my shoulders. There's still a long road of therapy ahead, but knowing there's light at the end of the tunnel makes all the difference."

"Absolutely," I agree. "And you've been crushing your therapy sessions. I have no doubt you'll get back to 100 percent before you know it."

As we finish our lunch, Elle shifts in her seat, a mix of nervousness and excitement playing across her face.

"Shep, there's something I wanted to run by you," she starts, her voice tentative. "I just found this posting, so I'm throwing it out there..."

I lean in, curious about what's got her so worked up.

"I found a job posting at the McWane Science Center," Elle continues. "It fits my experience and PhD education to a T, and the pay is commensurate with what I'm making now."

My heart leaps, but I try to keep my expression neutral. Inside, I'm elated at the possibility of Elle moving to Birmingham. But I know how much she loves her job in Florida, and I don't want to pressure her.

"That sounds like an amazing opportunity," I say carefully. "How do you feel about it?"

Elle bites her lip, considering. "I'm honestly torn. I love my current job, but being here with you these past weeks... it's made me realize how much I want to be closer to you."

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "Elle, I would love for you to live here if it's something you want. But I want you to be happy, too."

Taking a deep breath, I decide to be fully honest with her. "I have a confession to make. I've actually been looking at jobs in Gainesville, too."

Elle's eyes widen in surprise. "You have?"

I nod, reaching across the table to take her hand. "I've been thinking about how we could make this work long-term. I didn't want to say anything until I had something concrete, but... I want us to be together, Elle. Whether that's here or in Florida."

I can see the wheels turning in Elle's mind as she processes my confession. She takes a deep breath, her eyes meeting mine.

"Shep, I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves," she says carefully. "But if the idea of me applying for this job doesn't freak you out..."

"It doesn't," I interject quickly, my heart racing at the possibility.

Elle's face breaks into a smile. "Then I think I'll make some calls and look into it. I have known the recruiter since I got my current job. I feel like I could get the inside scoop from her."

I nod encouragingly, squeezing her hand. "That's a great idea. It doesn't hurt to explore your options."

"Yeah," Elle agrees, her excitement growing. "I'll need to work on my resume, though. It's been a while since I've updated it."

"I'd be happy to help," I offer without hesitation. "I may not be a marine biologist, but I know a thing or two about putting together a compelling CV."

Elle laughs, the sound warming my heart. "I bet you do, Dr. Duncan. I might just take you up on that offer."

As we discuss the potential of Elle applying for the job, I can't help but feel a surge of hope. The idea of her being here in Birmingham, of us building a life together, suddenly feels more tangible than ever before. But I remind myself to temper my excitement. We still have a lot to figure out, and I don't want to pressure Elle into anything she's not ready for.

I can barely contain my excitement as Elle talks about applying for the job at McWane Science Center. My heart races, and I have to consciously remind myself to keep my expression neutral. I've never felt this way before— encouraging a woman to uproot her life and move closer to me. With anyone else, I'd be running for the hills. But Elle... she's different.

"That sounds like a great plan," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I think you'd be an incredible asset to their team."

As Elle starts brainstorming ideas for her resume, I find myself imagining a future where we're in the same city—no long- distance calls or counting down the days until our next visit. We could have dinner together after work, spend lazy Sundays with Opie, and build a real life together.

I take a sip of water, hoping to cool the flush I can feel creeping up my neck. "You know," I start, careful not to let my enthusiasm overwhelm her, "Birmingham has a lot to offer. The science community here is growing and with your expertise..."

Elle nods, her eyes bright with possibility. "I've been impressed with what I've seen so far. And the idea of being closer to you and Opie..." She trails off, a soft smile playing on her lips.

I reach across the table, taking her hand in mine. The touch grounds me, reminding me this isn't just a daydream. It's a real possibility.

"Whatever you decide," I say, meaning every word, "I'm here to support you. But I won't lie— the thought of having you here in Birmingham... it's more than I ever dared to hope for."

I pull into my driveway, a smile plastered on my face. The thought of spending the afternoon with Elle and Opie by the pool feels like a dream come true. I see Elle pulling up behind me as I step out of my car.

"Beat you here," I call out, grinning.

Elle laughs as she gets out of her car. "Well, you did have the home-field advantage."

We walk into the house together, and I can hear Opie's excited chatter from the living room. Cason greets us, and I thank her for watching him. As she leaves, Opie comes bounding up to us.

"Daddy! Elle! Are we going swimming?"

Elle kneels to his level. "We sure are, buddy. How about you go get your swim trunks on?"

As Opie races upstairs, I turn to Elle. "I've got some extra suits if you need one. They might be a bit big, but..."

She smirks. "Always prepared, aren't you, Dr. Duncan? But I've got one in my bag. I'll change in the guest bathroom."

While they're changing, I quickly slip into my swim trunks and grab some towels. As soon as I walk outside, excited Opie cannonballs into the pool, showing off his big splash.

Elle emerges from the house, and I feel my breath catch. She looks stunning in her swimsuit, and I have to remind myself to act cool in front of Opie.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Elle shouts, running past me and diving gracefully into the water.

I laugh and follow suit, creating a big splash as I jump in. The cool water feels incredible after the heat of the day. We spend the next hour playing games, having splash contests, and watching Opie show off his improving swimming skills.

After a moment, I get out to check my phone. I'm not on call, but since it is a surgery day, I need to be reachable in case they need me.

When I see a call from Nancy Black, my heart sinks. Nancy is Ari's mom.

I step away from the pool so that I can handle any bad news out of view of Opie. My heart races as I press send. Taking a deep breath, I glance back at Elle and Opie, splashing in the water and catching Elle's eye. I point the phone to indicate I have to make a call, and she gives me a thumbs up.

"Hello, Nancy," I say when she answers, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Shep, thank you for calling back," she responds. Her tone doesn't sound as devastated as I expected, which gives me a glimmer of hope.

"Is everything okay? How's Ari?" I ask, bracing myself for the worst.

To my surprise, Nancy's voice brightens slightly. "There's no change, but that's not why I called. Tom and I were wondering if we could take Opie to Disney World this coming weekend? We'd leave on Wednesday and come back Sunday."

Relief washes over me. "Of course," I say without hesitation. "Opie would love that. It'll be good for him to spend time with you both."

"Thank you, Shep," Nancy says, her voice thick with emotion. "We... we wanted to ask you something else."

"Go ahead," I encourage, sensing her hesitation.

"No matter what happens with Ari," she begins, her voice wavering, "please let us continue to be a part of Opie's life. We love him so much and couldn't bear to lose him too. He will always be a part of Ari."

My throat tightens. "Nancy, you have my word. You and Tom will always be Opie's grandparents. That will never change, I promise you."

"Thank you," she whispers. "It means the world to us."