Page 64 of The Love Operation

“I’m trying to protect you,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes shine—like she’s holding back tears.

That’s when I know. She wouldn’t do it. But she wants me to believe she would. Because in her mind, she’s doing the right thing.

Even if she wouldn’t follow through, it hurts that she said it, that she felt like she had to.

For a moment, the ache of hurting her overshadows everything. This woman has been by my side through so many formative parts of my life. The thought that I might cause a rift between us makes something crack inside me. I’ve pushed her to a place where she’s drawing lines with ultimatums and issuing threats. I hate that I’ve made her nearly cry.

I force myself to breathe. I cling to our friendship.

I offer assurances that hurt, because by agreeing to her terms, I’m betraying myself, giving up something I truly want. But I give them anyway: We’ll stick to the script. We won’t deviate. I will respect her wishes.

And as I leave her office, I mean it. I do.

But then I meet Isaac for lunch.

It’s like we’ve been together for months instead of days. Our connection is growing fast and sinking deep, accelerated by circumstance. We’re invested—in each other.

Later, I lie beside him in bed as he dozes, and I think, I can’t do another breakup. Maybe, on some level, my siblings are right. A relationship with Isaac could bring me closer to everyone.

Maybe he’s the missing piece.

I get up, head to his spotless kitchen for water, and the truth hits—like I’ve dropped the jewel of my friendship with Delenn into a muddy puddle. Because I have always used the tools at my disposal to move forward.

And I can’t stop now.

If I didn’t think I’d find the answer to my failed relationships in my memories, maybe I could let it go. But I know I will.

As a scientist, I know Delenn has to draw the line. But that doesn’t mean I have to stand behind it. Because I can’t.

How could anyone stand this close to a solution and not reach for it?

The best surgeons don’t ask permission before making the cut. I should’ve known better than to ask.

Chapter 15

Can I See You in My Office?

I sit with my shoulders squared, my spine straight, and my hands resting lightly on the polished wood table. Around me, the hospital’s most powerful voices fill the executive conference room—department heads, committee members, administrators. The scent of expensive coffee lingers in the air, mixing with the clean bite of disinfectant and the underlying tension of decisions that determine careers and hospital policy.

Decisions that determine my career.

These are the people who pull the strings, who get things done, who have power. And I want my seat at the table, a permanent one.

Time feels like it’s moving slowly, even though I’ve already had an OR observation and my clinic one is scheduled for next week. Barring any emergencies, the departmental town hall and Q&A will occur at the end of May with leadership interviews and formal visionary presentations in July. Finally, in August, a new chief will be named. Nine months—the same time it takes to grow a human.

Isaac sits in the middle of the long mahogany table, across from me, the picture of control—crisp navy suit, sharp jaw, expensive watch glinting under the lights. He looks like a man in charge. Because he is.

I need to remember that.

But it’s getting harder.

We’ve officially been in a relationship for three weeks, and in that time, we’ve spent nearly every available moment together. I’ve been rushing my sessions with Delenn. I haven’t cut corners, but my work and her study are no longer my sole focus—because when I’m done, someone is waiting for me.

And that makes finishing a hell of a lot more appealing.

I shift slightly in my seat, forcing my attention to the discussion.

“We need to address the growing backlog of scheduled cases,” Dr. Patel, one of the committee members, says. “Elective procedures are being pushed back, and our case volume has increased by nearly twelve percent this quarter. This isn’t sustainable. Is this a staffing issue, a resource problem, or something else?”