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My story with Ethan Yates is a pretty common one.
After high school, he got his acceptance letter and asked me out.
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I was so excited my cheeks were burning red.
♡ fo
I liked him. He liked me. We made it through four years of long–distance,
staying strong the whole time.
After graduation, he moved to my city.
I was in medical school, and he started working a year before me.
Back then, we rented the top floor of an old, run–down building. Summers
were unbearably hot, and winters were freezing.
When it rained, the water would drum against the roof all night long, but I
could still sleep soundly next to him.
He would cover my ears during thunderstorms.
He’d wait for me downstairs after my night shifts, even if it was raining,
even if it was snowing.
One time, his mom got sick, and we sent all our money to help her. Winter was right around the corner, and we couldn’t even afford the electric bill. The heated blanket didn’t work, and he looked so worried, standing there with a kettle, filling hot water bottles to keep me warm.
“I’m sorry. This is all because of me,” he said with his back to me. I could see his reddened eyes through the mirror, and my heart felt full and warm.
With a man like that, I wasn’t afraid of hard times.
And he was so driven. He was supposed to be on a six–month probation at
work, but he became permanent after just two.
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♡ Fo
There wasn’t any trick to it. His supervisor liked that he was reliable and hardworking. He did sales, wrote proposals–he was willing to learn anything.
When he got his first paycheck, he bought me a bracelet. He held it in his hands like a treasure, and when we locked eyes, we were both so happy.
But… it’s been a long time since he bought me a gift.
Last year on my birthday, he had to work late. He didn’t even get me anything.
On Valentine’s Day, he spent $3 on a streaming service to watch a movie. I had ordered steak, but he canceled it and got fried chicken and burgers instead.
I gave him gifts for every holiday, but he accepted them as if they were his
due.
Sometimes I’d pout and complain, and he’d always say, “We need to save for a house. That’s what’s important.”
The house slowly became an obsession for him. He believed owning a
house was the only way to truly settle down.
I don’t know when it happened, but that constant worry about money slowly chipped away at the simple happiness we used to have.
And eventually… our love just faded.
“Dr. Summers, someone’s here to see you.”
Ethan stood at the reception desk wearing a long gray wool coat. his head
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♡ Fo
Ethan stood at the reception desk, wearing a long gray wool coat, his head lowered. Even with a mask on, I recognized him right away.
I used to joke that I’d been fooled by his looks, but there was some truth in that joke. He was good–looking. Especially when he smiled–his eyes sparkled.
I took a deep breath and walked over to him.
“Have you eaten yet?” That was the first thing he asked.
“I have.”
ག
He avoided my eyes. “Your hospital is pretty big.”
Pres
He had never come to visit me since I transferred to this new job. Too busy. Too far.
“Yeah, uh, I had a meeting come up last minute, so I couldn’t make it… Did
you wait long?” He finally brought it up.
“It’s fine. I just called to let you know I had a surgery today, so I couldn’t
come either.”
He let out a sigh of relief, his gaze finally landing on my face. He looked
much more relaxed.
“That’s good. I was worried you’d been waiting a long time. I tried calling
you this afternoon, but you didn’t answer or text me back.”
“I was in the operating room.”
We stood there in silence for three minutes.
He finally spoke. “Well, I should get going then.”
♡ Fo
The moment he finished speaking, I turned and walked away.
We both knew we weren’t going to bring up when we’d get our marriage license again. In the past, if we’d missed a movie or a dinner, he would have immediately suggested another time to make it up.
When I got back to my office, I saw that I had 11 missed calls.
One was from my dad. The rest were from Ethan.
My dad knows my job. If I don’t answer, he’ll usually leave a message.
But Ethan was just feeling guilty.
I called my dad back.
I was feeling guilty, too.
“Megan, did you take the family record book without asking? Are you two getting a marriage license? Did you tell Ethan about the family situation?”
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