Mia's Open Heart (Choices Open Heart AU)

Chapter 19: State of Love and Trust

During an unconventionally quiet day at work, Mia found herself dropping off paperwork at the nurses' station. She had been spending a good portion of the day, and many of the days prior, hanging out with all her non-surgical resident friends as they all studied tirelessly for their upcoming resident boards.

Upon dropping her paperwork off, she saw Ethan and Naveen walking down the hallway, coming her way once they saw her.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, you've been such a blur." Naveen  said to her.

"Yeah, sorry about that " she said.

"It's the resident boards, isn't it?" Naveen asked, as she nervously nodded her head. "I remember when Ethan was about to take his resident boards, and he was just about as anxious as you are," Naveen said with a laugh. "It's good I found you, I had something to run past you."

"Shoot." she said.

"What do you think about having a little Diwali/Thanksgiving get together with all our Edenbrook friends? I can also invite Alan and Louise and also invite Moira." he said. "We can make a bunch of Indian food, all dress up in Indian clothes, play with unsafe fireworks..."

"I'm in." Mia said quickly, making Naveen laugh at her keenness for the fireworks.

"Of course you agree for the fireworks." Ethan said.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't." Mia said with a chuckle.

A couple days later, after another long day of work, Ethan came home from one of his late-night runs to see Mia sitting at her desk, looking at her laptop as the desk was filled with flash cards and other notes. She was holding a bag of ice to her knee with one hand, the other scurrying as she wrote notes on the cards.

"What the hell?" Ethan asked as he walked in, gesturing to the ice against her knee.

"I needed snacks, so then I got up really fast to quickly get a snack and waste minimal time, but then when I was getting up I banged my knee against the desk." she said. Ethan grabbed her chair and rolled it backwards before turning it around so that she faced him.

"Why don't you head to bed?" he asked.

"I can't." she said. "This is the last weekend I have before the boards next weekend, and with Moira and Matt and the kids coming over tomorrow and the Diwali thing at Naveen's house the day after, I won't be able to do any studying. You go sleep, don't worry about me."

Ethan refused to move, grabbing a chair and sitting next to her. "I can't sleep without you in bed next to me." he said. "And we're watching the kids tomorrow, so we both need all the sleep we can get."

"But, Ethan I need to study." she said. "We've already bought a house and are planning to get married in January, but I didn't truly think the whole job thing through. What if I fail my boards and don't become an attending? What if I pass the boards but Edenbrook doesn't offer me a job?" she said, starting to ramble nervously. Ethan leaned down to kiss her, causing her to stop her ramble. "You just love making me shut up don't you" she said, making him chuckle.

"I know I tell you to be prepared, but you are prepared. You are smart, one of the most gifted and talented residents I have ever seen." he said. "You know I try to refrain from saying things like this so we can separate our personal life from our work life, but you need to get at least some rest in this time before the test so that you'll do good." he said, before sighing. "Plus, if you get some rest tonight and try not to over-stress, I promise I will help you study the day before your test and we'll celebrate when the test is over." After a moment of thinking, Mia looked up at Ethan.

"So I'll be able to take advantage of the fact that my fiancé is the genius Ethan Ramsey?" she said, causing him to roll his eyes as he nodded his head. "Okay, I guess I could get some rest since you PROMISED to help me, but I'm injured and need help to move." she said, looking up at him as she put her arms up. He rolled his eyes and picked her up, carrying her to bed as they drifted off to sleep.