Love and Resilience

Waves of Us

JOVANA’S POV

The rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed down the hall as Jovana made her rounds at the hospital. Her clipboard was filled with patient charts, and her mind was focused on her tasks for the day. The familiar hum of the hospital always had a calming effect on her, but today, her thoughts kept drifting back to Serena. They had celebrated their first monthsary two weeks ago, and every day since had been filled with new discoveries, shared moments, and a growing connection that felt deeper than anything Jovana had experienced before.

As Jovana reached the end of her round, she bumped into Dr. Sanchez, her senior, and mentor. He smiled warmly at her, always the encouraging presence in the hospital.

"Hey, Dr. Rommer," Dr. Sanchez greeted, falling into step beside her. "How’s everything going? Both in the hospital and outside of it?"

Jovana couldn’t help but smile at the question. He had a way of knowing just when to ask about personal
matters without it feeling invasive.

"It’s going well, Dr. Sanchez," she replied, adjusting the charts in her hand. "Busy, as usual, but I’ve been managing. And... well, things with Serena have been great too."

Dr. Sanchez raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? How’s that going? I remember you mentioning her a while back."

Jovana’s smile widened. "Actually, we celebrated our first monthsary two weeks ago."

"That's wonderful to hear!" he said, genuinely happy for her. "It’s not easy balancing work in this field with a personal life, but it sounds like you’re managing quite well."

"I try," Jovana said with a soft laugh. "But it's worth it with Serena."

Their conversation was brief as Dr. Sanchez was called to another patient, but the thought of Serena lingered in Jovana's mind. As she moved through her tasks for the morning, the idea of seeing her later filled her with a quiet excitement. When she finally managed to steal a quick break between rounds, she pulled out her phone and sent Serena a text:

To Serena
"Hey love, how about lunch together? I’ll fetch you. We can try that new place you mentioned."

She hit send and waited for Serena’s reply. It wasn’t long before her phone buzzed with a response.

From Serena
"Sounds perfect! I’ll be ready in 30 minutes."

Smiling at her screen, Emma pocketed her phone and got back to work, knowing that in just a short while, she’d be with Lila again.

---

An hour later, Jovana was driving to Serena’s place, excitement bubbling beneath her usual calm demeanor. She parked outside and saw Serena waiting by the door, her smile bright as always. Jovana couldn't help but feel a rush of affection every time she saw her.

The drive to the restaurant was filled with light conversation about work, weekend plans, and the usual playful teasing they often shared. When they arrived, they found a cozy spot by the window and ordered their meals.

As they were eating, a man approached their table. Jovana didn’t recognize him, but from the way Serena’s face lit up, it was clear that she did.

"Hey, Serena!" the man greeted with an easy familiarity.

"Ryan!" Serena exclaimed, standing up to give him a quick hug. "It's been ages!"

They exchanged a few more words, reminiscing about old times. Jovana sat quietly, observing the interaction. She wasn’t sure why, but something about it made her feel... off. Not jealous, exactly, but perhaps uncertain. It wasn’t like her to feel insecure, but watching Serena so effortlessly interact with this guy stirred something inside her.