Never giving up on you - Completed.

3.

Caity

'Mommy!' Hailey came running down the frontdoor to me and crashed into my arms before I even got the chance to properly get out of the car. I laughed and picked her up while I closed the door, her little arms tightly wrapped around my neck.

'I missed you, babygirl.' I nuzzled my face in her neck and inhaled her childish scent.

'I missed you too. Can I come with you tonight?' Her face was hopeful when she looked up, and I hated to disappoint her.

'I'm sorry, boo. Just one more night.'

'Oh...' Hailey let her arms hang loosely around my neck as I greeted my parents and entered their house.

'How was your nightshift, honey?,' my mother asked while she stirred in a pan on the stove in the kitchen. I shrugged and put Hailey on the ground, and she clutched onto my leg.

'Could be better. We had a resus, and the patient didn't survive...'

'Oh, I'm sorry.'

'Yeah... Well, I suppose that's life.' At least that's what I always told myself to keep my mind from running after something happened at work.

'Hey Hails, you wanna show your mother what we have done in the garden?,' my father's deep voice asked. Hailey nodded and looked up at me, and I stroke her hair and grabbed her tiny hand. She led me to the backyard and started pointing out all the flowers and little plants she and my dad had planted earlier on.

'This is my favorite!,' she exclaimed and she pointed at a flowery rose bush. 'Because the flowers are white, just like Olaf the snowman!' She clapped her hands and my dad and I laughed about her.

'You did well, baby! I'm so proud of you!' I squatted down and pulled her into a hug. 'You're still so small,' I whispered when my arms folded around her tiny body. She pushed me away, frowning.

'I'm not small. Grandma said I was a big girl.'

'Yes. Ofcourse you are.' I smiled and tucked a strand of loose, wavy hair behind her ear. 'Let's get inside, see if grandma has finished cooking.' Hailey grabbed my hand and we walked into the kitchen. Dad let her help set the table and I leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at my mom and thinking about Austin, who hadn't been off my mind for yet another day. Just when I thought we finally could act normally like a patient and nurse should, he decided to twist things up, making me uncomfortable and immediately raising my walls up high again. I couldn't stand his flirty remarks, or his references from years ago. I just wanted to take care of him so that he would be leaving soon and I could live my life as I did before; in peace.

His presence made my mind clouded and my heart heavy, but my stomach was fluttery and my nerves were real when I was around him. His smile was just as disarming as ever and his charming personality made me want to spend time with him again. I felt like I had done five years ago, when I fell in love with him, but now I had a build-in protection mechanism against him, gained from earlier experiences. Also, I had a very good reason not to throw myself in any sort of questionable relationship that could destroy my selfesteem in minutes, and that was my daughter.

'Mom, I wanna sit next to you.' Hailey patted my leg and I looked down.

'Sure, sweety.' My mother put the food on the table and we all took place, mom plating our food and pouring our drinks.

'Enjoy,' my father said and he dug in. Mom smiled at him when he complimented her on her cooking, as he always did, and love radiated off her face, making me wonder if I would ever find someone who would look at me like that.