proud that the man I loved helped people through some of the worst days of their lives.
But over the past year, I had started wrapping up his dinner before I even sat down to eat mine.
He missed Thanksgiving, our anniversary, and our daughter Olive’s eighth birthday.
Sometimes he didn’t come home at all.
“We’re short-staffed, honey. Please don’t wait up.”
Whenever he finally crawled into bed, he looked so exhausted that I swallowed every complaint.
Once, I woke to find him sitting on the edge of the mattress, his shoulders shaking.
“Ben?”
He wiped his face before turning around.
“Rough night, Chels. Go back to sleep.”
The Surprise Lunch
So that Tuesday, after watching him leave with his hospital badge clipped to his pocket, I decided to surprise him.
I packed his favorite lunch, added the apple pie, and tucked in the note. Then I drove to the
