I slid my scrub top quickly over my head and pulled my hair up into a tight ponytail -- no time to shower this morning. I threw on as little makeup as necessary so that I wouldn't look like death warmed over and took one last glance in the mirror. It would have to do. I could hear Aj singing out in the kitchen -- our wedding song -- it sounded beautiful.

I secretly envied his zest for life.

I looked down at the clock on our bedside stand and sighed... I wanted to go back to bed, but it would have to wait.

I slide my feet into my ugly white nursing shoes and sauntered out to the kitchen. Yum. Aj was standing at the stove with his back turned towards me, cooking scrambled eggs and bacon, in nothing but his boxers.

He was still singing our Keith Urban song, had I finally turned him country? I smiled taking in the sight of him standing there in the sunlight from the kitchen window. I loved waking up like this on my days off.

"Morning sexy," I said as I grabbed the gallon of orange juice from the fridge and stole a blueberry muffin from the basket on the counter.

"Hey babe," He said, not turning around at first, "I didn't know you were awake."

"Yeah... well I wasn't until I got paged."

He turned around and narrowed his eyes in my direction, "But Jeeeeess," he whimpered, drawing my name out like he always did when he whined at me, "you were supposed to be off today... I made you breakfast and everything." He motioned towards the skillet full of scrambled eggs and my heart fell. It was a very sweet gesture. I didn't dare tell him the thought of eggs turned my pregnant stomach.

I looked down at my watch, I didn't have time to stay and eat breakfast with him. If I wanted to make it to the hospital in time to say goodbye I needed to get going. I looked over at him again, standing there beside the stove still in his boxers with the dish towel tossed over his shoulder, giving me the puppy dog eyes, and my heart broke. It wasn't that I didn't want to stay home and spend the morning eating breakfast with my husband... God knows I did. It was just that this was important... really, really important. This was Matthew.

"You really have to go huh?" He asked after a few moments during which the both of us just stood there staring at each other. It was like he could read my mind. He reached out and grabbed my hand and held onto it for a few seconds.

"Yeah... it's a patient aje... a really special patient." I unconsiously glanced down at the bracelet on my wrist and I could feel him watching me. He took my chin in his hand and pulled my face up to where our eyes met.

"Go."

I didn't speak but I know my eyes said, "Really?"

"I understand."

I smiled up at him and kissed him gently on the chin and then the lips. "I won't be gone long... promise."

"Take however long you need."

I turned to walk into the living room but paused momentarily. When I turned back around he was leaning against the counter eating the eggs straight out of the skillet.

"Aje," I said as he scooped up another bite with his fork, "could you do just one thing before I go?"

"Sure sweetie, what is it?"

"Could you... umm... can you just... can you finish the song?"

He smiled at me set the skillet on the counter behind him before he came over and took me in his arms. "Oh, you mean this song..."