Chapter 29 - One Honest Beginning
Months passed.
Naomi and Elijah began spending time together deliberately.
Not secretly.
Not dramatically.
They attended counseling before calling it a relationship.
Naomi set clear boundaries.
“No business decisions hidden from me.”
“Yes.”
“No expecting me to repair your guilt.”
“Yes.”
“No using Toby to create emotional pressure.”
“Yes.”
“And if trust stops feeling safe, I leave.”
Elijah nodded.
“You should.”
Their first official date was not expensive.
They ate at a small restaurant near the hospital.
Elijah arrived early.
Naomi noticed.
“You used to make everyone wait.”
“I thought lateness proved importance.”
“What changed?”
“I spent nine hours waiting outside an operating room.”
She looked down.
He worried he had said too much.
Then she smiled.
“Still dramatic.”
“Working on it.”
Toby was delighted but confused.
“Does this mean Dr. Naomi is my mom?”
Naomi answered.
“It means your dad and I care about each other and are seeing what happens.”
“Can I still call you Dr. Naomi?”
“Always.”
Elijah appreciated that she did not rush into a role Cassandra had damaged.
Love did not need immediate ownership.
One evening, Toby asked whether they would all live together.
Elijah said, “Not yet.”
Toby groaned.
“Adults are slow.”
May you like
Naomi laughed.
“Healthy ones can be.”
