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MidReal Story
Healing Hearts at Home
Scenario:It had been a tough day at work for Erin Daniel at work but luckily, her husband, Roman kemp, was awaiting her at home and he wanted to look after her in more ways than one
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Lily Harper
Erin's best friend and fellow nurse at the hospital, single and fiercely independent, short with curly red hair and freckles, witty and loyal.
Roman Kemp
supportive husband and aspiring chef, married to Erin Daniel, tall with broad shoulders and a warm smile, protective and nurturing.
Erin Daniel
dedicated nurse, married to Roman Kemp, petite with tired but kind eyes, resilient and compassionate.
I’m exhausted.
The kind of exhausted that settles into your bones and makes you feel like you’re walking through quicksand with every step.
It’s the kind of exhaustion that only comes from a long day at the hospital, but it’s worth it.
Every second of it is worth it because I love my job and I love my patients.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
But right now, all I want to do is go home and crawl into bed with my husband.
I can’t wait to see Roman’s face when I walk through the door.
He always has this big, goofy grin on his face when he sees me, like he can’t believe his luck that he gets to be married to me.
It’s ridiculous, really, because if anyone is lucky in this relationship, it’s me.
I fumble with my keys at the front door, my hands trembling slightly from fatigue.
The lock clicks open, and I push the door with my shoulder, stumbling inside.
Roman is there, just as I imagined, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
"Hey, you," he says, wrapping me in a warm hug and planting a kiss on my forehead.
"Hey," I murmur into his chest, feeling the tension in my body start to melt away.
He leads me to the couch, where he’s prepared a cozy nest of blankets and pillows.
I sink into the cushions with a sigh of relief.
Roman disappears into the kitchen for a moment and returns with a steaming cup of herbal tea.
"Here," he says, handing it to me. "Chamomile, your favorite."
"Thanks," I say, taking a sip and feeling the warmth spread through me.
He sits down next to me, his eyes filled with concern and love.
"Rough day?" he asks gently.
"You have no idea," I reply, shaking my head. "It was non-stop from the moment I walked in. We had three emergency surgeries back-to-back."
Roman listens intently as I recount the events of the day, nodding sympathetically at all the right moments.
"And then," I continue, "just when I thought things were calming down, we had a code blue in the ICU."
His eyes widen. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah," I say, exhaling slowly. "We managed to stabilize him, but it was touch and go for a while."
Roman reaches over and begins to massage my feet, his fingers working out the knots and tension.
I close my eyes and lean back against the pillows, feeling the weight of the day lift slightly as I share my frustrations and small victories.
"You’re amazing," Roman says softly. "I don’t know how you do it."
I smile faintly. "I don’t know either sometimes."
We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s presence.
Then Roman breaks the silence. "You know what? You deserve something special tonight."
"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah," he says with a grin. "How about we order your favorite takeout and watch that movie you’ve been wanting to see?"
"That sounds perfect," I say, feeling a surge of gratitude for this man who always knows how to make me feel better.
Just as Roman is about to get up to grab his phone and place the order, there’s a loud crash from outside.
We both jump up, our hearts pounding.
"What was that?" I whisper.
Roman moves towards the window and peeks through the curtains.
"I don’t know," he says slowly. "But it sounded like it came from the garage."
My pulse quickens as I follow him to the door leading to the garage.
Roman grabs a flashlight from the drawer by the door and switches it on.
"Stay behind me," he instructs firmly.
We step into the dark garage, the beam of light cutting through the shadows.
There’s another noise—a shuffling sound—coming from behind Roman’s workbench.
We inch closer, every nerve in my body on high alert.
Suddenly, something darts out from behind the workbench and knocks over a stack of boxes.
Roman swings the flashlight around just in time to catch a glimpse of—
Roman's flashlight beam steadies on the little creature, and my heart softens instantly.
I sit on the edge of the couch, my eyes darting between the dog and the door, ears straining to catch any sound.
"Oh, you poor thing," I say, kneeling down slowly, extending my hand towards the trembling dog.
The dog stirs slightly, its eyes opening just a crack before closing again, too exhausted to stay awake.
The dog hesitates, its eyes darting between Roman and me, but eventually inches closer, sniffing my fingers cautiously.
Minutes feel like hours as I wait, my mind racing with possibilities.
Finally, Roman reappears in the doorway, his face a mix of relief and confusion.
"It's okay," I whisper softly. "We're not going to hurt you."
"It's just some raccoons," he says, shaking his head. "They knocked over the trash cans."
Roman watches from behind me, his concern evident but trusting my gentle approach.
The dog finally nudges its wet nose against my palm, and I carefully lift it, cradling it against my chest.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Thank goodness."
Roman locks the door behind him and sets the flashlight down on the table. "Let's get some rest," he suggests. "It's been a long day."
"Look at this makeshift collar," I say, noticing the piece of frayed rope around its neck. "No tags."
I nod, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle back into my bones.
Roman steps closer, examining the collar. "It doesn't look like it's been taken care of very well."
We head upstairs, leaving the dog to rest in its makeshift bed by the fireplace.
"We should bring it inside," I suggest. "Check for injuries or anything else."
As we climb into bed, Roman wraps his arms around me, pulling me close.
Roman nods in agreement. "Yeah, let's do that."
We carry the dog into the living room, its small body trembling against mine.
"You're amazing," he whispers into my hair.
I smile faintly, feeling safe and loved in his embrace. "So are you," I murmur back.
The next morning, sunlight filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow over our bedroom.
I set it down gently on the couch and grab a blanket to wrap around it.
Roman disappears into the kitchen and returns with a bowl of water and some leftover chicken from dinner.
I stretch and yawn, feeling slightly more rested than I did last night.
"Here," he says, placing the bowl on the floor. "Let's see if it's hungry."
Roman is already up, and I can hear him moving around downstairs.
The dog sniffs the air and cautiously steps down from the couch to lap at the water before nibbling on the chicken.
I slip out of bed and make my way to the living room.
I sit beside it, stroking its matted fur gently. "You're safe now," I murmur.
Roman sits next to me, watching the dog with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What do you think happened to it?"
The dog is still curled up by the fireplace, looking much more relaxed than it did last night.
Roman is in the kitchen, brewing coffee and preparing breakfast.
"I don't know," I reply. "But we need to make sure it's okay."
"Morning," he greets me with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"
I carefully examine the dog for any visible injuries while Roman keeps an eye out for any signs of distress.
"Looks like it's just malnourished and scared," I conclude after a thorough check. "No major injuries that I can see."
"Better," I reply, leaning against the counter. "How about you?"
"Not bad," he says, handing me a cup of coffee. "Ready to take our little friend to the vet?"
"That's a relief," Roman says, exhaling deeply. "But we should still take it to a vet tomorrow just to be sure."
"Agreed," I say, feeling a surge of protective instinct wash over me. "For now, let's make sure it's comfortable."
I nod, taking a sip of the hot coffee. "Yeah, let's get it checked out."
We finish breakfast quickly and gather what we need for the trip to the vet.
Roman gently lifts the dog into his arms while I grab my keys and purse.
The drive to the vet is quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts.
We spend the next few minutes setting up a cozy spot for our unexpected guest with blankets and pillows near the fireplace.
The dog sits on my lap, looking out the window with wide eyes.
The dog seems to relax a bit more as it curls up in its new bed, its eyes finally closing in exhaustion.
When we arrive at the clinic, we're greeted by a friendly receptionist who takes us to an examination room.
Roman wraps an arm around my shoulders as we watch the dog drift off to sleep. "You always know how to handle these situations," he says softly.
Dr. Patel enters with a warm smile. "Good morning! What do we have here?"
I smile up at him. "It's just instinct, I guess."
"We found this little one in our garage last night," I explain. "We wanted to make sure it's okay."
He kisses my forehead gently. "Well, your instincts are pretty amazing."
We sit there in silence for a while longer, just watching over our new friend.
Suddenly, there's another noise from outside—a loud thud followed by what sounds like footsteps on gravel.
Dr. Patel nods and begins her examination, checking for any signs of injury or illness.
Roman's face tenses as he stands up quickly. "Stay here with the dog," he instructs firmly.
After a thorough check-up, she looks up at us with a reassuring smile. "Well, it looks like you've got a healthy but malnourished pup here."
I nod, my heart pounding once again as he grabs the flashlight and heads towards the door.
"Be careful," I call after him.
"That's a relief," Roman says, exhaling deeply.
Dr. Patel gives us some advice on how to care for the dog and recommends a follow-up visit in a week.
He gives me a reassuring nod before stepping out into the night.
We thank her and head back home with our new furry friend.
As we pull into the driveway, I can't help but feel grateful for how things turned out.
Roman carries the dog inside while I prepare some food and water.
We spend the rest of the day getting to know our new companion better.
The dog starts to come out of its shell bit by bit, wagging its tail and even playing with an old tennis ball we found in the garage.
By evening, it feels like this little creature has always been part of our lives.
Roman sits down next to me on the couch, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we watch TV.
The dog curls up at our feet, finally looking content and at peace.
Just as I'm about to drift off into a comfortable doze, there's another loud crash from outside.
Roman's eyes meet mine instantly.
