You Only Live Once [Completed]

Chapter 2

I walk into the big, sterile building not exactly knowing what to expect. I'm fighting nerves by plastering a big smile on my face.

"Hello, I'm Hayden Smith..." My voice falters. "I'm here for work."

The man behind the desk clicks his tongue. "You're not due here until eleven thirty and it's only... ten forty-five."

I laugh nervously. "Sorry, I'm anxious to get started."

The man whom I assume is my boss, hands me purple and white polka dotted scrubs and tells me to get changed and put my hair up. Ten minutes later, I'm changed and my brown hair is piled on top of my head. I head to the nurse's station to find Elizabeth Holden, who is my 'manager' in the maternity ward. I'm stuck sitting for half an hour, trying to block out the other nurses' scrutiny of 'the new girl'.

"Hey, are you Hayden?" A beautiful blonde asks.

 I smile warmly at her. "I am...I'm sorry, you are...?"

"Elizabeth Holden, c'mon we'll start in the nursery." She says, grabbing my arm. "I've been working here the longest in the maternity ward...you'll just love it! The newborns are so adorable...mostly boys, but still adorable."

She seems nice and perhaps the others will be just as nice and friendly. It feels weird to start off work in the maternity ward; I have little to no experience with babies whatsoever. Heck, I don't even know how to hold them without me getting nervous.

"Have you ever held a baby, Hayden?" Elizabeth asks. I bite my lip and shake my head.

"Not really...I get super nervous when I have to."

"There is nothing to be nervous about, if you must then sit down to hold them. We don't do too much holding, so I think you will be safe." She smiles kindly at me. "This is Sofia, she's a sweet heart. You just slide your hands like this..." Before I know it, I'm holding Sofia. I'm panicking, getting more and more nervous by the second. Almost to the point where I'm about to thrust her at Elizabeth, that wouldn’t be good.  "Relax, Hayden. Just...sit down, right there. Breathe..." She instructs gently. "That's it..." I'm rocking in the chair, trying to control my labored breathing. Obviously, the maternity ward is not for me. I close my eyes and scold myself, mentally. Don't be afraid of a damn baby, Hayden. She's not going to bite you or anything. My inner voice is completely right and I'm finally starting to relax.

"There you go!" Elizabeth grins. "See, they're not that scary. I was exactly like you when I started my internship here."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I was so nervous I refused to even touch the babies for the first few weeks. But, the internship was helpful for when I actually started my job here. I love it now and I'm sure you will too."  

Levi picks me up at five o'clock and takes me to dinner at the local pizza parlor. All I said is I wanted something fast but not anything fried. I inhale the sweet and familiar scent of his Jeep and close my eyes as he goes to get our pizza.

When he climbs back in, he hands me a bag and smiles. "Happy first day of work."

He kisses me. "Open it."

The box embodied with white roses and inside there is a pair of pretty white rose earrings. My eyes pool with tears of joy; no guy has ever done this for me.

"Oh my gosh, Levi...I love them, thank you so much."

I don't kiss him, which takes all my will power. I immediately put the earrings in my ears and start telling him about my day. When we're finished our pizza, he takes me to a river and we sit beside it; holding each other. I could spend forever in Levi's arms, in his warm embrace.