He lifted the heavy wool coat from the back of my chair.

I followed him and Chloe through the warm, bustling dining room of Whitaker’s.

The smell of roasted garlic and red wine filled the air.

At the back of the restaurant, in a quiet booth, sat an older couple.

The man wore a tweed jacket, and the woman had kind eyes framed by elegant silver hair.

“Mom, Dad, this is Victoria,” Daniel said as we reached the table.

“She’s joining us for dinner.”

Arthur and Helen Morrison looked surprised for a fraction of a second, then smiled warmly.

“Please, sit down, dear,” Helen said, shifting closer to her husband to make room.

I slid into the booth next to Chloe.

Daniel sat across from me, his eyes searching mine as if to make sure I was truly comfortable.

“Victoria is a pediatric nurse at Harborview,” Daniel explained to his parents.

Helen’s hand went to her heart.

“Oh, bless you,” she whispered. “That must take so much strength.”

“I love the children,” I said, feeling a familiar warmth in my chest. “They keep me going.”