The hospital lobby was brightly lit, sterile, and humming with the low murmur of staff and visitors. Olivia's footsteps echoed against the polished floor as she strode past the reception desk. Her heart pounded, each beat a mix of fear, anger, and desperation.
"I need to see Dr. Amelia Owens," she said, her voice trembling slightly but firm.
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "She's in surgery at the moment, young lady. Can I take a message?"
Olivia shook her head, gripping the edge of the counter. "No. Please. I… I need to speak with her now. It's important."
The receptionist hesitated, then picked up the phone and dialed Amelia's office. A few moments later, a hurried voice replied. "Olivia? What… how—"
A moment later, Amelia appeared, her lab coat slightly wrinkled, hair pulled back hastily. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw her daughter standing there, trophy in hand, face flushed from running.
"Olivia! What are you doing here?" Amelia asked, rushing forward.
"Why, Mom?" Olivia demanded, tears streaming freely. "Why didn't you come home? Why did you leave without telling me?"
Amelia froze, her own eyes filling with tears. "Olivia… I didn't want to distract you. You had your competition…"
"You had a divorce waiting for me!" Olivia's voice broke into a sob. "You left Dad, you left me, and you didn't even tell me! How could you choose work over us?"
Amelia flinched, looking at her daughter with helplessness. "I… I thought… I thought it was the only way. I never wanted to hurt you. I thought I was doing the right thing—for everyone. I thought…"
Olivia shook her head, stepping back, clutching the trophy like a shield. "You thought wrong! I needed my mom. I needed my family. And you… you just ran away!"
Amelia's face crumpled. She reached out, but Olivia instinctively pulled away. Around them, a few nurses paused to watch the emotional scene unfold, whispers floating quietly through the lobby.
"I… I wanted to fix things," Amelia continued, voice breaking. "But everything… everything has been so hard. Work, pressure… I didn't know how to balance it. I thought—maybe this would give us all space…"
"You gave us nothing!" Olivia shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You left me alone to deal with this!"
Amelia suddenly dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she sobbed openly. "I'm so sorry, Olivia! I'm so sorry!"
Olivia's anger faltered as she watched her mother collapse into despair. Something inside her softened, but the hurt still throbbed in her chest. "Mom…" she whispered, taking a cautious step forward.
Amelia looked up, eyes red and swollen, meeting her daughter's gaze. "I don't know how to fix this. I don't know how to make it right."
Olivia's sobs mingled with her mother's. She stepped closer, finally letting go of the trophy, and tentatively took her mother's hands. "We… we'll figure it out. But you have to promise me, no more hiding. No more running away."
Amelia nodded, the first real relief touching her features in weeks. "I promise, Olivia. I promise."
For a long moment, they stood together in the quiet hospital lobby, holding onto each other as if the world outside didn't exist. Around them, life continued — phones rang, nurses whispered, patients moved past — but for Olivia and Amelia, time had stopped.
Peter, who had been waiting nearby, approached slowly. "Do you want me to give you two some time?" he asked gently.
Olivia shook her head. "No… I needed this. He can stay."
Amelia looked at him, gratitude shining through the tears. "Thank you for bringing her here."
Peter nodded, a small smile on his face. "Anytime. You're part of the family now too, I guess."
Olivia let out a shaky laugh, leaning against her mother. "Yeah… maybe I am."
And in that sterile hospital lobby, among strangers and the hum of life continuing around them, Olivia and her mother began the slow, messy process of mending what had been broken—one tear, one word, one hug at a time.
The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in weeks, Olivia felt a flicker of hope. Love, it seemed, was waiting after all.