Ezra glided through the hospital corridor, mimicking a slick dance that earned him a hoot from a young girl in a wheelchair.

He spun towards the vending machine, grabbing two bags of pretzels with a satisfied grin.

He had already made friends on his floor: Lucia, who had just healed from a broken ankle, Fred, who had survived cancer, and Maria, who was still waiting for a liver transplant.

Lucia loved to tease Fred. She was quick to call him out whenever his eyes lingered on a young doctor or when he flirted with one.

He hurried back to Lucia's room, knowing she would scold him for being late. On his way, he nearly bumped into a woman with striking red hair.

They held each other's gaze for a moment. The world seemed to pause at that time, a quiet connection building between them.

The young nurse pushing her wheelchair gave him a disapproving look that spelled, “Get out of the way,”

Ezra quickly turned away, but those big brown eyes were already etched in his mind.

“You're late,” Lucia grumbled as expected. She snatched a pretzel bag and nibbled on it before setting it aside. Fred grabbed it while Maria took the unopened bag with a smirk.

“Thanks, pretty boy.”

“These nurses keep me hooked to saline and forget that a man needs real food,” Fred said, munching on a pretzel.

Ezra chuckled.

Fred didn't have any family members left. He had lost his wife and teenage daughter in a car crash. So, he was all alone in the world with nothing but hospital bills and a sharp tongue.

Ezra leaned on the wall, “So, I saw this girl in the corridor. Red hair, eyes that just… grab you. But her mom? Total ice queen,”

“And how did you know that was her mom?” Maria asked, already halfway through her pretzel.

“Same features. They're like twins. Only thirty years apart.”

Fred snorted, “Wait up, you're talking about that rich family. They rented a whole wing for their precious little princess. "You'd think we would steal her oxygen or something,”

Lucia rolled her eyes. “Rich people,” she said, like she was not from a rich home herself. “They always love to act like we're the problem. Trust me, I know firsthand.”

She sank back into her pillows and Ezra knew she would be fast asleep soon. He had learned her rhythms just like he had learned Tormund's.

“Oh, I didn't know they were loaded,” Ezra said.

Freddy chuckled, “Right.”

“I just… I felt something when I saw her. "I can't explain it,” he ran a hand through his hair.

Maria snorted, “Oh, this is rich. Pretty boy's gonna sweep the heiress off her feet. Ezra, please, you're a broke kid from the wrong side of town. That's a pipe dream.”

Lucia cut her off, “Knock it off, Maria. Ezra, if it's meant to happen, it would. Just keep your hope alive,”

Ezra nodded, pushing himself off the wall. A nurse entered, clutching a clipboard.

“See ya,” he said as he walked out of the room.

“Later, dreamer,” Fred waved. Lucia hit him with the pretzel bag and he laughed.

Back in his room, Ezra found Ty and the doctor waiting, looking at him oddly as he closed the door behind him.

“Uhh, is everything okay here? What's with the faces?”

He dropped into his bed. He had missed a whole week of work, but thankfully, his boss was more concerned about him feeling better than resuming.

The doctor spoke up, “We’ve run every test, Ezra. There’s no sign of the infection. It’s like it was never there. You’re cleared to go.”

“So what's the look for? "Why are you staring like I'm a ghost?”

“You left. We were just wondering where you had wandered off to. "That's all,” Ty said. “The doc said you're good to leave. That's wonderful, man. The apartment feels so different without you.”

Ty dropped a duffel bag on the bed. In it, there was a hoodie, clean jeans, and shoes.

“Thank God,” Ezra said, picking up the bag. “This gown's gotta go,”

When he was done changing, he met Ty in the waiting room. They headed for the exit.

Outside in the parking lot, a line of sleek black SUVs idled.

“That’s the Quilliam girl's entourage. "Looks like the princess is going home today,” Ty commented.

Ezra looked over, his eyes landing on the red-haired girl in the wheelchair. Their gaze met again, and he raised his hand to give her a little wave.

She smiled and waved back, but her face tightened as the older woman – her mother, he was sure – bent over to whisper in her ear.

Ezra looked away, trying to push her away from his thoughts.

“What about Sofia? "You haven't said anything about her,” he said.

Ty shrugged as he watched the passing traffic, “Well, you know, we don't talk much anymore,”

“Why's that?”

“She's very much like my cousin, Kate. She's bossy as hell. You know I don't like that. I like my women to be submissive. I'm not signing up for that forever,”

Ezra shook his head. Ty had been on a quest for ‘the one’ for as long as he could remember. Until then, there was no good news yet.

Everyone seemed to have one problem or the other when it came to Ty, so he went on cycling through women like he was auditioning for a reality show.

“You’re gonna end up with more kids than a daycare, man,”

“Let me worry about that,” Ty said. “Who are you talking to? At least I'm trying. You're out here chasing heiresses.”

As they laughed, Ezra felt lighter. His body felt stronger now. But the feeling that something or someone had shifted his fate lingered.