After her long shifts at work, a man decided to help his wife out by making dinner, so she could finally go to sleep. The next day, she did something that made the CEO of the hospital come to dinner.
«Honey, I took care of cleaning the home and preparing supper for all of you. I know the kids are already sleeping, but I waited for you so that we could eat together,» Jack said to his wife the moment she stepped into the room. He gave her something to drink and then slipped her jacket off of her. He hated the fact that she looked exhausted and that she had scars on her face as a result of always wearing a mask.
Helen was a nurse, and since the pandemic hit, she had pretty much moved into the hospital. Their family had a difficult time, especially with the quarantine and everything else that was involved.
Once again, Jack had prepared dinner, and the three of them were just about to sit down to eat when the doorbell rang.
«You cleaned the home, right?» Helen asked as she rubbed her shoulder and was surprised once again. Her eyes filled with tears. «Oh, sweetie. You already do a lot around here with our children while I’m gone all the time, and I really appreciate that.»
«Please, sit down at the table to eat.» Jack paid little attention to her words and instead helped her in making her way to the dinner table, where he had already set the table with their plates and drinks. He told her that he was glad to do it, especially after his difficult days.
Jack’s eyes also got wet. «You work much harder than I do, and you save lives. We can only pray that these terrible times will end soon and that our lives will go back to normal. But I’ll be here as long as I can to help you,» he told his wife as he took her hand.
That night, they went to sleep in each other’s arms, and even though it wasn’t for long, Helen felt better the next morning.
She kissed her kids and husband goodbye and went to work, knowing they would be fine and safe. She planned to take a break at some point because she thought her husband needed one too. But she never thought that what happened to her on the way to work would happen.
Helen arrived at her house that evening after a bad day during which she lost several patients. It was doubly sad since her morning had started out so well, and she had accomplished something extraordinary before even arriving at the hospital, only to conclude the day with loss.
Once again, Jack had prepared supper, and they were just about to sit down to eat when the doorbell rang. It was Mr. Finnegan, the hospital’s CEO, much to Helen’s surprise.
“Mr. Finnegan! What are you doing here?» Helen asked in disbelief. In an effort to understand what was happening, Jack stood by her side.
With his voice breaking, Mr. Finnegan replied, «Helen, I personally came here because you just… saved my family.»
“What?» Helen asked.
Helen’s eyes brightened in realization, «You saved my father this morning.»
Helen was on her way to the hospital that morning when she saw an elderly man coughing out on the street. His mask was taken off, and people quickly moved away from him. He suddenly fell to the ground, and Helen quickly parked her vehicle as safely as she could and ran to him.
She did everything she could to help him and then watched as an ambulance arrived to take the elderly man away. When she went to the hospital, she had planned to check on him, but she became busy with a number of challenging cases and never visited.
The paramedics had informed Mr. Finnegan that Helen had helped the elderly man. She didn’t know that the patient was the father of her boss.
She answered, «Sir, that was simply my job. Anyway, would you want to join us for dinner?»
As Mr. Finnegan informed him of Helen’s value to the hospital, Jack couldn’t have been more proud of his wife. When he found out she helped his father that day, he looked at her records and talked to staff about her. Everyone at work told him how much they loved her. They praised her dedication, work ethic, and how, even on the darkest days, she handled her patients and coworkers.
«Well, I didn’t just come here to congratulate you,» Mr. Finnegan said after dinner. I want to give you a raise, and you can expect a little more money at Christmas and a well-deserved vacation.»
«Thank you so much, Sir!» Jack answered, smiling at the man, but when he turned to face his wife, she was displeased. «Why are you sad, Helen?»
She looked back and forth between Mr. Finnegan and her husband with worry in her eyes. «Sir, during this pandemic, all of the nurses on staff have been working so hard. They all deserve vacations, time off, raises, and more. I can’t accept your kindness without also thinking of them,» she said. «I’m very thankful, but that wouldn’t be fair. I was just working.»
Mr. Finnegan smiled at the caring nurse and gave her a nod. «Okay, I’ll figure out a way to help all of you. But you will be treated a little bit different. «Is that okay?» He replied, and Helen smiled back and shyly nodded.
Helen and Jack went on with their lives after the CEO left. In the latter part of that year, she and the other nurses all earned special bonuses, and Helen was given the opportunity to take two weeks off of work. When she and Jack could travel again, they went to Paris, where they fell in love all over again.