Patrick added, “The hours would fit around your daughter’s school schedule.”
Megan considered the offer carefully before speaking. “I am grateful for your trust, but I want to build my career here and earn every step on my own.”
Patrick studied her expression with renewed respect. “Are you certain?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “I want my daughter to see that opportunities are built, not handed over because of connections.”
Dorothy laughed softly. “You are exactly who I hoped you were.”
Patrick reached into his pocket and placed a card on the table. “There is an internal scholarship for nursing specialization here, and it is highly competitive.”
He looked at her steadily. “When you are eligible, take the exam, and you will have no advantage except your own ability.”
That night, Megan sat at the kitchen table reviewing an old anatomy textbook while Harper finished her homework. The small apartment felt different, as if the walls themselves carried a new sense of possibility.
“Mom,” Harper said suddenly, “are you going to run the hospital one day?”
Megan laughed quietly. “I have no idea.”
“I think you will,” Harper replied with certainty. “Because you help even when nobody is watching.”