“She told me about you,” Daniel continued. “About how you missed something important because you didn’t want to leave her alone.”
Hannah hesitated.
“It wasn’t—” she began, but stopped. “Yes. I had an interview.”
“For a nursing position at Crescent Medical Center?”
Her breath caught.
“Yes.”
Another pause — thoughtful, not uncomfortable.
“I own Crescent,” Daniel said calmly.
The kitchen suddenly felt very small.
“My assistant mentioned a candidate who didn’t show yesterday. Same name. I was curious. Then my mother described you — your jacket, your son, the way you held her hand and kept talking so she wouldn’t lose consciousness.”
Hannah sat down slowly.
“I wasn’t doing anything special,” she said quietly. “Anyone would have helped.”
“That’s not true,” Daniel replied. “Most people walked around her.”
Silence settled between them.
“I run a network of clinics and rehabilitation centers across the state,” he went on. “We’re expanding community care programs. I don’t just need qualified nurses. I need people who understand why the work matters.”
Hannah pressed her free hand against the table to steady herself.