The minute Noah got home, he collapsed on the couch, worn out from the day’s excursion. He couldn’t make it into work, but they had closed anyway due to the weather.

The drive to Kalamazoo was slower than usual because it had started snowing hours before they left. Luckily, it was still light outside and they were able to make it to the hospital without too much trouble.

The nurse had sent them to the next floor up where they met with Katie’s brother, Cody. He said their mother’s condition was stable. She would have to stay in the hospital overnight. After that, she would need someone to look after her for a couple of weeks. Katie immediately offered to help, and she started calling her boss to see if they could cover her shifts at the library.

Katie sat in the waiting room until she was able to see her mom. Noah brought up some snacks from the vending machine, but she refused to eat them. The two sat in quiet while Cody kept himself occupied with a book.

Noah noticed her fingers twitching in her lap. She was reading a CPR procedure poster in front of her. At least he assumed she was reading it. “Why don’t you work on your knitting?” he asked, hoping to take her mind off the stress.

Katie looked at him, then cursed under her breath. “I left them at the apartment.”

“I can pick you up a pair and a ball of yarn,” he offered. “Aren’t they cheap?”

“Depends on where you go,” she replied. “But don’t do that. I might have some at Mom’s house.”

“I can at least grab you a magazine,” he remarked. “CPR can’t be as exciting as 10 Ways to Please Your Man.”

Katie snorted, trying to suppress a giggle.

“Ha! Got you to laugh,” he teased. Noah grabbed her a magazine and grabbed one for himself as well. When he sat back down, she grasped her hand in his. “Everything’s going to be alright,” he whispered.

Katie nodded. “I know,” was her reply, but she didn’t sound so sure.

Once they finally got to see her mother, Katie started to feel a bit better. They talked for a couple of hours until the doctor told them visiting hours were over. Katie decided she would stay at her mom’s house with her brother in case anything happened. She offered Noah a place to sleep, but he declined because he knew their beds would hurt his back. He kissed and hugged her goodbye and promised to let her know when he got home.

After texting her, he laid back and stared up at the ceiling. Katie was going to be gone for two weeks, and he would have the apartment to himself. The two had been dating for almost a year, and she moved in with him a couple of months prior. He had gotten so used to seeing her every day, waking up beside her each morning, and spending as much time together as their work schedules would allow. She hadn’t been gone for more than a couple hours, and already the apartment felt empty without her.

He sat up and looked around his living room. So much had changed since Katie moved it. She kept everything organized and clean. It made him feel guilty because he didn't want her to feel like a housemaid, but she never complained. She was always the first to offer help when someone needed it. She was generous, and he was grateful for her.

Noah got up from the couch to grab a drink when something caught his eye. He looked down and saw Katie’s knitting sitting at the bottom of the bookshelf. He bent down to see what she was working on. So far, she had a gray square with a purple heart knitted in the center. She’s really good at this, he thought.

Suddenly, an idea formed in his mind.