Hey, it's Nurse Cali! [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11

In the past, I used to keep my feelings bottled up, not wanting to burden anyone else. I see my problems as dark clouds, and I try not to let them rain on others. You know, people are like sponges, soaking up negative energy and emotions. But today, I realized there are people who don't just soak up negativity —they make it disappear. They're like the sun after a storm, helping you dry up the dampness and showing you the way forward. For me, those people were Izzy and Dessa.

As the night approached, Izzy and Dessa decided it was time to head home so we all stood up, and I led them to the door. Today was really fun and hanging out with them made me feel like I wasn't alone. We talked about life, shared our feelings and they talked about random stuff about themselves, which helped me get to know them better.

"It was great hanging out with you today girl!" Izzy said, smiling as they stepped outside.

"Thank you both for today," I said, feeling really grateful.

"Thanks, Cali and please consider what I told you," Dessa said, reminding me about talking to Mino.

"Yeah, I will," I assured her.

"And see you at Bambi's birthday this weekend!" Dessa replied before they left.

Dessa said Jana invited her to her son's 7th birthday party as she knew Dessa was friends with Nick. Dessa also mentioned she'll bring Izzy as her plus one. They even asked if I'm going to ask Mino to be my plus one, which never crossed my mind as I assumed he's already going with Nick. That made me think. Maybe it's a good chance to talk to him? Should I bring it up with him? And if so, how should I approach him? That's the question that kept me up all night.

The next morning, I went to work as usual, contemplating whether to discuss my visa approval with HR. But I opted to wait, considering I still had a month to make a decision. I think I'll sort it out when the time is right.

Unlike the previous week, when almost everyone was down with the flu, it appeared that everyone had fully recovered. There were a few patients in the office in the morning, but by the afternoon, there were none.

I sometimes run into Nick and Jana, and I greet them casually, but it's not like before when Jana and I were really close. It feels awkward now, but I miss our old bond. It seems like Jana and I are only connected now because of Bambi.

Speaking of my nephew, his birthday is coming up fast, and I haven't gotten him a gift yet. So, before heading home, I decided to go to the mall and pick something up for him. And as I made my way to the elevator, I overheard some coworkers gossiping.

"Have you heard about Mino? He's engaged to someone else," a coworker said not too far away, and it seemed like they were deliberately talking loud enough for me to hear.

"Yes, I heard about it too. They said the engagement was for a business deal."

I didn't know how to feel about what I heard, but it weighed heavily on my heart. Could it be true? Is Mino engaged to someone else for a business deal? Well, he might be. After all, I pushed him away.

"But, I thought he was dating Nurse Cali? They even went on the Mino Cosmetics company outing recently."

"I don't know, but look, it's Nurse Cali. Should we ask her?"

I quickened my pace so they wouldn't approach me and put my earphones on to make it seem like I didn't hear them. Thankfully, they didn't come over, and I was able to leave the office in peace.

I booked a carpool ride to the mall and arrived there in just a few minutes. It's not far from the office, though. As I walked towards the department store, the thought of Mino having a fiancé lingered in my mind. Was it true? Is he really engaged? If so, should I still invite him to Bambi's celebration? Maybe not. However, Nick and Dessa were urging me to patch things up with Mino but I heard he might be engaged. It's hard to say if it's true or not. But how can I find out for sure? Should I just ask him? I shake off the thought. Maybe I'll think about it later.