The hospital was quiet at that early hour. Kate and Grayson walked down the main hallway hand in hand, as if that simple touch gave them the courage they needed. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. Their fingers intertwined, the quiet glances they exchanged, the soft squeeze of reassurance… that was their language now. The language of two people who had finally decided to stand together.

Inside, both were nervous.

It was a big day. Oliver's surgery would take place in just a few hours. They trusted the medical team, yet fear still lived in the spaces between their breaths.

"It's going to be okay," Grayson murmured. He lifted their joined hands and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "He's strong. Like his mom."

Kate looked at him. Her smile was shy, but real. Grayson smiled back with a tenderness that warmed her chest.

"Uh-huh…" a voice chimed behind them, dripping sarcasm. "Apparently 'strict rest' is a very flexible concept."

They turned at the same time. Eileen stoo