But that wasn't the end of the story.
Because Daniel knew something Claire didn't.
Something Naomi had never told anyone.
The next morning, Daniel found Naomi in the hospital cafeteria.
She was drinking coffee alone.
He sat across from her.
"Can I ask you something?"
Naomi looked up.
"Of course."
"Why did you really stay?"
She smiled.
"I told you."
"You said because she was a baby."
"That's true."
"But there was something else."
Naomi looked down.
Daniel waited.
Finally she said,
"I had a daughter once."
Daniel froze.
"What?"
Naomi swallowed.
"She was born too early."
He didn't speak.
"She lived for nine days."
Daniel's face softened.
"I'm sorry."
Naomi nodded.
"After she died, I thought I would never work with newborns again."
"But you did."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Naomi looked toward the window.
"Because I realized something."
"What?"
"I couldn't save my daughter."
She took a breath.
"But maybe I could help save someone else's."
Daniel stared at her.
"That's why you stayed?"
Naomi nodded.
"Yes."
Daniel looked away.
He had no words.
After a moment, he said,
"Thank you."
Naomi smiled.
"You're welcome."
Then Daniel noticed something.
A small bracelet around Naomi's wrist.
It had a tiny silver heart.
He had seen it before.
At the hospital.
On the day his daughter was born.
He remembered Naomi touching it while watching the baby.
"What does that bracelet mean?"
Naomi looked at it.
"My daughter gave it to me."
Daniel was confused.
"She was nine days old."
Naomi smiled sadly.
"No."
She touched the bracelet.
"Her father bought it for me before she was born."
Daniel nodded.
"I understand."
Naomi looked at him.
"Do you?"
"More than you think."
They sat quietly.
Then Daniel said,
"I want to help."
Naomi frowned.
"With what?"
"Your work."
"What about it?"
"How many babies have you helped?"
"I don't know."
"How many families?"
"I don't know."
"How many nurses like you are there?"
Naomi laughed.
"Not enough."
Daniel smiled.
"Then maybe we should change that."
Within six months, Daniel created the Brooks Neonatal Care Foundation.
He named it after Naomi.
She refused at first.
"I don't want my name on anything."
Daniel insisted.
"Why?"
"Because people should know what you did."
Naomi shook her head.
"I didn't do anything extraordinary."
Daniel smiled.
"You stayed."
She looked at him.
"That's all?"
"Sometimes that's everything."
The foundation funded neonatal care for families who couldn't afford it.
It provided transportation.
Medical equipment.
Housing for parents who had babies in intensive care.
And scholarships for nurses.
Naomi became its director.
She still wore simple clothes.
Still carried the same old handbag.
Still refused expensive gifts.