"Doctor Uncle?"
Adrian looked up from his paperwork. Ethan stood in the doorway of the pediatric ward, holding a juice box, his tiny face curious and hopeful.
He smiled softly. "Hey, champ. Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I feel better now," Ethan said, stepping closer. "Can I sit with you?"
Adrian nodded, lifting the boy onto the bench beside him.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Ethan sipping his juice, Adrian watching him from the corner of his eye.
"You know…" Ethan began shyly, "I really like you."
Adrian chuckled. "Well, I like you too, little man."
"Mommy says I shouldn't talk too much," he whispered like a secret. "But… I wish you were my dad."
Adrian's hand froze mid-turn on a medical file.
"What did you say?" he asked, his voice softer now.
Ethan looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "You're kind. You check my heartbeat and you smile like you know me. It feels warm when you're around. Like a daddy."
Adrian's throat tightened.
He gently ruffled the boy's hair. "Do you miss having a dad?"
Ethan shrugged. "Mommy says I don't need one. But sometimes… when I see other kids, I think maybe I do."
Those tiny words crashed into Adrian like a wave.
He swallowed hard, blinking rapidly. "You're a brave kid, Ethan."
Ethan smiled brightly. "Will you come home with me today?"
Adrian paused. Then, he gave a gentle nod. "Maybe soon."
---
Later that evening, Adrian sat in his apartment, staring at the contract Sophia had left.
He thought of her eyes—cold, distant. He thought of Ethan's little hand in his.
His phone buzzed with a reminder: Surgery at 10 AM.
But all he could hear was: I wish you were my dad.
And for the first time in years, he didn't feel like a doctor…
He felt like a father.