Rebirth Into My Second Chance

I woke up with the crack of dawn, buzzing with excitement. Max had mentioned a surgery for me to observe, and I knew these chances were few and far between.

As usual, I grabbed a piece of toast, barely giving the milk in the fridge a second glance. It had been days; it was definitely past its prime.

Just as I was about to take the milk downstairs to the trash, I bumped into Max stepping out of his apartment. The last thing I wanted was for him to see the expired milk - especially since it was a gift from him. I feared it might seem disrespectful, risking a poor evaluation at work or during our practical exams.

But his sharp eyes caught sight of it anyway. "It's gone bad. Get a new one," he said, his words always sparing but his actions generous, handing me a fresh bottle.

The sight of the new milk bottle puzzled me even more. If he wasn't part of the Hilton family, how did he always have a fresh supply?

"And did Claude give you this milk again?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.

He coughed lightly. "Hmm," was his delayed reply.

I put on a weak smile. He could lie without a flinch.

"Because Claude claims he doesn't know a Max."

Another cough escaped him. "Used a pseudonym for Mr. Hart's business," he confessed, hardly making eye contact.

deeper, the elevator arrived. He stepped in first, hitting the button for the basement, while I pressed

I didn't ask. Our relationship wasn't there

of the elevator, his parting words were, "Have a

silent acknowledgement, and headed for the bus stop, leaving the luxury of an elevator ride

new milk bottle to an

like my feelings about Claude and Kate, was

glimpse of Max's car driving past the bus. I hope he didn't see me give

the

geared up for surgery. I quickly scrubbed in, joining him in the operating room

his voice cold, "Come

me even more nervous; this was my first hands-on experience

Thankfully had reviewed the

and images

a

hadn't moved at all. Now I understood why he insisted I

the single piece of