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I sighed in relief. “Never, Mum. Thanks. You’re the best. I’ll be right there.”

“Take your time and whatever you need,” she said before hanging up.

“You’re really close with yourmum,” Dr. Fitz chuckled, shooting me a mocking look.

Normally, I might have brushed it off or ignored it but not from him. I met his gaze and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry that your parents don’t love you enough to jump in and want to always help you. But I’m the youngest and first to leave the UK and their protection when I’m a target and I move halfway across the world. Yeah, they’re worried.”

“I’d be losing my damn mind,” Dr. Capenter agreed, shooting Fitz a look to back off.

He took it in stride. “Fair enough. It was normal in our family to spread our wings, encouraged. They would feel it’s overbearing and intrusive, but every family’s different. Glad they’re supportive.”

Oh, he was good. Wanker.

I hurried over to the area that would be mine the week after next and found my mum and some of the staff from the house—including security—there with her. She was making happy noises as I approached her.

She turned with a huge smile on her face. “Ha-joon, you must mate someone as kind and generous as Ms. Reed. I insist.”

I almost tripped over my feet. “Mum!”

She laughed and then waved her plate at me. “I didn’t say to seduce your boss. I just won’t accept any less than someone so wonderful now. She not only allowed us to continue getting things set up and move forward, but she ordered us Southern spread—all of us—in thanks for the food. Oh, and two catering trays of crab cakes for our cooks later. So generous.”

“She is,” I agreed. I smiled when I glanced around. “The color is perfect, Mum.”

“It is,” she agreed. “I was nervous, but it dried the right tone and not too dark.”

She was exactly right. The main waiting room was a rich but lighter blue that complimented the neutral gray. The palette was that blue, a blue-green, a green, and two grays. All complimentary colors that worked in any combination. Mum was worried it gave too cliché of a seaport vibe, but I’d been able to see it working.

Blue was perfect for a doctor’s office because it was calming and it always worked with neutrals like gray. But for shifters, green and outside was life, so adding that element into the offices was key.

“Well, this looks great,” Dr. James said as he came in with a few people, glancing all around. “Really brings life into this area, Clark.” He did a double take when he saw my mother. “I apologize, Alpha Mate. I heard help was here but not who.”

She waved him off. “I am here as Ha-joon’s mother, and I’m truly appreciative that your hospital department is letting me be so overbearing for my nerves. I heard of the crisis today. I am glad so many were saved.”

Dr. James nodded. “We only lost one here and four in New York from what I was updated. It could have been much worsegiven the gravity of the accident.” He smiled and walked over to her. “And I think it’s fantastic that you’re so involved and supportive of your son’s transition. Our families jump in often, and it’s a good community we have here like that.”

“Ms. Reed has said the same several times and forgiven me,” she agreed.

They had already met, so she knew he was my boss, so it wasn’t awkward. Then again, people loved Mum and how kind she was. She immediately shared food and gave us a tour of what had been done. It wasn’t just painting but a complete top-to-bottom cleaning from scuffs on the floor to someone touching up the damn ceilings.

“Oh, these chairs are nice,” Dr. James said as we sat in the waiting room after the tour was done. “Ellie is planning to start working out a schedule to replace them throughout the hospital, so you’re lucky you got bumped up now, Clark.”

“She is truly a gem,” Mum praised. “This place is lucky to have her.”

Dr. James snorted. “There’s no ASH without Ellie Reed. She is the heart and soul of this place. We joke that it’s her blood that flows through this place, not the blood we buy and sell to fund everything. But it’s true. She gives all of herself to medicine and saving people. I hope more start to truly understand that and appreciate it about her.”

And he stared at me the whole time he said it.

Soclearly, he knew I had real intentions towards her. I gave a slight nod and moved on.

“Well, we need to head home since it’s late our time and your father will worry soon,” Mum said after we finished eating. “I just wanted to catch a glance of you and check you approved.”

“I more than approve and can’t thank you enough, Mum. Really. It means the world to me.”

She preened at the praise and kissed both of my cheeks before hurrying to get everything together. Dr. James walked her out with me and we watched as the warlock opened a portal and took them home.

He let out a slow breath and stared at the sky. “I don’t know what your intentions are with Ellie, but don’t fuck around with her, Clark. I like you and I’d hate to have to break you. I should never have let everything go with that rat bastard Fitz, but I was caught up in my own bullshit. I blinked and it’s years later and he’s broken her down even more than this place.”

“With all due respect, sir, it’s—” I started to say, glad there weren’t any ears around us to hear this.