A man decided to help his wife out and make dinner after her long shifts at work, and she managed to sleep finally. The next day, she did something that prompted the hospital CEO to show up for dinner.

“Honey, I cleaned the house and made dinner for everyone. The kids are already asleep, but I waited to eat with you,” Jack told his wife as soon as she walked in. He took her jacket and offered her something to drink. He hated the tired look on her face and the marks on her face from wearing a mask for too long.

Helen was a nurse and had practically started to live at the hospital since the pandemic hit. Their family had a hard time, particularly with quarantine and everything.

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Jack was having trouble adapting to working from home and ensuring that their children were keeping up with their studies. It had been a challenging time, but Helen had it worse. She was on her feet all day, tending to patients and trying to save lives during this scary time. Her husband only wanted to help her out.

Jack had once again made dinner and they were settling down to eat when the doorbell rang.
“You cleaned the house?” Helen said, shocked as she rubbed one of her shoulders. Her tears watered. “Oh, sweetie. You already do so much around here with our kids, while I’m away all the time.”

“Please, sit down at the table to eat.” Jack ignored her words and pushed her gently to their dinner table, where he put their plates and drinks. They continued talking, and he assured her he was happy to do it, even after his hard days.

“But you’re working too,” Helen protested, feeling like a horrible wife. “You know… my friend Sarah gets home every day from our 14-hour shifts and has to clean up, make dinner, put the kids to bed. I see her every day, and she’s always so tired. So, thank you, honey. I love you.”

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Jack’s eyes watered too. “You work a lot more than me, and you’re saving lives. We can only pray that these terrible times end soon and that we can return to our normal lives. But I’ll be here to support you for long as I can,” he promised and held his wife’s hand.

That night, they went to sleep in each other arms, and although it wasn’t for long, Helen felt refreshed the next morning.

She left for work after kissing her kids and her husband, knowing they would be alright and safe. She planned to take some time off at some point because her husband deserved a break too. But she never imagined what would happen on her way to work.

***

Helen got home that night after a terrible day where she lost some patients. It was doubly sad because her morning had started so great and she managed to do something remarkable before even reaching the hospital, only to end it with a day full of disappointment.

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Jack had once again made dinner, and they were settling down to eat when the doorbell rang. To Helen’s shock, it was Mr. Finnegan, the CEO of her hospital.

“Mr. Finnegan! What are you doing here?” Helen asked, shocked. Jack stood beside her, trying to gauge what was going on.

“Helen, I came here personally because you just… saved my family,” Mr. Finnegan said, his voice cracking.

“What?” Helen asked, confused.

“This morning… you saved my father.” Helen’s eyes widened in recognition.

While driving to the hospital that morning, Helen saw an older man coughing on the street. His mask was pulled off, and people around him quickly avoided him. Suddenly, he collapsed, and Helen immediately parked her car as best she could and ran to him.

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She did her best to assist him, called an ambulance, and watched as they took the older man away. She intended to check on him when she arrived at the hospital but she got busy with several difficult cases and never got to.

Mr. Finnegan had been told by the paramedics that Helen was the one who assisted the older man. She had no idea that the patient was her boss’s father.

“Sir, it was just my job,” she said. “But would you like to come in for dinner?”

Jack couldn’t have been prouder of his wife as Mr. Finnegan filled him in on what a great asset Helen was to the hospital. After learning she assisted his father that day, he looked at her records and talked to staff about her, and everyone at work expressed their love for her. They lauded her work ethic, passion, and how she treated her patients and co-workers, even on the worst days.

When Mr. Finnegan finished dinner, he said, “Well, I didn’t just come here to congratulate you. I want to offer you a raise, and you can expect a little more money this Christmas and a well-deserved vacation.”

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“Thank you so much, sir!” Jack replied, smiling at the man but then he looked at his wife, who frowned and fidgeted with her fingers. “What’s wrong, Helen?”

She darted worried eyes to her husband and back at Mr. Finnegan. “Sir, all the nurses on staff have been working so much during this pandemic. They all deserve time off, raises, vacations, and more. I can’t take your generosity without thinking of them, too,” she explained. “I’m really grateful, but it wouldn’t be right. I was just doing my job.”

Mr. Finnegan smiled and nodded at the dedicated nurse. “Ok, I’ll find some way to do something for all of you. But you will get a little bit of special treatment. Is that alright?” he countered and Helen returned his smile, nodding shyly.

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The CEO left, and Helen and Jack continued with their lives. Later that year, she and the rest of the nurses received special bonuses, and Helen was offered two weeks of vacation. When traveling was allowed again, she and Jack took a trip to Paris, where they fell in love with each other again.

Nurse in her uniform sleeping on an armchair. | Source: Getty Images