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𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 pulled her jeep into the lot of the San Bernardino Hospice Center. She grabbed her nursing bag from the passenger seat, slipped her stethoscope around her neck, and clipped her name badge neatly to her pocket. After locking her car, she squared her shoulders and walked inside.

"Hi, you must be with UCLA's nursing program," an elderly nurse greeted warmly. "My name is Annie."

"Hello, Annie. My name is Stella Walker. Yes, I'm with UCLA's nursing program." Stella returned the smile with her usual grace.

"Great. We're so happy to have you. Most nursing students don't even want to do their clinicals here," Annie said with a knowing sigh. "But I'm certainly glad you came."

"Oh, of course," Stella said sincerely.

Annie's face softened. "We've assigned you to a patient named Tommy. He's in room 112. He's one of our mischievous ones—loves to play with the call light."

Stella chuckled, nodding as she adjusted the strap of her bag. She followed the hallway signs until she reached room 112. Inside, Tommy was propped up in bed, eyes glued to a soccer game on the TV.

"Hi, I'm Stella Walker. I'm with the UCLA nursing program," Stella said as she stepped inside with a bright smile.

"Oh, yes, please, come in," Tommy replied, returning the smile.

"First, I'll start by getting your vital signs," Stella explained, pulling the blood pressure cuff from her bag. She wrapped it gently around his arm. "I know this will be a little uncomfortable, so let me know if it gets too tight. Honestly, I don't like this experience myself."

Tommy chuckled. "Hon, I've had my blood pressure taken so many times, it doesn't bother me."

"Good," Stella said as the machine finished reading. "134/90. Pulse is 85."

"Is that good? Bad?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Pulse and blood pressure are both great," Stella reassured with a smile. She carefully packed her cuff away before moving on.

After going over his medication list and family history, the routine questions were done. Instead of heading straight out, Stella pulled the chair closer to his bed and sat, nursing bag at her feet.

"So, Stella Walker," Tommy said, studying her with curious eyes. "Where are you from?"

"Austin, Texas," she answered, her smile warming.

"Texas, huh? Figures. You've got that no-nonsense attitude," Tommy chuckled. "Big family?"

"My dad's Nathan Walker," Stella explained, pride flickering in her voice. "He was a Texas Ranger—kind of a legend back home. He just took the job as chief of police for the LAPD."

Tommy let out a low whistle, impressed. "Well damn. Guess that explains it. You've got grit in your blood. Can't see a Walker raising anything less."

Stella chuckled softly. "Maybe. But I'm just trying to be a good nurse. I'm not looking to follow in his footsteps."

Tommy smirked, nodding. "Smart move. Cops live hard. Nurses? You actually save people."

His gaze softened a bit before he added, "What about your mom?"

Stella hesitated, then answered quietly, "She... she passed away this summer. Rodeo accident."

Tommy's expression shifted, the mischief in his eyes dimming for the first time. "Damn. I'm sorry, kid. That's rough."

"Thanks," Stella said, her voice steady but heavy. "It's been hard, especially for my brother. August's sixteen, and... well, he tries to act tough, but he's still just a kid."

"Sixteen?" Tommy gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "That age'll break your balls no matter what. He's lucky he's got you."

The way he said it made her chest tighten, because he wasn't just being polite. He meant it.

They talked a little longer—about family, about Texas, about nothing and everything—and for the first time since she'd walked in, Stella forgot she was on clinical duty. She felt more like herself, not just "the student nurse."

When she finally stood, smoothing down her scrubs, Tommy's grin returned. He wasn't ready for her to go. Something about her presence felt easy, like breathing. Comforting in a way he didn't get often anymore.

"Well, thank you for giving me a few minutes of your time," Stella said kindly, extending her hand.

Tommy shook it, his grin genuine. "No problem. You'll make a great nurse. You've got a wonderful bedside manner, and a compassionate heart. Normally, I don't ask people to come back, but... do you think you could?"

Stella's smile deepened. "Of course—but on one condition."

Tommy raised a brow. "What is it?"

"Nurse Annie told me you love to play with the call light," Stella teased.

"Well, it's there," Tommy smirked. "I just want to see how long it takes them to get here."

Stella let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Tommy, the call light is for emergencies. Stay off it unless you really need the nurse. You promise?"

"Promise," Tommy said with mock solemnity.

"I'll be back soon," Stella assured him warmly. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tommy."

"You as well, Stella," Tommy replied, his grin softening into something genuine.

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It was 5:30 p.m. when Stella pulled into the Reseda strip mall. She shut off the engine, slipped her sunglasses up onto her head, and stepped out of the car, and walked in the dojo.

Inside, her brother was the only one in the room.

"Hey, bro." Stella smiled.

"Hey, sis." August grinned, pulling her into a quick hug. "How were clinicals?"

"They went better than I thought they would." She gave him a small, relieved smile.

From the back office, Johnny emerged at the sound of her voice. The corners of his mouth tugged upward as his eyes found hers. Stella felt a quick flutter in her chest.

"Hey, Stella," Johnny said, his rough-edged voice softening just for her.

"Hey, Johnny." She smiled back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "So why's my brother the only one here?"

"Because," Johnny shrugged, "he's probably my only shot at winning this thing."

"So does that mean I'm your best student?" August asked, grinning.

"Don't flatter yourself. Have you seen the others?" Johnny shot back. August laughed, staring at his phone.

"What's so funny?" Johnny asked, suspicious.

"Oh, nothing. Just this picture my girlfriend posted."

Johnny leaned over, then froze. "Wait a second... is that Daniel LaRusso's daughter?" His voice sharpened, edged with old venom.

"Yeah, you know Samantha?" August asked.

"You're dating a LaRusso?" Johnny repeated, like it was an accusation.

"Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?"

Johnny's jaw tightened. His eyes flicked from August to Stella. She gave him a questioning look—calm, steady, like she could handle whatever storm brewed in him. He sighed, muttering, "We need to talk."

Later, the three of them sat outside on the curb with drinks Johnny had grabbed from down the street. August nursed a Coke while Johnny and Stella each held a beer. August sat on one side of Johnny, Stella on the other.

"It was the summer of '82. Rocky III had just come out, my buddy was Dutch was a huge Mr. T fan, so we went to the local theater to check it out. Sitting in front of us was this group of cute chicks, eating popcorn. Dutch started throwing Milk Duds at 'em." Johnny said

"Wha — Why would he do that?" August asked, softly laughing

"Because it's an alpha move, man. Babes love it when you treat them like crap." Johnny said, and Stella rolled her eyes. "Anyway, the girls got so pissed off that one of them stood up and started yelling at us. That's when I saw her for the first time."

"Saw who?" August asked

"Ali." Johnny softly smiled. "She dumped popcorn all over Dutch. Got melted butter all over him. I could tell right away, this chick was a firecracker." Johnny said, making Stella and August laugh softly

"All right, I have to meet Ali. She sounds so awesome." Stella thought to herself

"Did you ask her out?" August asked

"Yeah, I hit on her a few times till she gave me a chance. We went to Golf N' Stuff for our first date. Kissed on the Ferris Wheel. We were madly in love. Dated for two years." Johnny smiled. "For Valentine's day, instead of rings, I gave her this pink jelly bracelet. She gave me this."

Stella couldn't help but smile as Johnny reached into his pocket and grabbed his signature black karate headband, and held it in his hands. "So what happened next?" Stella asked as she took another swig of her beer

"Summer before my senior year we got into a fight. I figured we work things out eventually." Johnny said

"But?" Stella questioned

"But then Daniel LaRusso came to town." Johnny said with venom in his voice "Next thing I know, he's hitting on her. I see the two of them flirting with each other."

"What'd you do?" August asked

"Well, I walked over to have a civil conversation with Ali. But LaRusso kept butting in. I told him to get lost, mind your own business. Out of nowhere, the guy sucker-punches me." Johnny said

"What an asshole." August said

"I know man. I did what any dude would do. I defended myself. You know, I figured that was that. But LaRusso wouldn't leave it alone. At the Halloween dance, I was sitting there, minding my own business, he douses me with a water hose. I hadn't seen the guys in months. Fricking turns a water hose on my head. So I chase him down, try to put an end to things that night. Right? Turns out the guy's got a karate master of his own. Guy comes out of nowhere, jumps us, assaults me and my friends. I think my buddy Tommy got brain damage because of that fight." Johnny said

"Oh my god." August said

"Eventually, we decided to work things out at the All Valley Tournament. So we both made it to the finals. It was two to two..." Johnny said

"What...what happened? Who won?" August asked

"LaRusso won. I lost. But what's worse is...that I lost Ali. Until..." he said as he looked at Stella and fondly smiled but she didn't see it as she was deep in thought.

"Until what?" August said

"Nothing, look, the reason I'm telling you two this, is because you gotta watch out for the LaRussos." Johnny said

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Upon arriving at the apartment complex in Reseda, Stella parked her jeep beside Johnny's Firebird. She stepped out just as Johnny and August climbed out of the Firebird, and the three of them started toward the building together.

"Hey guys," Janette greeted warmly, her voice soft as ever. "How was training? Hi, Sweetpea. How were clinicals?" She pulled her granddaughter into a hug, kissing her temple.

"Hi, Grandma." Stella smiled, melting into her embrace. "Clinicals were fine."

"Oh, your grandson's doing great," Johnny cut in, clapping August proudly on the back.

"Auggie, go get cleaned up. I made your favorite—fried chicken." Janette's eyes twinkled. August fist-bumped Johnny before running off. Janette slipped an arm around Stella's shoulders and leaned in, conspiratorial. "Invite him to stay for supper." She winked, then drifted toward the apartment door.

"Do you have dinner plans?" Stella asked

"Me? Uh... got a couple of Hot Pockets. I'm good." Johnny gave a crooked shrug, trying to play it off.

"That sounds like the opposite of good." Stella raised an eyebrow. "Wanna join us?"

"I don't wanna bother you guys."

"It's no bother, we have plenty of food."

"Well, I would, but—"

"No buts." Stella cut him off with a grin. "Besides, Grandma's chicken is to die for."

Johnny smirked, shaking his head. "Guess I'm in, then."

Inside, the smell of fried chicken and warm biscuits filled the cozy apartment. Stella washed her hands at the sink, then slipped into her seat beside Janette. Johnny dropped into the chair across from her, next to August.

After Janette offered the prayer, they dug in.

"Your father had to work late, so I saved him a plate," Janette said, then turned her gaze toward Johnny. "So, August told me all about the tournament. I hope he doesn't get hurt."

"Grandma, I told you there's referees. You can't get hurt," August insisted.

"At least not permanently," Johnny muttered, tearing into his chicken. Stella shot him a playful eye-roll, which only made him smirk. "He'll be fine."

"So have you always lived in Reseda?" Janette asked.

"No, I grew up in Encino."

"Really? Really nice houses up there."

Johnny chewed, swallowed, then said, "Well, just because you live in a nice house doesn't always mean there's nice things going on inside." He bit into the fried chicken again, then groaned in approval. "You were right, Stella, the chicken is to die for."

"Told you." Stella laughed, meeting his eyes for a split second longer than necessary.

Johnny didn't look away right away either. There was a flicker there, something unspoken, until he finally cleared his throat and reached for his beer.

Before anyone could reply, August's phone buzzed across the table. "Oh, sorry."

"Answer it, darlin'. It's fine," Janette said gently. "Don't take too long. Your food will get cold."

August nodded and disappeared down the hall, leaving the three of them at the table.

"I'm glad August is finally making some nice friends. It's been difficult for him after his mother's passing, and Nathan's job as a ranger doesn't make it any easier, as he's never home." Janette's voice softened, full of quiet grief.

"Stella mentioned you guys were originally from Texas." Johnny said.

"Nathan didn't want to leave, but when they offered him a job out here, he just couldn't pass it up," Janette replied, then turned her clear, watchful eyes on her granddaughter. "So tell me about clinicals. You have them with Lori and Kara?"

"No, Lori and Kara had theirs up in the ICU," Stella said, setting her glass of tea down. "I had mine at the hospice center."

"How was that?" Johnny asked, his gaze holding hers a beat too long.

"It was good," Stella said, her lips curving faintly. "They have this one patient who loves to lay on the call light. He doesn't even need anything—he's just doing it to see how long it'll take for the nurses to get there."

Johnny smirked. "Sounds like something I'd do."

"That sounds like something your grandfather would have done," Janette said with a soft laugh, though her eyes lingered knowingly between Johnny and Stella. She didn't miss the way they were stealing looks, even when they thought no one was paying attention.

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The soft sound of Elvis Presley's Kentucky Rain drifted from Stella's record player as she finished her nightly routine. After brushing her teeth, she reached for her monogrammed hand towel and dabbed her mouth dry.

She slipped into her bedroom, turned on the lamp, and switched off the overhead light. The glow from the bedside table fell warm against her light pink Miss Elaine nightgown, the satin neckline gathered with lace and a small pink rose in the center. She tucked herself into bed, sitting up against the pillows, and opened the book Ava had given her.

A few pages in, her phone began to ring. She glanced at the nightstand. Johnny's name lit up the screen.

Placing her book face down to mark her place, Stella picked up the phone. "Hey, Sensei. It's a little late, isn't it?" she said with a smile.

"Nah, at least I don't think so." Johnny's voice carried that rough, amused edge.

"Of course you don't." Stella laughed softly. "What's up?"

On the other end, Johnny leaned back on his couch, a half-empty Coors resting on the table beside him. The sound of her voice wrapped around him, and in his mind, he pictured her—hair falling loose, the soft pink nightgown with the little rose in the center. The image made him swallow hard, his chest tight.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner sometime?" he asked.

"You mean like a date?"

"Yeah. A date." Johnny's voice softened, almost shy beneath the bravado.

Stella's gaze drifted to the framed photo of Ava on her nightstand. Her smile deepened. "Yeah. I'd love that, Johnny."

"Can I come and get you tomorrow night at 7:30?" Johnny asked quickly.

"7:30 would be perfect."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow night, princess." His voice lingered over the word.

"Wait, Johnny."

"Yeah?"

"You said the worst thing, worse than losing the All Valley, was losing Ali. Then you said until. You never finished your sentence. What were you about to say?"

Johnny exhaled, the image of her in that pink nightgown burning in his mind as he finally said, "What's worse is I lost Ali. Until I met you. Then I didn't really think about Ali anymore. I've never been able to stop thinking about you."

Stella touched the necklace her mother had given her, her fingers fiddling with the charm as her smile softened. "Johnny, to be honest, you annoyed the shit out of me at first, but you grew on me. As far as Ali goes, she was your first love, and you loved her very much. It doesn't bother me that you still talk about her. In fact, she sounds kind of awesome. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright. Goodnight, princess." His voice was rougher now, full of something unspoken.

"Goodnight, Johnny."

The record spun on, Elvis's voice filling the quiet, as she turned off the lamp and settled beneath the covers—her heart racing faster than she wanted to admit.