Our shift was over, and the bustling scene gradually quieted as the last ambulance drove away, leaving Kenzie alone on the curb. She sat there, tears streaming down her face, using the sleeve of her uniform to wipe them away. For a decade, I have been partners with this courageous 5’2” individual with confidence and a strong sense of self. Until this day, I hadn't noticed my heart flutter in my chest and a ball of sadness lump in my throat. The sight of 8-year-old Lily fighting for her life had deeply affected us, but seeing Kenzie holding her in her arms just minutes prior, with the tenderness and uncertainty of a new mother, had stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me. At that moment, Kenzie wasn't just my EMT partner but a _woman_**—**filled with love and compassion. I dropped my chest, resting my hands on my knees while my eyes stung from the salt that began flooding them from tears. I was just staring at this astonishing woman on the curb.

“I’m going to the hospital, Mike. I have to check on her,” Kenzie announced in a soft, raspy voice.

I let out a rumbling sigh, trying to hold my emotions back before they completely spilled out.

I grabbed Kenzie’s cheeks and placed her head on my chest; I didn't have the words to express how I felt then.

“I’ll drive Kenz,” I assured her, smoothing her chestnut curls.