Chapter 25 — The White Coat Oath

Eleven months since Khoa left for Singapore, there are only a few weeks left until he completes his fellowship program and returns home. Yen is busier than ever, taking on a new role at the hospital and rushing to complete the final preparations for the wedding scheduled for exactly one month after Khoa's return.

On the weekend evening, Yen, her mother and Minh Thu were at the garment factory to try on a wedding dress that had been custom-made according to her favorite design - light turquoise tones dotted with delicate lace motifs, reminiscent of the ocean waves of her hometown every sunset.

"So beautiful, my daughter," Yen's mother exclaimed, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at her daughter in a gorgeous wedding dress, an image reminiscent of herself many years ago, when she was a young bride full of hope with her deceased husband.

"Mom, don't cry," Yen smiled, even though she couldn't hide her emotions when she saw her reflection in the mirror, imagining the moment she would walk down the flower aisle with Khoa on the upcoming big day.

"These are just happy tears, honey," Yen's mother replied, squeezing her daughter's hand. "I just wish, your father could be here to witness this moment of yours."

"I believe, dad is always watching over me from somewhere, mom," Yen said, her voice gentle but full of confidence. "And I think the best way to remember you is to live fully and happily, continuing to pursue the values you passed on to me."

Along with preparing the wedding dress, Yen also spent time with Associate Professor Truong discusses details about the guest list, wedding venue, as well as traditional rituals that need to be carefully prepared for both families. Even though he was busy, he always paid thoughtful and meticulous attention to every smallest detail, making Yen feel more clearly the warm feelings of a true father for his daughter.

"I think we should invite the entire family of Ms. Tam and Ms. Hoa to attend," Associate Professor Truong proposed a family meeting to discuss the guest list. "They have become a meaningful part of our family's story, and I believe they will be very happy to share this happiness with us."

"I've thought about that too," Yen replied, smiling warmly. "I will personally invite them as soon as possible."

The next afternoon, Yen visited Mrs. Tam's house to hand-deliver the invitation. She could not hide her joy when witnessing the emotional reaction of the whole family to that solemn card. "I really appreciate being invited to my wedding," Mrs. Tam said, her eyes filled with tears of emotion. "I will come, no matter how things are arranged."

On the way home, Yen stopped by to visit her father's grave at a small cemetery near her house, bringing with her a bouquet of white chrysanthemums that he used to love. She sat down by the grave and told him everything that had happened during the past time - from Dr. Phat's incident and the development of the reform project, up to the proposal ceremony and upcoming plans for the wedding day.

"Dad, I'm getting married," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. "I wish Dad could be here, see how happy I am, meet Khoa — the wonderful man I will spend the rest of my life with."

The breeze blew gently, carrying the faint scent of chrysanthemums, like a gentle response from afar, making Yen feel more clearly the peace and completeness in her heart before the upcoming important threshold of her life.

A few days later, Khoa called by video to announce the good news - he had successfully completed the entire fellowship program, received high praise from the international jury, and was invited to participate in an important scientific conference before officially returning to his country.

"I can't believe it, I'm only two weeks away from going home," Khoa said, his voice filled with undisguised excitement. "I miss you so much, miss everything at home, and I can't wait to hug you tight."

"I also count each day," Yen replied, smiling happily through the screen, her eyes sparkling with joy as she thought of the approaching reunion. "Everything for the wedding is almost complete. I'm just waiting for you to come home so we can complete the final details together."

"I believe, this will be the most beautiful beginning for the next chapter in our lives," Khoa said, his eyes filled with love and hope. "After everything we've been through together — from our first contentious shift, to a serious medical incident, to this challenging year apart — I believe, nothing can stop us from building a happy, fulfilling future together."

After the call, Yen still had a feeling of lightheadedness and happiness intact, and decided to spend the entire evening completing the final stages of the wedding preparation list. She opened a small notebook where she had meticulously recorded each item that needed to be completed, from ordering flowers, choosing the wedding menu, to the list of songs that would be performed during the ceremony.

Nghia, when he heard that Khoa was about to return, proactively offered to take on the role of organizing a surprise bachelor party for his best friend, mobilizing a group of friends and colleagues to join hands to prepare a memorable evening to welcome him back after a year of separation full of effort.

"I have it all planned out," Nghia informed Yen over the phone, his voice full of mystery and excitement. "You can rest assured to prepare for the wedding, I'll take care of welcoming Khoa, I'm sure he'll be so surprised that he won't have time to react."

"Thank you very much, Nghia," Yen smiled, touched by the enthusiasm of her friend who had accompanied them both throughout their long journey. "I believe Khoa will be very touched to know that you have prepared so carefully."

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Truong also quietly prepared a special gift for both of them - he decided to renovate a small room in the family house into a private office for Yen, fully equipped so that she can continue to develop the patient safety program even when living with her husband's family after getting married.

"I want you to feel like this is really your home, not just a place you come to live after getting married," he explained as he took Yen to see the nearly completed renovated room, his eyes filled with rare thoughtfulness. "I know, your work is no less important than Khoa's, and I want you to have enough space to continue pursuing the values you are building."

Yen could not hide her emotions at that thoughtful heart and hugged Associate Professor Truong in deep gratitude. "Thank you very much, Dad. I never thought I would be lucky to have such a loving and understanding husband's family."

"You deserve all of that," Associate Professor Truong replied, his voice full of warmth. "And I believe, Khoa will always respect and accompany you in every important decision in life, not only in work but also in family life in the future."

The last night before Khoa was scheduled to board the plane to return home, Yen could not sleep because of excitement. She sat by the window of her small apartment, flipping through each page in the notebook that recorded her entire journey for nearly a year - from short diary entries hastily written after each stressful shift, to meticulous notes about the progress of wedding preparations, all like a slow-motion movie recreating the entire challenging but also full of happiness journey that she went through.

She opened her phone, watched the video of Khoa practicing speaking Vietnamese again, smiling alone in the dark. Outside the window, the late moonlight shined down on the quiet street, bringing with it a rare sense of peace, as if the city itself was quietly waiting with her, welcoming the return of the man who had become an indispensable half of her life.

Before falling asleep, she sent Khoa a short but loving message: "Good night, you are about to become my husband. Tomorrow, our new journey officially begins." Just a few seconds later, the phone vibrated slightly to notify of a response message, accompanied by a simple small heart symbol: "Good night, dear wife. I will be with you soon." Putting the phone on the table, Yen closed her eyes, her heart filled with complete peace, her face still had a happy smile as she gradually fell asleep, ready to welcome the next chapter, brighter and more complete than ever, of her life.