Hey all! Real quick I want to say thank you all that have stuck around while I have been writing this story. It means a lot to me. We're rapidly approaching the end for this story. Again a huge THANK YOU!
Also I don't know the exact timeline between school and residency and how it all works, so if it's wrong I am truly sorry, but I am going off research.

Enjoy!

Aurora doesn't remember her high school graduation dragging on the way her college graduation had. She's happy that she got the degree she needs to fill her mom's shoes. She hasn't learned everything she can yet, reading things in books is one thing, but she's ready to learn even more when she starts her residency in Chicago. Aurora wants to create her own path and not strictly follow her mother's path. Yes, she wants to return to Bluebell when her mom retires and take over the practice her grandfather created. Until that moment she wants to become her own person as a doctor. She doesn't want to be her mom, she just wants to be Dr. Aurora Kinsella. Following in her mom's footsteps doesn't mean she needs to do everything exactly like her mom, she wants to forge her own path, be her own doctor.

As excited as she is to start her residency, her stomach twisting in knots doesn't help her remain calm. When she does stop to think about her next steps, she feels as if she's not ready to be inside the hospital as someone that works there. That's why she's not embarrassed to admit that she needed her mom.

"How'd you feel when you started your residency?" Aurora asked, handing her mom the Thai takeout they ordered. Between graduating and getting settled in Chicago, it's been a whirlwind 48 hours. Thankful to have her family's support in helping her out. She's not exactly thrilled to be living in a hotel room until they can find an apartment for her, but it's better than the streets.

"Excited, nervous, anxious and a mix of other things," she told her daughter. "It's scary to think that after everything you're going to be the one in charge of helping people, and you don't want to be wrong when it comes to their ailments. But remember to take a deep breath, and you'll have someone to help show you the way. Don't be afraid to speak up if you know what's going on. Be as hands on as you can," she told her daughter, giving her the advice she wished someone would have told her when she started her first day of residency.

"I can do that," Aurora nodded.

"Remember everything you were taught, and you'll be fine. Your attending will be there to help guide you, don't be afraid to ask questions. Watch and listen," she added. Aurora nodded. "Try to remain calm, you don't need to have all the answers on your first day. It takes time."

"What if, I can't hack it and I fail," Aurora sighed, chewing on her bottom lip, brow furrowed as the scenario played in her head.

"That's why it's a what if, sweetie. You're going to be fine," Zoe assured her daughter. "I had the same doubts when I started and unfortunately there's not much I can say for you to let that doubt go, not until you're in there and see that you're going to be just fine," Zoe told her daughter, pulling her into a hug.

When Aurora was little and was doubting herself, it was easy to boost her confidence level up. Snuggles and a cookie just about solved the problem. Zoe assured her daughter every time about the doubt she was feeling. Zoe has gotten better at not feeling so bad about not being able to help either one of her kids when they were doubting themselves or struggling with something. It doesn't mean it's any easier to watch them struggle.

"What if my attending's a jerk?" Aurora whispered in a panic.

"Aurora, please stop thinking that everything that can go bad will go bad," Zoe sighed. She had been in the same headspace as her daughter all those years ago, and much like her daughter, she couldn't get out of her head, not until she had a few days under her belt taken care. "Let's watch a movie and get out of that head of yours," Zoe suggested, looking for a movie to watch.

The movie had done it's trick, putting Aurora to sleep. It might not be the best night sleep her daughter has ever gotten, but it's better than not getting any sleep. And Aurora is going to need all the sleep she can get for her first big day. Aurora's worries will still be there come morning, heck they might still be there next week, next month or even longer.

Crashing on her couch, Aurora yawned, not able to keep her eyes open. She's been doing her residency for the past two months now and all the worries she felt on her first day have melted away. Where she felt like she wasn't prepared enough, she found that she wasn't, but that was okay, because she's still learning. You don't become a doctor overnight, it takes years. She doesn't remember her mom telling her that she would quite this exhausted. Being tired, sure, but she didn't know exhaustion, not the way she does after a long shift at the hospital.

While she was busy doing something she loves doing and can fully understand why her mom likes being a doctor, to help people in ways no one else can; her mom did her a solid in looking for apartments. Aurora didn't know how crazy busy she would be or how tired she'd be after work. She didn't mind though, she loves what she does, learned that she simply loves learning all that she can. What little time she has, she spends it catching up on sleep and whatever little things that need to be done. She hasn't had the energy lately to even think about having a life outside her residency. She's made friends with a few others from the hospital, and they're good to talk to when at work, but she's not sure how they'd fair being friends outside the hospital. Not that it mattered, right now she's content in where her life is at.

Holland and Hudson, the friends she made when she hung out with her brother. They had remained friends through school. Had a huge on again off again relationship with Hudson throughout the past handful of years. She loves him, and he loves her, but that doesn't mean it can work out. They're not together at the moment. If it's meant to be, then it will work out with time, but she's not holding her breath. Hudson is in New Orleans and the last thing she wants is a long distance relationship on top of her busy work hours. She keeps in contact with Holland, but she wanted to be closer to home and went back to do her residency in Tuscaloosa.

She'll make friends when she's not so focused on succeeding in her work, because she wants to be as good of a doctor as her mom is. Furthermore, she not only wants to focus on her work, but she needs to focus on what she's doing. It's not like she needs friends to help her sleep and catch up on little mundane things. She has little time in her life to make lasting friendships. Her family tells her that she needs to have friends and to have a personal life, and she wants that too, but when she's got a little more free time on her hands. She's happy with how her life is at the moment and that's all that matters to her.