Skin Shift
Copyright© 2026 by Kate Evergreen
Chapter 7: Proposal
The morning after Aris’s proposal, I wake with a lightness in my chest I haven’t felt in years. The sun is streaming through my curtains, the desert air warm and inviting. I stretch in my bed, feeling the muscles in my back and shoulders loosen, and for the first time in months, I don’t dread the day ahead.
I’m still naked. I’ve been sleeping without clothes for months now, and it feels more natural than anything else. The sheets are soft against my skin, the morning air cool on my bare shoulders. I lie still, letting the light wash over me, feeling the warmth seep into my skin.
Aris is still asleep beside me, his arm draped across my waist. We’d stayed up late, talking about the future, about our dreams, about the life we wanted to build together. I feel a surge of love so powerful it takes my breath away.
He proposed.
Yes.
He wants to marry you.
Yes.
You said yes.
Yes.
Are you happy?
I look at Aris, at his sleeping face, his warm smile even in repose. I feel a warmth spread through my chest, a happiness I haven’t felt in years.
Yes, I think. I’m happy. Truly, completely happy.
I slip out of bed and walk to the bathroom. The shower is hot and soothing, and I stand under the spray for longer than necessary, letting the water wash away the remnants of sleep. My body feels different today, stronger, more present, more alive.
After my shower, I dress in comfortable clothes, loose cotton pants and a light shirt, and make coffee. I stand at the counter, looking out the window at the desert. The sun is high, the sky a brilliant blue. The saguaro cacti in my neighbor’s yard cast long shadows across the dusty ground.
Aris comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.
“Good morning,” he says, kissing my neck.
“Good morning.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Better than I have in years.” I lean back against him. “I feel like everything is finally coming together.”
“It is.” He turns me around to face him. “We’re engaged. The program is thriving. We’re happy.”
“Yes,” I say. “We are.”
He looks at me, his eyes warm. “I love you, Nicola.”
“I love you too.”
He kisses me, soft and sweet. “What do you want to do today?”
I think about it. “I want to go to the park. The clothing-optional park. I want to feel the sun on my skin, the earth beneath my feet. I want to be free.”
He smiles. “Then let’s go.”
We drive to the park together, the windows down, the wind rushing through our hair. The desert is beautiful in the morning light, the saguaro cacti standing tall against the brilliant blue sky. I feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in years.
We park and walk to the entrance. I strip off my clothes the moment we’re inside, the sun warm on my bare skin, the breeze cool against my chest. I feel free, open, alive.
Aris watches me, a smile playing on his lips. “You’re beautiful,” he says.
“I’m just me.”
“That’s what makes you beautiful.”
He strips off his clothes too his shirt, his pants, his underwear. It’s the first time he’s been fully naked in public, and I can see the nervousness in his eyes. But he doesn’t back down, doesn’t hide. He stands beside me, bare and vulnerable and brave.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I’m nervous,” he admits. “But I want to be here. I want to be with you.”
I take his hand. “We’ll do this together.”
We walk through the trails, hand in hand, the sun on our skin, the breeze on our bodies. I feel connected to him in a way I’ve never felt before, not just in love, but in trust, in vulnerability, in openness.
“This is amazing,” he says. “I never knew.”
“Neither did I,” I say. “Not until I tried.”
We walk for hours, talking, laughing, and loving. Time passes in a blur of warmth and connection. When we finally return to the car, I feel transformed.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you too.” He pulls me into his arms. “I’m going to marry you, Nicola. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you.”
The next night, I arrived at the hospital early, as always. The locker room was empty. I undressed without hesitation, the cool air familiar on my skin.
I looked at myself in the mirror. The woman staring back is different from the woman who walked into this locker room three months ago. She’s stronger. More present. More alive. And she’s engaged to the man she loves.
This is who you are now.
This is who you choose to be.
I clip my badge to my lanyard, hang my stethoscope around my neck, and walk out of the locker room.
The floor is busy tonight. The night shift is in full swing: beeps and murmurs, the shuffle of feet, the quiet urgency of care. I’m part of it. A naked part of it, but a part of it nonetheless.
Frank is waiting for me. He smiles when I enter.
“There she is,” he says. “The brave one.”
“Just doing my job.”
“Bullshit.” He pats the bed beside him. “Sit for a minute. I’ve got something to say.”
I sit. He looks at me with those sharp, assessing eyes.
“I heard about the engagement,” he says. “Congratulations.”
I feel a warmth spread through my chest. “Thank you, Frank.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes,” I say. “I’m really happy.”
He nods slowly. “That’s good. That’s important. You deserve to be happy, Nicola. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve it.”
I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you, Frank.”
“Don’t thank me.” He squeezes my hand. “Just keep being brave.”
The shift continues. I move through my rounds, doing my work, being present. The patients are new, the staff are familiar, the floor is home. But something is different tonight. There’s a new energy on the floor, a sense of joy, of celebration.
I find out what it is when I reach the nurses’ station.
Bria is there, her face flushed with excitement. “Nicola, you’re not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“The board just approved the next phase of the expansion. We’re going to partner with other hospitals. Train their staff. Help them implement the program.”
I feel my heart start to race. “Other hospitals?”
“Yes. We’re going to be the model. The example. The program is going to spread.” She grins. “You did it, Nicola. You made it happen.”
I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “We made it happen.”
“Yes,” she says. “We did.”
The shift ends. I go back to the locker room and sit on the bench, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The woman staring back is tired, but she’s also happy. Truly, completely happy.
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