“Hey,” I say, “wanna come around back for a sec? We have cookies and cake.”
Her lips pinch to form a little line, but she gets up quickly and follows me to the kitchen.
I cut a slice of the cake Anna brought in today and hand it to Sophie on a paper plate.
“It’s my last day today, so I won’t be here the next time you come around.” I lean in conspiratorially. “But you should know this place has a crazy amount of snacks. We have a meeting every Tuesday morning, and someone always brings something sweet in. If you’re around, you should drop in.”
“Yeah right,” she scoffs.
“I mean it. If you’re stuck, and you’re not feeling great, or you don’t know where to be, come here. Hang out. Chat to Bev or Anna for a while, and I guarantee you’ll feel better by the time you leave.”
“Nah, I’d feel too lame.”
“Lame?Lame?Dude, there was a guy here a few years ago who came around so often that Bevofficiatedhis wedding.”
Her lips part in a tiny hint of a smile. “Seriously?”
“Yup.” I nod heartily. According to urban legend, it is indeed a true story.
“Okay, maybe I will.”
“I hope you do,” I say as she has her last bite of cake. “And, Sophie, I hope you know that it’s okay to ask for help if you need it. I didn’t realize that for a long time, but I want you to know that life gets so much better when you do.”
After Sophie leaves, I clear up our plates, toss them, and make my way back to my desk. As I sit, I notice a pink Post-it Note on my screen. The handwriting is barely legible. It’s from Bev.
Proud of you.
It’s a full-circle moment I never expected. A moment that makes my cheeks hot and makes me blink a lot.
Beside me, Anna sniffs loudly.
“It’sfine,” she says, attempting a bright smile that turns wobbly when I look at her.
Blake glances at Anna, eyes filling with so much concern that I’m starting to think he might not be a sociopath at all. If he is, he’s not a very good one.
Seeing him and Anna fumble around each other has become more and more painful to watch. Since the first team-building event, they’ve been irrevocably stuck in thejust very good friendsstage. It’s getting harder and harder to be around them and not clunk their heads together.
“It’sfine,” Anna says again, drawing the word out a little longer this time. “We’ll still be in touch, and we’ll see each otherallthe time. In fact, I’ve just created a new group chat for us:Team Building 2.0. I invited Connor to join because he’s a lot better at replying than you are.”
“Oh Jesus.”
The day slowly winds down. I organize my handover and clean out my drawers. There’s an hour or so to go until the end of the day, but I’ve hit that weird no-man’s-land time of day. It’s too early to leave and too late to start anything new.
Bev looks at me for a long time and then tilts her head to the door. “Don’t stay too late.”
Kind brown eyes tell me my work here is done. And more importantly, when it comes to me, so is hers.
I hug Bev first, finding it a lot harder than I was expecting to let her go.
“Thanks for everything,” I whisper, eyes stinging. “I mean it, Bev.”
“Don’t mention it.” She squeezes me tightly and smiles when she releases me. “And hey, let me know how that five-year personal-growth plan pans out.”
Anna’s next, and even though she makes a big song and dance of it, it’s not the worst goodbye because there are already forty-three unread messages in theTeam Building 2.0group chat,and I know damn well I’m seeing her for brunch this weekend, whether I want to or not.
Blake is up last. He approaches with a sheepish, sinuous lope and walks into my arms. His hug is a slightly stiff, awkward affair. Anna looks on with the mushiest, most lovestruck expression imaginable.
As soon as we make contact, I snap.
