Vance
The break room was quiet when I walked in for coffee.
Cedric sat at the table, scrolling through his phone. Luca was by the window, stirring something in a mug. They both looked up when I entered.
"There he is." Cedric set down his phone, leaning back in his chair with that look he got when he'd been waiting to say something. "Mr. Punctual."
"What?"
"You're leaving on time again. That's four days in a row."
"Five," Luca said quietly.
"Five days in a row." Cedric shook his head. "I've worked with you for three years. You've never left on time five days in a row. You barely leave on time five days a year."
I poured my coffee, keeping my back to them. "I'm being more efficient."
"Efficient." Cedric snorted. "You used to sleep in the security office. Now suddenly you have somewhere to be at six o'clock?"
"I didn't sleep in the security office."
"You napped. I saw you. Head on the desk, snoring."
"I don't snore."
"You absolutely snore. But that's not the point." He leaned forward. "The point is, something's different. You're checking your phone constantly. You bought groceries—I saw the bags in your truck. And yesterday, in the meeting, you smiled."
"I smile."
"You don't smile. You do this—" He made a flat, neutral expression. "That's your happy face. That's also your angry face. And your confused face. You have one face."
"He's not wrong," Luca said.
I turned around, coffee in hand. "I don't have one face."
"You have one face." Cedric stood up. "But lately, you've been making other faces. Human faces. It's unsettling."
"Maybe I'm just in a good mood."
"For five days? You?" He walked past me toward the door, then paused. "Whoever she is, I hope she's worth it."
"There's no 'she.'"
"Sure." He grinned. "No 'she.' Just spontaneous personality changes, grocery shopping, and leaving work on time. Totally normal behavior."
He left. The door swung shut behind him.
Luca stayed by the window, watching me with those quiet, observant eyes.
"He means well," Luca said. "He's just curious."
"I know."
"But he's not wrong." Luca set down his mug. "You do seem... lighter. Recently."
"Lighter?"
"Less tense. You used to carry yourself like you were expecting an attack at any moment." He shrugged. "Now you don't. It's a good thing."
