Mercy regarded her with raised eyebrows. “Your mom’s Black?”
Audrey grinned. With her light-brown hair and fair skin, she was used to this reaction. “I’m adopted. My heritage is Ukrainian, actually. My brother’s Korean, also adopted. My dad’s roots are German and Irish, and my mom’s are Kenyan. We all did DNA tests together a few years ago to find out our ancestries.”
“Get out! I’m Kenyan. My parents emigrated just before I was born. I’d love to meet your mom. Your whole family, actually.”
“She would love that,” Audrey said. “She’s adopted too. It’s why she wanted to adopt her own kids, and she loves meeting other Kenyan Americans, since she never knew her birth family.”
“Definitely introduce us if she comes to visit. You’re from Boston, right?”
“The suburbs outside it, yeah. That’s where my parents live.”
“Cool.” Mercy led her into the second-floor hallway. “You’re down here at the end of the hall. Here are your keys. The larger one is to your office; the smaller one unlocks your mailbox. It’s downstairs in the main office.”
“Got it.” Audrey tried to contain her sense of wonder as she gazed around herself. She’d been in this hall before as a similarly awestruck freshman, visiting her professors during office hours. In fact ...
“Looks like you’re right across the hall from Michelle Thompson.” Mercy gestured to the closed door to their right.
“Dr. Thompson,” Audrey murmured. “She was my undergrad advisor.”
Mercy gave her a sympathetic look. “My condolences.”
“What?” Audrey glanced at her in surprise because she’dadoredDr. Thompson. Her stomach sank. “She’s not ... is she one of the ones making racist comments to you?”
Mercy shook her head. “No, I’d say Michelle dislikes us all equally.”
“She dislikes everyone?” That didn’t jibe with the woman Audrey had known.
“She’s ... unpleasant, sorry to say.” Mercy gave her head a quick shake. “And that’sallI should say. Lord knows I hate gossip. You’ll see when you reintroduce yourself to her. Anyway, here’s your office.”
Audrey pushed that confusing tidbit to the side for now because this was her office! She stared at the plain brown door before her. There was a discolored spot at its center where the last occupant’s name plaque had rested. She’d have to get a new one for herself. Dr. Audrey Lind. Just picturing it gave her a thrill.
Using the key Mercy had given her, she unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a wooden desk that bore the wear and tear of countless others who’d used it before her. A bookcase stood against the right-hand wall, and behind the desk, a bright window beckoned.
“My office,” she breathed. In her adjunct positions, she’d never had her own space. Once, she’d had to conduct office hours in the cafeteria, but now ... excitement bubbled up as she ran a hand over the desk. Already, she was imagining where her things would go and how many paintings she could fit on the walls.
“You look properly impressed,” Mercy said from behind her. “Guess I don’t have to ask if you like your office.”
“It’s perfect.” Audrey turned to face her. “I can’t wait to set it up.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then. You should find a hand dolly in the supply closet downstairs, if you need it to help with your boxes. Just let me know if you need anything. I’m down the other end of the hall.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Or text me, whichever’s easier.”
“Will do. Thanks so much, Mercy.”
“You bet. See you around.” With a wave, she headed down the hall.
Audrey spun in the middle of her office, taking a moment to just soak it in. The walls were bare and white, riddled with nicks and scratches, but to her, they were a blank slate. Her gaze drifted to the door across the hall. Mercy’s opinion of Dr. Thompson was somewhat shocking.Unpleasant, she’d called her. That wasn’t the Dr. Thompsonwhom Audrey had known. She had radiated joy when she spoke about art, particularly when she taught her students about some of the more overlooked female artists throughout history.
She’d inspired Audrey in so many ways. It still boggled her mind that she would be working with her now, a peer, a colleague, their offices so close together they could wave to each other across the hall if they both kept their doors open.
The gold nameplate caught her gaze. Dr. Michelle Thompson.
Michelle.
Of course Audrey had been peripherally aware of Dr. Thompson’s first name, but now she would probably be expected to call her by it, and that felt ... weird. She’d been Dr. Thompson in Audrey’s mind for so many years.
Audrey walked to the worn chair behind her desk and sat, wincing as the chair let out an embarrassingly loud squeak. It was upholstered in a blue-patterned fabric that had seen better days. It wasn’t comfortable, either, but a chair was easy to replace. Surely there was an office supply store around here. She remembered from her undergrad days that this part of Vermont had been frustratingly lacking in shopping and other services, but who knew what new things had popped up since she’d last been here?
She imagined herself sitting at her desk, grading papers. Or even better ... sitting across from a student, helping them work through a problem. Curious, she stood to peek out the window. Her office was on the back side of the building, which faced the forest, and while she would’ve rather been able to look out over the quad, this was nice, too ... peaceful. She could just make out the Green Mountains in the distance.
