Bre chuckled. “Jovial? Really?”
“What?” Cyren shrugged. “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”
Laughing, Bre stepped further into her office. “I am. We’re about to get off. I’m always happy about clocking out.”
“True. I feel you.”
Working at 2ndCommunity Credit Union wasn’t Cyren’s dream job. Truthfully, at this moment in her life, she didn’t know what was. But it got her out of the house and, for the most part, out of her head. As a loan officer, she helped the borrower understand loan terms, processed payments,handled consultations, discussed financial goals, and performed a plethora of duties that seemed to align with her degree in business administration. Bre was a teller, so Cyren could only imagine how long her day had been.
“You should come out with us tonight,” Bre suggested.
This wasn’t the first time Bre had invited her out. She’d been working at the credit union for six months and had accepted three out of at least seven invites. The gesture was nice, and Cyren genuinely liked Bre and her group of friends, even though they were a few years younger than her. They brought a lightness to her life that’d gone missing a while ago.
If this were another day, she’d consider stepping out. Today wasn’t one of those days, though. She wasn’t in the mood to socialize or be a Debby Downer.
“I think I’ma sit this one out,” Cyren said, offering a small smile to soften her decline.
Bre’s face dropped just a little, but not in a way that she wanted Cyren to feel bad. It was more of a look, stating she was used to hearing that answer, but still held out hope that it might change one day.
“Girl, you always say that,” she replied, folding her arms. “You don’t have anything to do.”
Cyren leaned back slightly in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. “I don’t. But I just don’t want to go out.”
Bre studied her for a second. “You okay?”
Cyren let her question linger for a second and nodded even though she was far from it. “Yeah. Just tired.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.
What wasokaywhen you were grieving the loss of a parent?
Cyren didn’t have that answer, nor did she have the guts to tell her coworker the truth about how she was feeling, who knew she was lying. Maybe another day and time.
Bre didn’t push any further, sensing her discomfort. “Well, make sure you get some rest tonight. You’re off tomorrow, right?”
Cyren nodded. “Yeah.”
“Even better. And it’s Friday. You get to sleep in.” Bre smiled. “If you change your mind, we’re going to Society around eight. You know where that is?”
“Yeah, I know where it is.”
“Good. So, you don’t have any excuse just in case you need directions,” Bre said, playfully pointing at her before turning toward the door.
Cyren shook her head, a quiet laugh slipping out. “I’m pretty sure I can still come up with one.”
“Mhm. I’m sure you can,” Bre shot back, grabbing the door handle before pausing. “Oh! And don’t stay here too long, finishing up stuff that can wait until next week. It’ll still be here.”
Being the overachiever she was, Cyren normally stayed later than what was required of her. Her coworkers and supervisor were used to her leaving after hours because she had one more little thing to wrap up.
Bre gave her one last teasing look before stepping out of the office. She pulled the door closed behind her, and the clicking of it shutting was almost deafening. Cyren’s senses were heightened. They always were around this time of the year. The sound lingered in her head longer than it should’ve, echoing with reminders she couldn’t quite outrun.
It awakened her thoughts of endings, of absence, of how quickly something or someone could be here one moment and gone the next. It was a sickening reality, and she was living it.
Cyren swallowed, blinking past her thoughts before they could settle any deeper. She wouldn’t allow that here. Not in public. Her gaze drifted around her office before landing on a stack of files she needed to organize. She reached for it butstopped midway. Throwing herself into work was safe. She could avoid the hard things and conversations inside these four walls.
For once, she chose not to give in to the habit of staying late just to avoid going home. Powering down her desktop, Cyren stood from her chair, grabbed her work tote bag along with her purse, and headed out the door. Returning a wave to Bre, who was pulling out of the lot, she almost considered going out.
Being around other people, drinking, and listening to music didn’t soundthatbad. Those people may have been chasing or searching for something, too. She could use the distraction.
