She has just set her bag down on the desk when someone knocks on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opens, and for a second, the world stops spinning. Nerissa enters with a dark coat draped over her shoulders and a folder tucked under her arm. Her hair falls loosely around her face, and the serene expression she wears is almost insulting after what happened the night before. Seraphina stares at her for several seconds, her pulse racing.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
Nerissa slowly closes the door and turns to face her.
“Good morning to you too, Seph.”
She’s the only person in the world who has ever shortened her name like that. And the only one Seraphina would ever allow to do it.
“Nerissa…”
“Don’t worry, I’m just here for work,” she replies casually, lifting the folder. “The orthopedic department’s budget needs approval before the end of the quarter, and they’re driving me crazy with the cuts. You know that as a surgeon there are some things I can’t allow, so I thought you could go over it with me.”
They both know perfectly well that she could have simply emailed it. Before Seraphina can reply, two nurses walk past the office and greet Nerissa enthusiastically when they see her.
“Dr. Ashcombe! It’s so nice to see you here again,” one of them says.
“Thanks, Rachel.”
Nerissa replies kindly, but Seraphina senses the inevitable undertone behind those words. For months, Nerissa has barelyset foot in that clinic since the committee reorganization. And they both know exactly why.
When they’re alone again, Seraphina crosses her arms.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Coming into your office?” Nerissa raises an eyebrow ironically. “It’s a little late to figure that out.”
Seraphina glares at her.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Nerissa holds her gaze for a few seconds before setting the folder down on the table.
“I’ve been letting you run away from me for six months. I think we’ve had enough distance.”
Seraphina’s heart is beating too fast.
“We’re at work,” she whispers.
“Yes. And it’s exhausting pretending we barely know each other when we’ve spent years slowly destroying each other. Don’t you think?”
The harshness of the statement steals her breath, and Seraphina turns toward the coffee machine just to break eye contact and buy herself a few seconds.
“Want some coffee?” she asks.
It takes Nerissa a second to answer.
“Yes, please.”
The sound of the machine filling the cups echoes through the office as silence settles between them. Seraphina tries tofocus on something mechanical, but she can feel Nerissa’s gaze fixed on her the entire time.
“You’re still using too much sugar,” Nerissa murmurs as Seraphina sets a cup in front of her.
Seraphina looks up, surprised.
