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“I’m sorry,” Cherish interrupted. “I obviously missed information about today. The reason for you arriving early?”
For a moment, Cherish thought Febe would press the issue, but then a haze overtook her features. A happy haze. It had been so long since Cherish had seen such a large genuine smile on Febe’s mouth. Panic pulsed in her wrists, pumping a little too hard at the look.
“They’re bringing in the baby to say hello. My grandchild.” Febe smiled and a small laugh escaped her lips. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Oh. They are?” Cherish’s heart hurt, and a heat pressed hard and nudged its way from her chest and into the V at the base of her neck. “That’s fantastic.”
“It is.” Febe nodded. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” Cherish smiled and nodded. She turned on her heels before tears could escape.
Back at her desk, Cherish didn’t dare look over at Haylee. She had to get control over herself. The pain behind her eyes reminded her the pills were working less and less as the days went on. She’d taken some before heading to work and she already needed more.
Giving in, she pulled open her drawer and found the bottle. Dry swallowing another two pills, she took a deep breath and pushed her shoulders back.
Work. That would help her focus and stay on top of things.
She had been distracted this week, but the shame of Febe noticing washed over her in a wave of heat. It stuck to her skin and made everything harder. But she would do it. Whatever had happened with her and Haylee couldn’t rule over her thoughts any longer.
Bracing herself, Cherish finally looked over to Haylee’s desk.
Her breath caught, and her heart stuttered in her chest. Haylee was beautiful. How Cherish had ever thought otherwise was still something she couldn’t quite fathom. But she also knew the beauty she saw in Haylee ran far deeper than her soft, delicious skin. The sound of her laugh still filled Cherish’s body with bubbles, popping as more arrived to lighten everything within her.
Haylee tucked her hair behind one ear as she looked from the papers on her desk to her computer screen. Her face scrunched in concentration, and Cherish smiled, a small chuckle almost escaped her mouth before she slammed her lips closed, cutting off the sound.
What was going on with her?
It had just been sex, nothing more than that. She’d had sex before. True, it hadn’t blown her mind like theirs had. And no partner had ever cared about her pleasure over their own. But this couldn’t be anything else.
They worked together, and nothing caused more of a nightmare in a workplace than colleagues dating. She had seen that too many times. Besides, even if she did like Haylee more than she had liked anyone before, love never worked out. This week had been hard enough with Haylee’s icy dismissals.
Cherish breathed deeply, her mind telling her body that it had only ever been physical, a chemical reaction.
Cherish almost convinced herself it was working.
“They’re here, Febe.” Haylee’s voice vibrated into her phone with a happiness that while not entirely genuine came closer to the sound Cherish had once known.
Cherish remained staring at Haylee as she replaced her phone into the cradle, looked up, and caught Cherish staring.
“Hi.” Cherish smiled. All hope of convincing herself she felt nothing for this woman blew away with that simple word.
“Hi.” Haylee gave her own small wavering smile back.
The tension grew thick between them.
The chime of the elevator opening made Cherish blink. Haylee moved to the doors, opening them in preparation for the stroller and the two loving adults Cherish hadn’t seen since the funeral. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at Kendal. She looked so much like her mother. In the sparkle of her eyes and the small lines around her mouth. Kendal smiled and laughed in an echoing memory of Bernie.
Cherish stayed back as Febe met them all at her door.
“Kendal.” Febe opened her arms wide and wrapped her stepdaughter up in them. “I’m so glad you could come and visit.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Kendal looked around the office, not yet stepping over the threshold of Febe’s office. “She would have loved all of this. You have done her proud, Febe.”
“You have too.” Febe smiled, a glassiness to her eyes.
As Cherish studied Febe’s face she saw the difference and the realization caught her breath. The sadness hadn’t disappeared, but it was twisted around something so much sweeter.
Love.
