The following week was one of the longest Emily could remember.
She was physically present at work.
Mentally…
She was somewhere else.
She sat through meetings without hearing half of what was being discussed. She stared at documents for several minutes before realizing she had not read a single line. She forgot deadlines she normally remembered effortlessly and even made mistakes she would never have made on an ordinary day.
For years, Emily Parker had built a reputation for being dependable.
Quiet.
Hardworking.
Focused.
Now, that version of her seemed to be disappearing.
It didn’t take long before people around the office began to notice.
One afternoon, while Emily sat absentmindedly staring at her computer screen, someone knocked gently on the side of her cubicle.
“Emily?”
She looked up.
It was Mia.
Mia Scott smiled warmly.
“You’ve been staring at that spreadsheet for almost ten minutes.”
Emily blinked.
“Oh…”
She looked back at her monitor.
She had not entered a single figure.
“I guess I’m just tired.”
Mia didn’t look convinced.
“You’ve been ‘just tired’ for almost two weeks.”
Emily forced a smile.
“I’m okay.”
“No,” Mia said gently.
“I don’t think you are.”
Emily looked away.
She didn’t have the strength to pretend anymore.
Mia hesitated before speaking again.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
Emily frowned slightly.
“Nothing.”
“Can I come over?”
The question caught Emily off guard.
“My apartment?”
Mia nodded.
“We could order food.”
“Talk.”
“Or not talk.”
“I’ll let you decide.”
Emily’s first instinct was immediate.
“No.”
She needed silence.
She needed to be alone.
More than anything, she wanted the world to stop asking questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“I just… I need some space.”
Mia nodded respectfully.
“I understand.”
She smiled gently before walking away.
“I’ll stop bothering you.”
Emily watched her disappear down the hallway.
For some reason…
She suddenly felt guilty.
The truth was…
Emily wasn’t avoiding Mia.
She was avoiding everyone.
Her apartment had become the only place where she could remove the mask she wore every day.
Lately, even getting out of bed had begun to feel exhausting.
Several times she had opened the company’s leave application portal.
Each time she hovered over the request form.
Then closed it again.
Maybe I really do need a break…
She sighed deeply.
If only there was someone she could talk to.
Someone who already understood her.
Someone who would simply listen.
Her thoughts drifted toward the one person she missed more than anyone else.
Her mother.
Barbara.
A lump formed in her throat.
Years had passed since Daniel had called to tell her that Barbara had died in a terrible accident.
Yet somehow…
The pain had never become smaller.
Barbara had been her safe place.
Whenever life became difficult…
Barbara listened.
Whenever Emily doubted herself…
Barbara reminded her who she was.
Whenever Emily cried…
Barbara somehow always knew exactly what to say.
Losing her mother hadn’t simply broken her heart.
It had changed her.
She became quieter.
More withdrawn.
Less confident.
The happy girl she had once been slowly disappeared, replaced by someone who preferred hiding from the world rather than risking more pain.
What hurt even more was how everything had happened.
She had not seen her mother before the supposed accident.
She never saw her afterward.
She never saw the body.
She never even had the chance to say goodbye.
Everything happened so quickly.
Daniel had simply told her that Barbara was gone.
And somehow…
Emily had been expected to accept it and move on.
She never truly did.
Sometimes she still caught herself reaching for her phone whenever something good or bad happened.
Only to remember…
There was no one to call.
A tear escaped before she could stop it.
Then another.
She quickly wiped them away as someone walked past her desk.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.
She didn’t even want to see Daniel anymore.
In her mind…
He had failed her mother.
His reckless choices…
His irresponsible lifestyle…
Those were the things Emily blamed for Barbara’s death.
As far as she was concerned…
She no longer had a father.
The following Thursday, Mia stopped by Emily’s desk again.
She smiled.
“So…”
Emily already knew what was coming.
“No.”
Mia laughed softly.
“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”
“I do.”
“And the answer is still no.”
Mia rested one elbow on the partition.
“What if I promise not to ask personal questions?”
Emily smiled faintly.
“What if I promise to bring your favorite cheesecake?”
Emily raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t even know my favorite cheesecake.”
“I’ll buy three different ones.”
“One of them has to be right.”
For the first time in days…
Emily laughed.
A real laugh.
Small.
But genuine.
“There it is,” Mia said happily.
“I knew you hadn’t forgotten how.”
Emily shook her head.
“You don’t give up easily, do you?”
“No.”
“I don’t.”
Emily looked down at the papers on her desk.
Then back at Mia.
For reasons she couldn’t explain…
She suddenly felt safe.
Maybe because Mia wasn’t trying to fix her.
She was simply trying to be there.
Emily let out a long breath.
“Saturday.”
Mia smiled immediately.
“Saturday?”
Emily nodded.
“You can come over.”
Mia’s face lit up.
“I’ll bring lunch.”
“And dessert.”
“And absolutely no judgment.”
Emily smiled.
“Deal.”