“My mistake. Wrong place.” He stepped back. “Apologies.” And he left as neatly as he’d arrived. The door clicked shut. Eleanor exhaled shakily. “That didn’t feel like the wrong place.” Sarah’s eyes flicked to the tablet—still loading. “No,” she said quietly. “It didn’t.” She set the scanner down. “Coffee,” she said. “Two minutes. Then we check what that code pulls.”
In the staff kitchen, the coffee tasted burnt and comforting in the way old routines were. Eleanor cradled the paper cup with both hands, letting warmth settle her shaking fingers. “I keep waiting to wake up,” she whispered. “I’ve imagined him coming back and it never—” Sarah’s expression softened. “I’m glad it’s real,” she said. “I know how lonely it’s been.”