THE PEACE OFFERING
The drive back from the coast had been a blur of grey and heavy thoughts. Despite the luxury of the villa and the laughter with Sofia, Kei's heart had remained anchored in the city. She had spent the last few hours of her vacation not looking at the waves, but wondering if Fay had remembered to eat or if she was still surviving on caffeine and sheer spite.
Kei didn't go to the Luz Group headquarters to check the morning's stock reports. She didn't head to a K-Street branch to oversee the lunch rush. Instead, she found herself at a small local stall, waiting for the freshest batch of roasted purple sweet potatoes.
The surgical floor of Sterling Hospital was unusually quiet when Kei stepped out of the elevator. She was carrying a simple brown paper bag and two cups of coffee no expensive jewelry this time, no grand gestures. Just the basics.
Nina looked up from her computer, her eyes widening. "You're back. I thought… after what happened in the library…"
"Well I'm worried about her, Nina," Kei said with a small, tired smile. "Is she in?"
Nina nodded toward the office. "She's been working through her lunch breaks all week. She looks like she's running on fumes."
Kei didn't wait for an invitation. She pushed the door open softly. The room was dim, the only light coming from Fay's desk lamp. Fay was hunched over a stack of patient files, her shoulders tense and her face pale. She looked smaller than usual, swallowed by the weight of her responsibilities.
When Fay looked up, the shock was visible in her eyes. For a split second, the coldness wasn't there only a raw, startled vulnerability.
"Kei?" Fay's voice was barely a whisper. She quickly composed herself, her expression hardening. "I thought you were at the beach. Sofia's posts made it look like you were quite occupied."
Kei ignored the bite in Fay's tone. She walked over and set the coffee down on the desk, then opened the paper bag. The warm, sweet scent of the roasted potatoes filled the air, cutting through the sterile smell of antiseptic.
"I came back early," Kei said gently. She pulled out a small wooden fork and pushed the bag toward Fay. "I care about you, you haven't eaten a proper meal today. Your hands are shaking, Fay."
Fay looked down at her hands and realized they were trembling. She looked at the sweet potato the exact kind they used to share on cold nights in their highschool days.
"You shouldn't be here," Fay said, though the words lacked their usual venom. "I told you to stay away. Why do you keep coming back to someone who treats you like this?"
"Because you need to eat," Kei replied simply, her voice steady and full of genuine worry. "You spend your whole life taking care of people's hearts, but you're letting your own body fall apart. Just eat this. Then, if you want me to leave, I'll leave without a word."
Fay stared at the steam rising from the bag. The jealousy she had felt while stalking Sofia's account the anger over the years she had missed suddenly felt exhausting. She was too tired to fight and the woman in front of her looked so sincerely worried that Fay couldn't find the strength to push her away again.
Slowly, Fay reached into the bag and took a bite. The warmth was comforting, a sharp contrast to the cold isolation she had felt all week.
"Is it okay?" Kei asked softly.
Fay didn't look up, but she nodded. "It's fine," she murmured, her voice thick with an emotion she wasn't ready to name.
Kei didn't push for more. She simply sat in the chair across from the desk, opened her own coffee, and watched the woman she loved finally take a moment to breathe.