“I know, sweetie… You used to be full of big talk about saving the world. Where was it you were going to volunteer? India?”

A smile twitched on Cora’s lips. “Asia.” The smile died. Cora hadn’t thought of that in years and years. Whatever happened to making her mark on the world in a way that helped people? It had been the entire reason she’d chosen social work.

They sat in silence before Lisa broke it. “I thought you were going to end it months ago. I was proud of you.”

“I was. I almost did.”

“What happened?”

Cora sighed again. “I slept with someone else. Alec came back from his conference full of manipulation… I felt so guilty, I…”

“You let it work.”

Cora waved her hand non-committedly in the air. “Apparently. We went to therapy.”

This made Lisa straighten up. “Really? How did that go?”

“It made me really see what was going on. Alec… I don’t think he liked it. The therapist was really good, highlighted when he interrupted me, highlighted the things he said. Gave us exercises to do at home that he never did… Alec decided we were better after a few sessions, and we stopped going.”

“He decided?”

Cora couldn’t look her in the eye at that question, shame biting in her stomach.

“Cora,” Lisa said, “how the hell did you manage an affair?”

“We work together.”

“You had sex in the hospital?” Lisa’s voice was much higher than normal.

“Yeah.”

“That’s… That’s kind of gross, Cora.”

Cora gave a sudden laugh. It burst out of her like relief. “Yeah. It kind of is.”

And then they caught each other’s eye and laughed, Cora’s stomach aching with it.

Hours later, they sat on the couch, Cora’s head on Lisa’s shoulder.

“Do you have feelings for the guy?” Lisa asked.

Cora watched the TV, an old black-and-white movie she hadn’t really been following. She shook her head adamantly, not even thinking. “No.” Of course she didn’t. She couldn’t.

“So what were you doing?”

“I don’t know. Distracting myself. I’m married. I can’t have feelings for someone else.”

Lisa just squeezed her hand.

But Cora could still feel the way Frazer’s hand had stroked her back. The way she’d looked at her, her entire face softening as they’d whispered to each other.

* * *

There was no way Frazer was going to contact Cora.

A message from Jemma, after Cora had walked out, had Frazer burying her face in her pillow.

Nice wedding ring your friend has.

Everything was starting to become far too real.