Nora set down her attaché case and liberated the weekly schedule from its folder. Her finger traced down the names and corresponding shifts in Beta-2. She stopped when she found what she was seeking. Mary had worked third shift last night. Today, she was off. She could’ve slid the note under her door in broad daylight. Anybody could’ve seen her.

She checked her watch. She’d left work later than usual, and the bus had been slow tonight. It was almost 8:30. Her heart lurched. What time would Mary have gone to the tree? Would she still be there? She must be freezing. She threw down the schedule, re-buttoned her coat, and ran back out the door.

The night was pitch-black, and several times she lost her balance and had to recover. The semi-frozen mud squished under her heels and the wind whistled through her ears. As she approached the chapel, she squinted. A solitary figure stood huddled against the tree. Mary. Her breath quickened at the sight, and it was all she could do not to run to her and scoop her up in her arms.

Then the anger returned. Anger at her foolishness for freezing to death out here. Anger for the possibility of being spotted together, alone, in an isolated spot, at this hour of the night. How would it look? Anger at the thought that someone might have seen her slip the note under her door. Anger at how her heart and body betrayed her at the mere sight of Mary. Anger at the impossibility of all of it.

“Y-you c-c-came!”

Nora’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. “Have you lost your mind? It must be below freezing out here.” Nora removed her gloves and handed them to Mary. “Put these on. Honestly, what’s wrong with you?” She shook her head. “How long have you been standing out here?”

Mary shrugged. “I d-don’t know. Since d-dinner.”

“You could catch your death of cold.”

“C-could you please stop y-yelling at me?” Mary glanced away. When she looked back, tears hung on her lashes.

“I’m sorry.” Nora softened her tone. “It’s too cold for you. You shouldn’t have come.”

“I d-don’t know any other way to get your attention. I never s-see you anymore. It’s like you’re av-voiding me.”

“I am avoiding you.” No sense beating around the bush.

“Why? Why would you do that?”

“Do you not realize the import of what you did? Tell me that you weren’t daydreaming about us when your unit failed.”

“Of course I was daydreaming about us! I haven’t been able to think of anything else. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. All I can think about is you, and us, and all I see when I close my eyes is you, mercilessly berating me in front of everyone.”