Page 14 of Love and Cherish

“What do you mean?” Cherish asked, her chest swelling with annoyance. Why couldn’t Haylee just drop this already? Clearly, Cherish didn’t want to go to the doctor over it, so couldn’t she just leave well enough alone?

Before Haylee could respond, Cherish’s phone rang. She pursed her lips as she snagged the receiver off her desk when Febe’s name lit up across the screen. She would never miss a call from Febe. Hands down, that would be the worst thing possible, which was partly why she couldn’t find herself in a magnetic tube that would take pictures of her insides for hours.

“Exactly that,” Haylee mumbled and returned to her work, her chin turned down to avoid Cherish’s gaze.

The pinch of Cherish’s eyebrows made her hesitate for just a second before she shook her head and spoke into her phone. Cherish didn’t have time to worry about it.

Work called.

Febe called.

“Yes, Ms. Aarts?” Cherish threw another quick look to Haylee, but she was entranced by whatever was on her computer screen, her lips rubbing in and out as they tended to do when she was deep in thought. It was honestly adorable, and Cherish was pretty sure that Haylee had no idea she was doing it.

Cherish smiled and relaxed in her chair as Febe's voice filtered through the phone line. “Cherish, you’ve worked with me for years now, and we’ve known each other since we were children. You really can call me Febe, even at work.”

The pull at the bottom of Cherish’s chest tightened again. Anytime Febe mentioned home, anytime they talked about their past or growing up, it always did that. It was the strongest connection they had to each other.

“I prefer to make distinct boundaries between work and home.” Cherish closed her eyes and wished she could take back her words, but it was too late. It was a defense mechanism, and Cherish had very nearly admitted exactly what it was. It had nothing to do with work and home, and everything to do with the woman who ruled the office that her defense mechanism protected.

“I appreciate that, Cherish.” Febe’s voice washed over her the way no one else’s had the power to do. It was the balm Cherish needed every day.

“What did you need, Ms. Aarts?” Cherish cleared her throat, forcing herself back into work mode.

“I won’t be heading back to the office today.” Febe sighed, a heaviness to her tone that Cherish had heard so many times throughout the last couple years, and one that Cherish wished never existed. It was a pure, aching pain that haunted every step Febe took. Cherish wouldn’t be surprised if Febe was pushing herself too much again. “I have another meeting scheduled, and it makes no sense to return just to turn around and leave again.”

“I will make sure everything is locked up properly.” It was the least Cherish could do so that when morning came Febe had everything she needed at her desk, including a sweet treat from Zena Donuts. And while she was there, she’d get one for herself, and maybe Haylee.

“I’ve no doubt about that.” Febe’s voice carried the hint of a smile, and it made Cherish’s skin tingle.

She loved hearing those words of praise. They were rare, but always a delight. Cherish held them close, even being so childish as to write some of them down in her journal when they’d been younger and keeping them as a reminder of all the times Febe paid attention to her.

The thoughts she’d been having about Haylee were nothing compared to this. They were simple appreciation for a coworker who knew how to do her job and to bring a little sunshine and warmth into the otherwise icy office. It didn’t matter if they were packaged beautifully or not. Haylee might be pleasant to look at, but this feeling that Cherish harbored for Febe was entirely different.

There was no way Cherish could even toy with the idea that she could like Haylee in any other way. How could she settle for someone who could never be what Febe was to her? She and Febe had so much history. It was impossible to igno—

“Cherish, are you there?” Febe’s tone, edging on impatience, snapped Cherish to attention.

“Of course, sorry. I think the reception must have dropped for a moment,” Cherish lied, knowing the only connection that dropped had been her own concentration.

“All right,” Febe said, trusting Cherish as she always did. “I hate repeating myself, but in case you didn’t catch it, I need you and Haylee to find suitable candidates for Precious’s clients.”

“Certainly.” Cherish jotted down notes, refusing to get distracted by the small smear of food in the top right-hand corner of her notepad as Febe pointed out what she should look for.

“I’ll start interviewing the short list next week.” Febe’s breathing quickened through the phone, as if she was walking someplace swiftly.

Cherish had to strain to remember where Febe had gone, the full force of the migraine pain coming back and blocking that information from being retrieved. God, she hated when they got this bad. “We’ll have them ready for you.”

“Thank you, Cherish. Be sure to have some time for yourself over the weekend.” Febe always said that, despite knowing that Cherish wouldn’t do it. It was some sort of sick inside joke that the two of them shared.

“Of course, Ms. Aarts,” Cherish responded as Febe expected her to, fulfilling every single obligation she had.

“I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to seeing you again next week.”

The dial tone clicked in her ear, and she sighed. That was too much, wasn’t it? Cherish bit her tongue. She shouldn’t have added so much sunshine into her tone. She should have saved that for Haylee. It fit Haylee better.

“Does she know?” Haylee asked, her voice quieter than Cherish could remember it being in quite a while.

---