Almost as soon as the door was closed, Shelley leant forward. “She’s the one?” she asked softly.

Choosing to ignore the question, Maura fetched her medical bag and set it carefully on the desk. “Would you come and sit up here?” she asked.

“Have you told her?” Shelley asked as she settled herself on the desk.

“No. Now sit still and take a deep breath!” Maura didn’t mean to snap but she couldn’t help herself.

Outside the door, Jane fidgeted and cursed the privacy the blinds in Maura’s office windows afforded. As she rested against the wall, the rustling in her jacket reminded her of the letter. Looking up and down the corridor, she pulled the letter from her jacket and slipped her thumb under the flap and ripped it open, pulling the sheet of yellow legal paper out and glancing up and down the corridor once more. When she was certain she was alone, she unfolded the page and began to read;

Dearest Jane,

I don’t yet know if or when I will either give you this letter or tell you my feelings outright, but I am writing to you now as I need to get this out, alas, you are still unwell.

I am sitting in your apartment and you are asleep. We’ve just returned from your first trip to the grocery store since ‘The Incident’.

I feel it necessary to tell you some things in light of recent events. All of my life, as far back as pre-school, I’ve never been able to really fit in anywhere, I’ve never had one person or group take me in and accept me as one of their own. I’ve always lived life on the outskirts, an understudy watching from the wings as it were. I’d grown accustomed to living my life in this manner.

When I moved to Boston, I naturally anticipated that this pattern would continue and, while there are still many people who make me feel as though I’m still the ‘weird kid’ at high school, Korsak, Frost and particularly you Jane, have welcomed me into your family circle. For the first time in my life, people are asking me to go out to a bar with them, and not solely because I will drive them home, you ask me because you enjoy my company.