Chapter Text
The Ready Room door chimes.
He does not dare hope.
It is she.
For a brief moment, the corners of his mouth betray his elation, before he quickly quells his visible excitement.
She cannot know the joy she elicits just by appearing before him. She is a colleague, a professional ... a widow of a man for whose death he bears responsibility.
As she addresses him, he cannot prevent himself from envisioning his fantasy.
He pulls her towards him, cradles her in his arms, tastes her lips, lets her know how much he loves her.
He cannot. Not today. Not ever.