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Tossing aside the rag, Jo watched it miss the workbench and fall to the ground.That feels about right,she thought.I’m missing the mark on everything.“It’s not like that,” she finally said with a huff.

“Then what is it like?” Mica asked. “Because from where I’m standing, you let someone who clearly cares about you walk out of here thinking you don’t give a damn.”

Shaking her head, Jo didn’t want to explain the details of her relationship with Evelyn to Mica. “It’s complicated. Okay?”

“No. It’s not okay and it’s not that complicated,” Mica said, crossing her arms. “You’re scared. She matters. And that freaks you out.” Jo looked away. Mica softened. “Look. You’re allowed to feel things, Jo. You’re allowed to want her to stay close.”

Not responding, Jo stared at the open garage door and the street beyond it, trying to understand what she felt.Is Mica right?she wondered.Should I have asked her to stay?She blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ll think about it,” she muttered.

“Good. But don’t wait too long,” Mica said. “Or you’ll lose your chance.”

Evelyn gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her knuckles white as she pulled away from Jo’s garage. Keeping her eyes on the road, she clenched her jaw, trying to keep her breathing steady, but her throat was tight.That’s it?she thought.That’s all she had to say?She blinked hard, the sting of tears already threatening as Jo’s voice echoed in her head. “You should take the job. You’ve worked hard. You deserve this.” No fight. No hesitation. No “I want you to stay” or “Let’s figure it out.” Only a polite brush-off, like Evelyn had told her she was going to Seattlefor the weekend, not that she might be gone for months. Long enough for everything between them to fade into nothing.

Knowing she wasn’t focused enough to drive, she turned into a grocery store lot. After throwing the car into park, she slumped back in her seat and stared at the dashboard. She didn’t know what she had expected.A plea?she wondered.A promise? Something that matched what we shared, what we said with our bodies, if not yet with words.Rubbing her burning eyes, Evelyn tried to calm herself as her anger grew along with her hurt.But Jo looked at me like none of it mattered.She blew out a frustrated breath.So fine then.

She reached for her phone with trembling fingers and scrolled to Dr. Wong’s contact. Closing her eyes, she pressed CALL before she could talk herself out of it. The line rang once. Twice. “Dr. Wong.”

“Hi, it’s Evelyn,” she said, her voice tight. “I’ve made my decision.”

There was a pause, and then, “Yes?”

“I’m accepting the offer,” Evelyn said, her voice a little stronger now. “I’d like to move forward with the new position.”

“Excellent. I’ll inform the board,” Dr. Wong said. “We’ll begin transition planning immediately.”

“Thank you,” Evelyn said. “I’ll be in tomorrow to go over any paperwork.”

She ended the call before Dr. Wong could say anything else and stared at the screen. Then, she opened her messages and sent a text to her sister. “Told Jo. She took it fine, I guess. I also called Dr. Wong. Took the job. It’s done.”

Hesitating a moment longer, she opened a new text to Jo. “Thank you for understanding. I’ll still help with the block party, of course.”

The reply from Jo came back a minute later. One word. “Sure.”

Evelyn stared at it. Her chest clenched.That’s all I get?she wondered.Sure. Tears blurred her vision. Dropping the phone into the passenger seat, she pressed the heel of her hand against her mouth as the first sob slipped out. Then another. And another. She cried for the weight of the decision, for the way Jo hadn’t tried to stop her, for how deeply it hurt to realize the person you were falling for wasn’t ready to fall too. Sitting in her car in the parking lot, she cried until she couldn’t anymore, and the pain was nothing but a dull ache. Wiping her face with a Kleenex from the glovebox, she stared out the windshield at the other cars in the lot.I made the right choice.I have to do what’s best for me.But her voice was shaky, even in her own head.

Unable to focus on the tire rotation that was next on the to-do list, Jo simply stared at the lug nuts like they were written in a foreign language. Her brain spun too fast to follow one clear thought.I said all the right things, didn’t I?She knew she had said the supportive, mature things. “You gotta do what’s best for you.” Jo turned and put the air impact gun aside.And really, what else was there? Please stay? I want more?She shook her head as she walked away from the car.No way. That’s not me.Without thinking, she grabbed her keys from the hook by the office door, shrugged on her leather jacket, and headed outside. Mica poked her head out the window as Jo mounted her bike.

“Where are you going?” Mica called.

“Out,” Jo said shortly. “I need you to finish that tire rotation and then lock up.” She jammed her helmet on and kicked the bike into gear. The engine roared to life beneath her, and she took off down the street before Mica could press for more answers.

Heading across town, she weaved through traffic easily. She refused to think about Evelyn. She didn’t want to think abouthow the woman’s voice cracked slightly when Jo had brushed her off. She didn’t think about Evelyn’s text. “Thank you for understanding. I’ll still help with the block party, of course.” She didn’t think about the single word she’d sent back. “Sure.” Instead, she focused on the road. Until a familiar neighborhood came into view.

She pulled up in front of the small, tidy house with the lawn neatly trimmed. Mr. Diaz’s place. After turning off the engine, she sat for a moment, trying to get up the courage to walk inside. Finally, she swung her leg over the bike and headed up the walk to knock. Jo heard heavy footsteps from somewhere in the house, and when the door opened, Mr. Diaz blinked at her, clearly surprised. “Jo,” he said, his eyes narrowing with concern. “Well, this is unexpected. Everything all right?”

“No,” Jo said. “Not really.” Mr. Diaz stepped aside without another word, and Jo entered the familiar home. This was a place where she always felt good and taken care of.

“Sit,” Mr. Diaz said, motioning to the worn recliner. Jo didn’t argue as Mr. Diaz disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, then returned with two bottles of beer. He handed one to her, then settled into the couch across from her. He made an appraising gaze then said, “Okay, talk.”

Taking a swallow of beer to help clear her throat, Jo stalled for time. Finally, she sighed. “I was gonna wait until the block party to tell you,” she started. “But it’s too much now.” The man didn’t reply. Only waited. “You know all about the break-in at the shop. How they took a bunch of parts, tools, equipment. Expensive stuff I can’t easily replace.”

“Yes,” he said. “How could I forget?”

“Right,” Jo replied, forcing herself not to squirm. “Well, I wasn’t super concerned because I thought the insurance would cover it.”

“And it didn’t?”

Jo shook her head. “Not all of it,” she answered. “Turns out there were exclusions I didn’t know about. I’m out thousands.”