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Eden spied the notes on her desk. She would tackle them before anything else. The first was nothing too taxing. Just a call back from a regular client that used The Garden of Eden yearly. The second…was what she didn’t want to see. A note from Aster.

Eden narrowed her eyes. That wasn’t Maxine’s handwriting.

All images sent electronically to the Carmichael wedding. Printed copies have been sent Special Delivery. If anything seems wrong from your end, drop me an email. Working from home on the wedding album. Jules & Barry have given me their selected images. Aster.

Eden lowered the note, sadness rolling through her. Aster had definitely taken offence to her tone last night. And who could blame her? Eden would do well to remember that there was someone out there who cared about her. Someone she cared about in return. A lot.

She considered her options. She could either let Aster get on with her work at home, or she could try calling her again. Aster hadn’t returned a single call yet, so perhaps Eden should take Aster’s address from her employee records and visit her.

Eden retrieved her phone from her bag, bringing up Blair’s number. She called it, hoping her best friend was available.

“Ede’s, hi.”

“Well, Aster is alive and well.”

Blair breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. So, everything’s okay then? She’s at work?”

“N-no. I had a note on my desk when I got here. She’s working from home.”

“Right.”

Eden chewed her lip, running her thumb over Aster’s pretty handwriting. She didn’t know why she needed to see the young photographer. Perhaps it was the yearning she’d pushed down, or maybe she wanted to check that everything was okay. It was the latter, without a doubt. “Should I go over there?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not sure she’d take too kindly to you showing up at her door.”

“I know. That’s what I thought.”

“I could ask Dom to call her when she finishes work. Maybe even offer to go over there and hangout for a couple of hours. They seem friendly enough to do that, right?”

“No, it’s okay. This is my mess to figure out, Blair. I appreciate you trying, but I’m not dragging you into this.”

“I offered.”

“Still.” Eden slowly lowered herself into her office chair, resting back as she closed her eyes. “I think maybe it’s best if I leave Aster be. She’s here to work; I never should have agreed to seeing her outside of work. And you probably shouldn’t have set up that dinner.”

“Uh, why? If you’re into her, you kinda have to be around her to be sure.”

“I know I’m into her, no experimenting necessary, but she’s only a friend. You say you see these things, that she told you everything, but I don’t want to make a fool of myself. Not when I have to work with her.”

“You’re wrong, but okay.”

“Look, I have you, and I have Dom. I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle anymore. I’ve spent this long single, no marriage or kids, so I’m sure I can manage the rest of my days the same way.”

“I know that’s not what you want, though.”

Eden had heard the whispers from their friends. She knew all about the things they said about her. How she was too busy with her own life to create a family. How she cared too much about herself to put the effort into a relationship. But that wasn’t true.

“I’m sure the girls will be thrilled to gossip at your next lunch about my fleeting chances, body drying up, and the last ticks of my biological clock. I know how they all laugh at me.”

“Oh, Eden.”

“I have to go. Sitting here talking to you won’t get my work finished, and I’m already an hour late getting here.”

“Ede—”

Eden cut the call, lowering her phone to her desk. She’d become accustomed to seeing Aster’s smiling face around here over the last two months or so, and now she’d made a mess of it potentially happening again. She brought up her emails, kicked off her heels, and focused on the screen. Work would always be there for her.

* * *