Momo reached her arm out as her phone buzzed. She slapped her hand over her bedside table and finally found her phone which buzzed again. She let out a groan and as she had for the larger part of her life, woke up to dim darkness. The morning sun had barely risen and only a little light peeked through her curtains. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she unlocked the phone. Blinking a few times, she let her eyes adjust to the light and frowned at the screen. It wasn’t her alarm that had woken her up but instead an alert for a message. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the notification badge telling her that she had over 50 messages and missed calls waiting for her.

She scrolled through the first of the messages and slowly realised that they were all the same; congratulations for her getting the donation for the hospital. Everyone from her fellow doctors to families of patients had sent her a few words. Apparently, a news outlet had caught wind of the donation and published a short online article which quickly caught fire. After seeing the same line of text three times in a row, Momo stopped reading and stared glumly at the time. There was only a quarter of an hour before she was due to get up and not enough time to sleep again. She sighed and locked her phone, getting off her bed to ready for work.

She stumbled into her bathroom with a yawn and was halfway through brushing her teeth when memories of the previous night caught up with her. Mina, her ex-girlfriend that she hadn’t seen in nearly a decade, had been at the charity event and had donated $20 million at the auction. It was why she’d gotten so many messages and why she’d tossed and turned in bed for so long before finally falling asleep. Shock still mixed inside her at coming face to face with Mina so suddenly and she was unsure what she was supposed to feel about it.

Mina had chosen her dream over Momo and left her but after so many years, time had mellowed any feelings of betrayal and abandonment and now Momo wasn’t sure what lurked inside her heart. She finished brushing and changed into her work clothes. She microwaved leftovers that she hadn’t been able to stomach the day before and ate it as her car warmed up. Her phone which had fallen silent picked up again with notifications, likely as people woke up and heard the news. She resorted to switching it off to silence the annoying buzz and drove to work.

There was the usual traffic as she drove and Momo found her thoughts wandering to Mina’s reappearance in her life. A small ball of panic had wormed its way inside her and she knew things wouldn’t quite be the same for a time. Work would be disrupted with the large donation coming in and there was still Mina. Why would Mina donate millions just to win an auction for a dinner with her? Mina definitely didn’t care about her cancer patients or at least not enough to make such a large donation. And how was Momo supposed to react? Was she supposed to ignore Mina’s reappearance or welcome it? The questions kept coming but answers remained frustratingly absent.

Momo pulled into her parking spot in the hospital’s underground and was surprised at how quiet it was. Normally at this time, there would be a couple of other doctors arriving to or getting off work. She pondered it for a moment but an empty car park wasn’t a big deal and she travelled up the elevator to her floor with her mind distracted with thoughts of Mina. She looked up as a bell dinged and the doors opened to her floor a second before a loud shout echoed from around her.

‘Congratulations!’

Momo jumped in shock as she took in the sight of 30 odd doctors and nurses watching her with expectant faces. A faint smell of smoke and confetti from party poppers floated in the air and there was a large table set up in what used to be the lobby area. Looking around, Momo tried to process everything then blinked upwards as a robotic voice said, “Going down.” The elevator doors closed before anyone could react and Momo’s brain started working again as she tapped the button for her floor repeatedly. The elevator returned to the ground floor and she got out to press the up button, taking in deep breaths as she ascended. When the doors opened again, her colleagues were still gathered around the elevator entrance. She stepped out in a hurry and heard someone to the side say uncertainly, “Surprise?”

The comment broke the tension and Momo blushed as people started laughing, glad that they weren’t just staring at her. A person stepped forward and Momo recognised him as the dean of the ward. He stood beside her with a wide smile and addressed the small crowd. “I’m sure all of you have heard the news but I’d like to thank Momo for her great contributions in getting us a donation of $20 million for the hospital. It really helps our purpose of ridding the world of sickness and suffering and goes a long way to helping our patients. To Momo!” Cheers and applause mixed as Momo mumbled embarrassedly, “I didn’t really do much.” Nobody heard her through the noise and the crowd broke up as the celebration made its way to the large table. Plates of finger food sat atop with bottles of soda stood at one end of the table beside a stack of plastic cups.

The dean patted Momo on the shoulder with a soft ‘Well done’ then excused himself, leaving her alone. Letting out a relieved breath, Momo grabbed a cup and sipped from it as people approached her at intervals. Half the people asked what methods she had used to blackmail the CEO of Myoui and Co. while the other half made jokes about upgrades to the elevators being the first on the list of priorities for the donation money. The celebration didn’t last long as people started drifting away to get back to work and Momo was happy to do the same. She changed into her scrubs and walked towards the end of the corridor to begin her round of patient check-ups. She spotted Hyejin exiting from a door and jogged to her side with her hand outstretched, a smile on her face.

‘Thank you very much for your sacrifice.’

Hyejin turned at her approach with a scowl and she shook the hand begrudgingly. “It’s only for two weeks and I guess it is for the patients,” she sighed. Momo smiled brightly as they walked towards the patients’ rooms, thinking about how nice it would be to have normal sleep cycles for the next fortnight. Hyejin would be taking all the overnight shifts while she would be fast asleep in her comfy bed and she decided that her embarrassing scene with the elevator had been made up for. The thought reminded her and she turned to Hyejin. “Why didn’t you warn me that there was going to be a surprise party?” she asked. Hyejin glanced at her quickly before shrugging.

‘I tried. You didn’t pick up when I called so I left you a message.’

A groan escaped Momo. “I turned my phone off because I was getting so many messages,” she said with some regret. Hyejin chuckled once and stopped in front of a door that led to the breakroom, grinning.

‘Just remember that after the elevator, put a new coffee machine as the next priority.’

~

Mina fidgeted with a pen as she sat at her desk, restless as she stared at the paper in front of her. It was a receipt for her donation that doubled as a ticket for the dinner that she had won. A flash of satisfaction ran through her at the thought of being able to have an uninterrupted meal with Momo. It was the opportunity she didn’t know she had been waiting for. She had been afraid to contact Momo in the years following their separation but seeing the blonde at the fundraiser had made her realise how much she wanted to see her again. The memory of Momo had invaded her thoughts all day and she’d spent a while in bed thinking about what she wanted to do with the dinner. It was a perfect chance to rekindle their relationship.

The pen in her hand clicked as she stabbed it on the wooden surface of the table and her eyes wandered to a pile of papers that she’d ignored. She’d been too distracted by her thoughts and had pushed her work aside, deciding that there were more pressing matters. She reached forward and pulled out a folder, flicking through it. The letters and numbers jumbled together into a blank page and she put it down with a sigh. She wouldn’t get anything done with Momo on her mind and she hesitated before picking up her phone and calling her best friend. Tzuyu picked after the first ring, answering in her usual unharried tone.

‘Hello Mina. What can I do for you?’

‘Hey Tzuyu. Are you busy right now?’

‘No. I just got of the theatre. I’m on my break for another 10 minutes. What’s up?’

Tzuyu was a plastic surgeon, having taken over her parents’ clinic and with her reputation as someone who could fix any cosmetic concern, business had boomed. She worked from morning to late at night with only short breaks.

‘I was wondering if you could give me some advice.’

There was silence on the line for a few seconds before Tzuyu replied. “Let me guess,” she said, “This is about what happened at your fundraiser event last night.” Mina grinned.

‘Yeah.’

‘Hmm. I must admit I was wanting to call you when I finished work. I heard about what you did from your parents and I’m curious as to what possessed you to donate a fortune to a hospital that I can’t think has any connection to you.’

Mina bit her lip, for the first time wondering if she had gone overboard with the amount. At the time, she hadn’t cared how much she was bidding so long as she won the auction. A strong feeling of jealousy had overtaken her when she had noticed another bidder standing near her with a sleazy grin as he watched Momo and had wanted to end the auction on the spot. When she thought about it, $20 million might have been a bit too much. She winced before shrugging to herself, thinking that there was nothing that she could change about it. She realised that Tzuyu was still waiting for her reply and decided that there was no point in hiding anything from her best friend if she was going to help.

‘Momo works at that hospital.’

Tzuyu let out a sound of surprise. “And you thought that donating a fortune would make her notice you?” she asked in a confused voice.

‘The auction was for a dinner with her.’

‘Oh.’

Tzuyu didn’t speak for a while and Mina waited nervously, worried about her friend’s reaction. “I guess it makes sense now,” Tzuyu said finally. She sighed before talking again. “I think it might be better if we talk about it when I finish work. I don’t have much time before my next operation and I’m going to need a drink or two if I’m going to help you sort out your love life.”

‘Thanks, Tzuyu. My house or yours?’

‘Mine. You don’t have any good wine.’

Mina smiled at friend’s undying love for alcohol. Tzuyu had a wine cellar installed in her apartment and had it stocked with rare vintages that she drank on her off times.

‘Alright, but if you get drunk on me, I’m taking one of your prized Merlots.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to remain sober. See you tonight.’

Mina said goodbye and hung up, feeling a small weight lift off her shoulders knowing that Tzuyu would be helping her. She put her phone away and picked up the pen again, tapping it against her coffee mug before standing up suddenly. She was confident that she would be able to plan out the dinner with the help of Tzuyu and all she needed to do was make sure that Momo would be there. She didn’t know what Momo’s feelings were towards her and was uncertain whether she would honour the dinner. She had texted Momo in the morning to confirm her attendance but had gotten no reply.

She grabbed the receipt from the table, rushing out of her office. “I’m going to be out for a while,” she said to her assistant as she made her way to the elevator down to the car park. She dumped her bag in the passenger seat and pulled out into traffic. She tried to control her nerves, eager to get to her destination. She had a reason to see Momo and couldn’t wait.

She parked in the visitors’ area of the hospital where Momo worked and took a deep breath before getting out of her car. The hospital lobby was full of activity with patients and doctors walking about and Mina took a quick look around to see if Momo was there. She wasn’t and Mina approached the receptionist with a polite smile. She leaned back in shock when the receptionist jumped up upon seeing her, wondering what had happened. She relaxed when the receptionist just bowed and held his hand out. “Thank you so much, ma’am,” the receptionist said, shaking her hand. “My grandfather is a patient at this hospital and your donation will go a long way to helping him get better.”

‘It’s nothing. I’m just doing my part in helping the world.’

‘Well, you’re doing a very big part. Thank you.’

The receptionist let go of her hand and sat down with his eyes glistening. “So, what can I do for you today?” he asked, getting back to business. “I’m here to see Hirai Momo, one of the doctors here,” Mina replied. The receptionist nodded and directed her to the elevators.

‘She’s working on the eighth floor. Just ask the reception there.’

Mina stepped into the elevator and tried not to bite her nails as she went up. She had faced scarier situations before but the thought of facing Momo again made her nervous. Momo had been eager to get away from her the night before and she didn’t know how the blonde would react at Mina showing up unannounced. The elevator doors opened and Mina walked up to the receptionist’s desk on the floor. The old lady behind the desk smiled when she saw her and gave her a room number when she asked for Momo. Thanking the receptionist, Mina tried to relax her nerves. The door of the room that she had been pointed to was open and she knocked quietly before pausing as her breath caught in at the sight of Momo.

Dressed in her coat, Momo was bent over the patient, an elderly man, tending to him. She brushed a wispy baby hair from her forehead and smiled as the man spoke. She said something in reply but her voice was too soft for Mina to hear. There was a sudden rustle as wind blew in through the open window. The patient murmured something and Momo nodded her head, walking towards the window. She held the curtains and hesitated before turning back to face the old man. opened but the words were lost to Mina as her heart skipped a beat. Her legs trembled and her chest felt funny as she watched Momo.

Basked in the bright sunlight with her doctor’s coat flowing out behind her, Momo’s hair blew softly around her head and Mina wished that she had a camera to capture the moment. Momo looked like an angel, a seraph, so beautiful and so alive with the death the surrounded her. Mina forgot to breathe for those few moments until Momo shut the window and drew the curtains close and she knew that she was still in love.

She stood in the doorway for a while, watching as Momo cared for the patient. Eventually, she remembered the reason for her coming and knocked again. This time Momo heard and she looked up. fell open at seeing Mina and her eyes grew wide then hard. She straightened up and smiled as she said something to the old man before a frown replaced the smile as she approached Mina. She didn’t say anything as she closed the door and led Mina to an empty room. She the lights then whirled around to face Mina. “What are you doing here?” she asked without preamble.

‘I sent you a message but you didn’t reply so I came here to ask you in person.’

Momo let out a soft groan. She faced Mina but avoided her gaze and her shoulders were tight with tension. “My phone’s been off the entire morning,” she explained.  She looked around and lowered herself onto the hospital bed with a sigh. “I’m still working and my phone’s on my desk so what was it that you wanted to ask?”

‘I wanted to make sure that you were still coming to the dinner.’

“Dinner?” Momo asked, sounding confused. Mina nodded and pulled out the receipt that she had brought with her. She handed it to Momo, watching her study it. Momo’s expression was troubled when she returned it, still refusing to meet Mina’s eyes. Her face was a mixture of apprehension and discomfort.

“Does it have to be a dinner? Why can’t we just grab lunch now? I have my break soon.’

Mina shook her head. She was determined to make the most of the dinner with Momo and a quick lunch didn’t register in her mind.

‘I paid $20 million at the auction. I think I’m entitled to something besides an hour’s lunch at some downtown café.’

She watched Momo and waited nervously, unsure that Momo would agree. She knew that she wasn’t brave enough to press the issue if the other woman refused but then Momo’s shoulders dropped and she stood up. “When do you want to have dinner then?” Momo asked and Mina felt a wave of relief wash over her. “I have work until 8 every day of the week,” she replied. “What time are you free?”

‘My shift finishes at 6 for the next two weeks.’

‘How about 8:30 then, this Friday?’

Momo nodded at the suggestion and Mina smiled, her confidence growing. “So, do you want me to pick you up from your house at 8 or would you prefer to come to my office?” She suggested the latter as a joke but was surprised when Momo shook her head hurriedly, waving her hands.

‘You don’t have to come pick me up. I’ll come to your office when you finish work.’

Mina raised an eyebrow at Momo’s reaction but didn’t pry. Things were going well and she didn’t want to complicate matters by asking any unnecessary questions. She smiled again and said, “I’ll send you a text to remind you.” Momo didn’t seem to have heard, a distracted look on her face. Her eyes were staring into the distance and Mina suppressed a d