Mina woke from her dream with a sense of alarm. She turned her head to her window where the morning sky could be seen greeting her. It was still early and fluffy clouds dotted the faint blue in the growing light, but the pleasing sight didn’t ease her alarm. She’d dreamed that Momo had left in the middle of the night and she was alone in her home again. She got out of bed and padded out to the hallway in her slippers. A glance at the shoe rack told her that the dream was exactly that; just a dream. Momo’s ballet flats were still where she had left them the night before. Feeling her unease disappear, she filled a glass of water and drank it slowly. She leaned with her back to the sink as she recalled the events of the night before, a smile growing on her face.

It hadn’t been a simple dinner or anything she had imagined when planning it with Tzuyu. She’d been dispirited knowing of Momo’s disappointment at her leaving for America, but the feeling had been replaced by renewed hope that Momo still had feelings for her. She didn’t know what had been going through Momo’s mind while eating dessert, but something must have changed. Momo’s blush was evident of that and her smile grew wider at the memory of it. She finished her glass then rinsed it and deposited it in the drying rack.

She started walking back to her room but hesitated in front of Momo’s door. A small part of her still didn’t believe that Momo had slept the night at her apartment and she opened the door quietly to look in. Momo was in a deep sleep, curled up in the blankets with a peaceful expression on her face. She tiptoed forward to adjust the blankets at Momo’s neck then looked down adoringly. She stayed for a minute, lost in her reverie until her attention was drawn to the cup sitting on the bedside table. It was empty.

She looped a finger under the handle and walked to the kitchen to refill it with water. As the cup filled, she found herself grinning. The empty cup meant that Momo had woken up in the middle of the night and had chosen to stay rather than leave. Turning off the tap, Mina walked it back to Momo’s room and set it down on the bedside table. Closing the door softly, she returned to her room and sat on the edge of her bed. Although Momo had stayed the night, it was only temporary until she woke. Without a reason to come back, their relationship would return to the way it had been for the last decade and Mina racked her brain. She tried to think of some way to meet with Momo again now that the dinner had passed but nothing came to mind. She sighed and fell back onto her blankets, gazing up at the ceiling.

After a while of blank staring, she got up and padded to her bathroom to brush her teeth. Splashing her face with cold water, she patted it dry with a towel then paused. Soft vibrations of movement were coming from the guest room. She could hear muted footsteps and quickly ran a hand through her messy bed hair. Checking her reflection in the mirror, she took a deep breath then walked out to see Momo. Momo’s door was open and she knocked once before asking, “Hey. How did you sleep?” Momo was standing with her back turned when she spoke and jumped at the voice. Her hand flew to her chest as she turned and took in Mina.  

‘Hello. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.’

She hurriedly smoothed her hair and brushed away errant strands of hair from her face. She was still in the dress she’d worn the night before though the fabric had creased in places from her slumber. “I slept fine,” she said. “Thanks for asking.” She smiled awkwardly and her eyes widened as Mina raised her hand to Momo’s cheek and thumbed at the corner of . “You had some drool there,” Mina laughed as Momo reddened in embarrassment. She opened as if to speak then closed it and fell silent. Her eyes moved around the room, avoiding Mina’s gaze. They settled on her phone then widened as she brought it to her face.

‘Oh shoot!’

Mina frowned as she watched Momo type something on her phone and straightened up. “Is something wrong?” she asked, concerned. Momo looked up, seemingly having forgotten that Mina was standing in the doorway. She shook her head.

‘No, it’s alright. It’s nothing.’

Mina sighed and raised an eyebrow as she stared at Momo. “I think I told you last night that I can tell when you’re lying,” she said, crossing her arms. A sheepish grin appeared on Momo’s face at her lie getting caught out. “It’s nothing,” she repeated. “I’m just late for work is all.” 

‘Oh. Do you want me to take you?’

Momo put down her phone and turned to the bed. “No, that’s alright,” she said flapping the blanket. “Thanks for the offer but I wouldn’t want to trouble you. I’m sure you’d prefer to stay in bed a while longer. She fluffed up the pillows and smoothed a crease in the linen. Mina watched her silently, thinking fondly of Momo’s ingrained habits of housekeeping. “There’s no point sleeping in a bed if we’re not sharing it,” she wanted to say, but she kept the thought to herself.

Instead, she asked, “How are you going to get to work? Your car isn’t here.” “I can take a taxi,” Momo replied, looking up as she finished making the bed. She stood up and smoothed her dress again and Mina smiled. She could feel that Momo’s protest was weak at best and that there was no reason why she couldn’t drive her. Momo’s conscience was probably eating at her resistance and Mina had no qualms about taking advantage of it.

‘And be later than you already are? Taxis don’t frequent this neighbourhood.’

Momo brow furrowed at that knowledge then her face brightened. “That’s alright. I’d have to go home and get a change of clothes anyway,” she said. She looked a little too happy that she had an excuse to reject Mina’s offer and Mina narrowed her eyes. “Don’t worry, you can borrow some of my clothes.” Momo shook her head and Mina cut in before she could say anything.

‘Please. We’ve shared more than a change of clothes before so don’t say that it would be wrong.’

It seemed that Momo had been thinking just that and she blushed as she turned away. Mina pressed the opening she’d been given. “Think about your patients,” she pointed out. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint them, would you?” It was the nail in the coffin and Momo let out a quiet sigh.

‘Fine.’

Mina smiled openly as Momo agreed. She dashed out of the room and rummaged through her closet. She picked out an outfit for Momo then stepped into her bathroom and grabbed an unopened toothbrush packet and toothpaste. Momo was sitting on the bed when she returned and she handed her the clothes and toiletries. Momo accepted the clothes but eyed the toothbrush. “You just had a spare toothbrush lying around?” she asked. Mina nodded. “I keep spares in my cupboard in case I need them,” she said. She didn’t tell Momo that she had bought it the night before with the faint hope that if Momo stayed the night, she would need them. It had turned out that way in the end though differently from what she had imagined and she was glad for her preparations.

‘I’ll leave you to get changed.’

She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She returned to her bedroom and changed quickly, not wanting to make Momo wait. When she was done, she could hear Momo brushing her teeth and grabbed her keys to wait at the door. She hid a smile as she watched Momo walk towards her, her sweater nervously. “Are you sure that you wouldn’t prefer to sleep in?” asked Momo as she put on her shoes, throwing up a final complaint. Mina shook her head as she opened the door.

‘I was hoping to take you out for breakfast when you woke up so it’s fine.’

Momo could say nothing to that so she just followed Mina to the elevator. They stayed quiet as they merged into the morning traffic and Mina watched Momo out of the corner of her eye as she drove. Momo sat utterly still, motionless as she looked out the window. Wondering what she was thinking, Mina tried to keep a smile on her face. She’d been able to spend a bit more time with Momo by taking her to work but it still wasn’t what she wanted. She tried not to think about what she would say when they arrived and concentrated on her driving.

She stopped the car outside the entrance to the elevators in the hospital carpark and watched as Momo opened the door. She thought of saying something before Momo left but nothing came to mind. Momo stepped out of the car and turned around to look back. She hesitated then said, “Thanks for the lift. And for the clothes as well. I would have been extremely late if you hadn’t helped me. I can’t thank you enough.” Mina began to say that anyone would have done the same then stopped, seeing an opportunity. “You could thank me by having dinner with me again,” she said, looking up hopefully.

She threw out the invitation on impulse and didn’t expect much of it. Momo didn’t reply, thinking silently then curved into an amused smile. “Alright,” she laughed. “I guess I can do that much. Send me a text with the details then. I’ll be waiting.” She closed the car door and waved once before turning and walking away. Mina sat unmoving in her car with her face turned to Momo’s last position as she tried to process the fact that Momo had accepted her invitation. Eventually, she regained her senses and hurriedly checked her calendar. With a time and date in mind, she sent Momo the text then let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She pulled out of the car park, too happy to be fazed by the traffic. Her luck was turning.

~

Momo worked distractedly as she checked the patient’s temperature. Her thoughts surrounded Mina as she did her rounds but it didn’t seem as bad of a thing anymore. The memory of their dinner remained fresh in her mind and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had surprised her when Mina had asked about her feelings at their breakup. She had answered honestly to the unexpected question and could still feel echoes of the pain that were always present when thinking about the last conversation they’d had as girlfriends. But now that pain was tinged with hints of regret as she wondered whether she had made a mistake in walking out so fast.

At the time, she’d been so hurt by Mina telling her that she was leaving that she hadn’t wanted to hear another word and now uncertainty played at the edges of her mind. Sana hadn’t pried when comforting Momo in the days following and Momo had avoided thinking on the conversation, but Mina had looked like she’d been stabbed when she’d heard Momo’s answer the night before. And when she’d said that the ice cream had reminded her of Momo when she was in America, there had been a look of sad longing on her face. Momo’s heart had ached at the look, feeling a desire to comfort Mina. Maybe she had made a mistake.

‘Is there something wrong with me?’

Momo looked up as her patient asked a question, blinking in confusion. “Sorry?” The old man gestured awkwardly at the thermometer in Momo’s hands.

‘I mean, I don’t mind getting felt up by a pretty thing like you but it’s slightly concerning when you check my temperature for a third time.’

Momo flushed as she thought over the last minute and realised that the man was right. She shook her head hurriedly. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing wrong with you,” she apologised, putting away the thermometer. “My mind’s just been out of sorts today.” The old man exhaled in relief then puffed up his chest. “It’s alright. I usually have that effect on ladies,” he said pompously. Momo shook her head and grabbed her clipboard. “I wouldn’t want to tell you otherwise,” she laughed. The old man’s face broke into a solemn grin and settled back into his pillows.

‘Just don't go falling for me all of a sudden. I’ve had to break many a maiden’s heart.’

‘I’m sure you have.’

She patted the man’s shoulder then checked the monitor one last time before asking if he needed anything else. The man shook his head and she reminded him of the assistance button before walking out. As she closed the door, she looked down at her clipboard and was surprised to see that she had finished all her morning duties. She tucked the clipboard under an arm and waved to one of her passing colleagues before heading towards the break room. It was empty but warm inside and she rinsed her cup to make some coffee.

As the machine whirred, she found herself thinking about Mina again. It was hard not to. She was wearing Mina’s shirt and sweater under her doctor’s coat and they were wrapped in her familiar scent. They smelled faintly of peach and apple and was strangely comforting. She turned as someone walked into the break room then frowned as she saw Hyejin walking in with a sly grin. “Good morning,” she said as Hyejin washed her own cup and stood next to her, waiting.

‘Morning to you too. Didn’t think you were going to turn up today.’

Momo raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I?” she said. “I’ve never missed a day of work.”

‘Well, I thought you’d be tired from your late night.’

‘What made you think that?’

Hyejin paused and looked at her. “Well, I knew you had that dinner last night with that your generous donor and someone let slip that you’d been seen getting dropped off by a Myoui Mina this morning.” She smiled knowingly and filled her cup with coffee. Momo’s mouth gaped as Hyejin took a seat at the table, not sure how to start. Hyejin had obviously gotten the wrong idea. “She just dropped me off to work because I was running late,” she said as she joined Hyejin at the table. “Ah, so you stayed the night then,” Hyejin murmured softly, raising her cup to her lips. Momo waved her hands, flustered.

‘It’s not like that. I had too much alcohol and fell asleep on her couch. And we didn’t do any of the things you’re obviously thinking about.’

‘Are you sure? You’re quite a reclusive person and you obviously felt comfortable enough to sleep over at her place.’

She phrased the statement as a question and Momo shook her head. “We knew each other before the charity thing. We went to the same high school and university,” she explained. Hyejin lowered the cup to the table and her chin, musing.

‘So, you were high school sweethearts hmm?’

Momo sighed heavily and gave up trying to tell Hyejin otherwise. Her friend was only hearing what she wanted and ignoring everything else. She sipped her coffee and wondered who had seen her at the car park. It had been empty when she stepped out and turned to ask Hyejin then stopped as she saw her friend was chuckling. “I’m just messing with you,” Hyejin said. “However, your reactions are quite intriguing. Are you sure you guys didn’t get down and dirty? Since just eating dinner wouldn’t have been enough?”

She raised her eyebrows suggestively in a way that said she was only half-joking. For a second, images of what Hyejin had said popped into Momo’s head and she quickly dashed away the unexpected thoughts. She could feel herself blushing at having imagined herself in bed with Mina and opened to say something then closed it, knowing that whatever she said would just be twisted around by Hyejin.

‘We didn’t do anything like that.’

‘Sure, sure.’

Hyejin looked away and drank her coffee innocently. Momo did the same, sipping slowly. She thought about what Hyejin had said about her feeling comfortable enough to stay the night in Mina’s apartment. Although she had fallen asleep on Mina’s couch after drinking too much wine, she’d had a chance to leave. She had woken up in the middle of the night with a terrible thirst and seen that Mina had left her the cup of tea on the bedside table. She’d downed the entire thing then turned to go back to sleep but failing. Something about sleeping with Mina just a few walls away unsettled her and she’d tossed and turned many times before finally falling asleep without once thinking about leaving.

It didn’t help that Mina was so open with her feelings. She made it obvious that she wanted Momo and that confused her. She’d neve