It was warm outside, the kind of warmth that wrapped around you like a soft blanket. Wind brushed through the trees, lifting their branches and setting them to sway. It was late in the fall though it didn’t feel like it. Winter seemed a long way off with the leaves still golden and hanging strong. Mina looked up as one of these leaves tickled the top of her head and ducked to keep her hair from tangling. Tall oaks lined the pathway and she gazed around at the world of red and gold before turning to the side to look at Momo. Momo walked beside her silently, a thoughtful expression on her face. Her arm was linked through Mina’s, content to follow.

They stepped off the gravel path as Mina walked them towards an empty park bench. The wood was cool to the touch and they sat closely with Momo resting her head on Mina’s shoulder. They were on a walk after eating lunch at a nearby café and had found their way to the park, quiet and mostly undisturbed. It was their date day for the month, something that was increasingly rare with their busy jobs.

‘Are you still going to take time off work?’

Halfway into nodding off, Momo perked up and opened her eyes at the question to look at Mina. She nodded tiredly. “Yes. I know my hours don’t always match up with yours so we never get to spend time together and I wanted to be able to spend my birthday with my closest friends and girlfriend,” she said. Mina smiled at the sweet words but inside, worry blossomed. There was less than a month to go before Momo’s birthday and she still hadn’t managed to pick out a present. It was the first birthday she would celebrate with Momo as a couple and she wanted to make it special. Momo had grown up poor and she’d rarely celebrated her birthdays, thinking them a waste of money. It didn’t help that since Momo held little regard for things of monetary value; she would only scold Mina if she bought something too extravagant. On the other hand, if Mina got something too simple, she might end up disappointing Momo. All in all, it had been a worry that had stayed with her for weeks.

Mina pursed her lips and looked up to the sky in thought. Beside her, Momo’s eyes were closed again, unminding of the silence. She looked tired despite having slept through the morning and Mina studied her in concern. There were faint bags under Momo’s eyes she hadn’t noticed and she looked thinner. “Do you want to go home after this?” Mina asked. “We could watch a movie or something.” Momo smiled but shook her head. She held her arms up and splayed her fingers, studying them. “It’s alright,” she answered after a pause. “I’m just a little tired from work. I should be fine after a good night’s rest.”

‘Oh.’

Mina nodded, doubly glad that Momo would be taking a break from work. A sudden thought hit her as they sat there and she bit her lip as she wondered whether to voice her concern. She suspected that it was more than just fatigue from work, but didn’t want to sound foolish if she was just making something out of nothing. She reached out and intertwined her fingers with Momo’s. “Are you sure it isn’t something else that’s bothering you?” she asked. Momo gave a wry grin as she faced Mina.

‘I really can’t hide anything from you, can I?’

Mina smiled but said nothing as she waited for Momo to tell her what was on her mind.

‘It’s one of the patients in my ward. They haven’t been responding well to their treatment and it looks like surgery won’t be enough.’

Momo sighed heavily and looked away. “I feel so useless. All my years of studying and for what? I can’t even save this one person. I know so much but can’t do anything.” Mina nodded as Momo fell silent. “I think I understand why you might feel like you can’t do anything,” she said slowly, “But you can’t forget about the other people you have helped. You can’t forget about your other patients that you’re helping right now. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important when you’re only focused on what’s in front of you.” She gripped Momo’s hand tighter, trying to put into feelings that it was alright for Momo to rely on someone else and she wasn’t alone. It was one of the bad habits if she had any that Momo always tried to shoulder everything by herself. Momo looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before a wan smile spread across her face.

‘You always know what to say to make me feel better.’

She gave Mina’s hand a squeeze then stood up and exhaled. “Enough of this morbid talk. We’re supposed to be having fun today,” she said. “So let’s go do something fun.” Mina nodded, pleased that she had managed to lift Momo’s mood. She joined Momo in standing with a smile and bent her arm, gesturing down the gravel path.

‘Shall we?’

~

Quiet settled over the street as night began to fall, people heading home and indoors to escape the cold. The sky was darkening as the sun set, spreading soft pink hues across the horizon. It was a dreamy scene but Mina, much like everyone else, had her thoughts turned to more grounded concerns. She adjusted her grip on the two bags she was carrying to reach for her phone. It buzzed with a text and she stopped to pull it out. It was from her assistant – something about one of her meetings the next day.

She tapped out a reply, pausing as she noticed Momo staring distractedly at a window display. Forgetting about her text for the moment, she frowned up at the lettering above the shop door. It was a jewellery store and she wondered what had caught Momo’s attention, thinking that it might give her ideas for a birthday present. Before she could ask, Momo had entered inside. Hurrying to follow, Mina quickly finished her reply then slid her phone back into her pocket to join her girlfriend. She looked around the well-lit interior as the door closed behind her then walked towards Momo who was bent over a glass cabinet. “What are you looking at?” she asked as she neared. “These watches,” Momo replied, still staring. “They’re so beautiful.” Mina raised an eyebrow, taking a look for herself.

‘Really? They’re just watches. What’s so special about them?’

Momo straightened up, exhaling heavily.

‘It’s more about the concept of time keeping. The passing of time is special and watches are a reminder of the memories and time that’s passed and how much time is left to come. There’s something melancholic or magical about it. And listening to the slow tick of a watch is really relaxing don’t you think?’

Mina thought for a moment then decided there was some truth in it. “I suppose so. The steady tick does remind me of a heartbeat.” “Exactly,” Momo replied as she returned to gazing over the watches. Still a little doubtful of what had captivated Momo’s attention, Mina leaned over to study the gold and silver products. She heard a sigh beside her and saw Momo shoot one last longing look at the watches before turning away. Momo thanked the store clerk who had been standing by then walked out of the store as Mina followed her. “You’re not going to buy a watch? What was all that about melancholy and watches being magical?” Mina asked when they were outside. Momo smiled a small smile but just raised her hand. Her sleeve fell down, revealing the worn watch already strapped to her wrist.

‘Watches are special to me, but no, they’re too expensive. Even if I had the money, I still have my dad’s watch. It means too much to me to replace it.’

‘Oh.’

Not sure how else to respond, Mina looked up at the sky and the last vestiges of day. “Should we head home for dinner?” she asked, changing the subject. Momo nodded and linked her fingers with Mina’s as they walked towards the carpark.

~

Mina stretched with a groan as she leaned back into her chair. She’d been sitting in front of her computer for more than an hour, preparing for the coming day of work and her body was now stiff and protesting its treatment. She yawned and glanced at the time, surprised when she saw how late it had become. She turned off her computer then stood to stretch. She was in the middle of rolling her neck when she heard a voice come from behind.

‘You’re still awake? Don’t you ever sleep?’

Turning around, a smile spread across Mina’s face when she saw Momo leaning against the doorframe, a steaming cup in her hand. She was wrapped up in a dressing gown with her messy hair covering up most of her face. “I was just finishing up,” Mina said, peering into the cup. “Did I wake you?” Momo shook her head sleepily, offering up the hot drink. “Not really,” she yawned. “I needed to use the toilet and saw that you weren’t in bed. Then I saw the light coming from your study, so I came to check up on you.” Touched at Momo’s concern, Mina leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. Momo smelled like fresh strawberries and looked adorable with her mussed hair. Closing the study light, she held Momo’s hand as they walked to their bedroom.

She changed into her pyjamas then brushed her teeth, trying not to make too much sound. She wiped her face with a towel when she was done and switched off the bedside lamp, leaving the room in darkness. Slipping under the covers, she smiled as Momo rolled over to nestle closer, humming contentedly. Hugging Momo to her, Mina pressed a kiss to the top of Momo’s head and thought of how perfect things were before falling asleep, the smile still on her face.

~

‘Have you gotten the results of the blood tests back yet?’

Momo looked up from her desk and shook her head when she saw Hyejin in the doorway of her office. “Not yet,” she sighed. “Though I’m not sure I want to get them back so soon. I don’t know what I’d tell her if the worst comes to the worst.” Hyejin made a face as she nodded sympathetically.

‘I feel you. The worst thing about our jobs is having to give patients bad news. Sometimes I just want to lie and tell them everything will be okay even if it won’t.’

A snort escaped Momo at the idea. She’d fought with herself many times over the years at the same dilemma but telling the truth always seemed the right thing to do. It wasn’t easy telling a patient or their loved ones that they weren’t getting better. One memory that had always stayed with her was when she’d had to tell a mother that her son’s cancer was terminal. The mother had broken down into tears but then a minute later had started yelling at her, saying it was her fault that her son was dying. As Hyejin said, it was the worst thing about their jobs.

She l