The next morning, Momo awoke feeling refreshed from a good night’s sleep. She smiled as she turned in bed then raised a hand to her forehead as she remembered how she’d acted the night before. Fatigue and stress from work must have affected her more than she realised by the way she had overreacted to her watch getting broken. A faint ache ran through her at the reminder of the watch and she rubbed her wrist where it usually sat. Shuffling noises came from the foot of the bed and she sat up to see Mina hurriedly stuffing clothes into a suitcase. “Morning babe,” she said as Mina looked up at her. “What’s going on?” “I’m running late for my flight,” Mina replied, checking her phone. “I pressed stop on my alarm instead of snooze.”

Momo raised her eyebrows at Mina’s reply, unaware that she had a flight of any sort. “Where are you flying to?” she asked, getting out of bed to help. She pulled a few hastily shoved shirts from the pile in the suitcase and folded them into a neat stack. “Overseas. You don’t have to fold everything. As long as it closes.”

‘What for?’

“A business trip. I have some meetings with executives from our other company branches. Didn’t I tell you already?’

Momo shook her head as she tried to remember if Mina had told mentioned it and she’d just forgotten. She shifted into a more comfortable position and folded another shirt on her lap. “I don’t think so. How long are you going to be gone? Are you going to be back before my birthday?” Mina lay her hand on Momo’s arm and smiled reassuringly.

‘Don’t worry. It’ll just be a couple of days. It’s only a small office event and I wouldn’t miss your birthday for anything.’

The smile slipped from her face as she swore and got up to dash into the bathroom. She came out with her hairbrush and a small bag of toiletries. Shoving them into the suitcase, she placed Momo’s folded stack of clothes over a pair of shoes then pushed down on the lid. Momo slid the zip along the suitcase then followed Mina as she wheeled it to the door. Watching as Mina slipped on her shoes, she couldn’t help but feel it was all too sudden. She had no recollection of Mina telling her about the flight and was already beginning to miss her. Mina straightened up and gave her a tight hug with an amused smile at her glum expression. “I’ll be back before you know it,” she said, kissing Momo’s forehead. Momo nodded and smiled for Mina’s sake and stood in the doorway and waved as Mina pulled out of the driveway and out of sight.

Stepping back into the apartment, she pushed away feelings of loneliness now that Mina was gone and focused on getting ready for work. She just knew there was a mountain of paperwork waiting for her on her desk and needed some food and coffee inside her before she was prepared to face it. She ate and dressed quickly, then grabbed her bag to leave. Standing in the doorway, she turned around and looked behind her into the empty apartment, thinking about what she would do in the evening besides dinner now that she would be alone. Sleep was the only thing that came to mind and she shrugged as she closed the door. “It’ll just be like any other day,” she thought, walking down the driveway to her car.

~

Hours later, Momo sighed as she made her way into the breakroom. Sometimes, she wondered if doctors were paid enough for all they did. Every day, it seemed like they were fighting a losing battle against their workload. She rinsed out her coffee mug in the sink and left it to dry. Opening the shared fridge, she took out her packed leftovers and stared up at the ceiling as it microwaved. She rolled her neck, rubbing a tight knot of muscle and wincing at the flash of pain that followed. She was glad that she only had a few more days before her two weeks of leave from work, looking forward to a chance to sleep in. She turned as someone entered the room and a wry smile appeared on her face at a familiar face. “Fancy seeing you here,” she said as Hyejin headed straight to the automated coffee maker.

‘You know I can’t resist the temptation of this machine and its liquid gold.’

Momo snorted and took her lunch to the table. “That’s just another way of saying you’re an addict with a problem.” Hyejin chuckled and cupped her coffee mug with both hands. “That I am,” she agreed. She joined Momo at the table, leaning forward to face her as she sipped from her mug.

‘So, you doing anything tonight?’

Momo shrugged. “Not really,” she said. “Just going to read a book or something after dinner and then go to bed. Mina left on a trip this morning so I’m on my lonesome.” Hyejin’s eyebrows shot up. “What a coincidence. So did my boyfriend,” she replied. She looked around then leaned forward. “I sense an affair,” she whispered conspiratorially then laughed. “I’m just joking. You want to grab dinner with me after work then? We can be lonely together.”

“Sure,” Momo said distractedly, nodding as she peered down at her lunch in thought. Hyejin’s comment about an affair bothered her though she knew it was ridiculous. There was no way Mina and Hyejin’s boyfriend had planned their trips to be on the same day. She shook off the feeling and dug into her food. Her lunch time was limited and she had better things to do than entertain a stray fancy. She spooned the rest of her rice into then washed the plastic container, heading back to her desk to do some more work.

~

Momo shrugged her coat higher around her ears, feeling the cold sting at her neck. She breathed out steamy air, still warm from the hotpot she had shared with Hyejin. They walked along the sidewalk away from the restaurant, having filled their bellies. It was dark out and a cool breeze was blowing down the street, picking up fallen autumn leaves and scattering them about. Fading chatter floated along the breeze as the restaurant door opened and closed behind them. The night was still young, but the two women were finished with theirs. They paused as Hyejin waved down a taxi and stepped onto the kerb. “Well, this is me,” she said, hugging Momo. “Thanks for dinner.” Momo nodded and waved goodbye.

‘See you tomorrow.’

She continued waving as the taxi pulled away into traffic until lost sight of it. Resuming her pace, she headed for her car. It was a beautiful evening and the weather was perfect for a nightly stroll, but she just wanted to collapse into her bed and sleep. She stepped into her car and started up the engine, rubbing her hands to put some warmth into them before she touched the cold wheel. It was an uneventful drive home as the cars slowed to a crawl along the highway and Momo found herself yawning as she propped her head up with a hand against the window.

When she finally arrived home, she frowned as she saw the dark windows then remembered that Mina was on a business trip. She let herself into the house and showered quickly, brushing her teeth before sliding under the covers. The bed was cold and she felt Mina’s absence acutely. She looked at her phone and saw that it was already ten o’clock. She wondered for a second what the time difference was between her and Mina then realised with a start that Mina had never told her where she was going.

Lying in the dark of the room, she fought with herself before deciding to give Mina a call anyway. She worried that she would be disturbing her girlfriend’s work but wanted to see her girlfriend’s face and see how she was doing. The dial rang for a full minute before Momo ended the call and put her phone away. Maybe it was even later where Mina was and she was already in bed. She rolled over and wrapped the covers around her more tightly. There was no point dwelling on the matter and she had to wake early for work tomorrow. Closing her eyes, she let herself slip into sleep, the last thought on her mind being Mina and how much she missed her.

~

‘Enjoy your much-deserved rest. Don’t miss us too much.’

Momo cracked a smile at the small joke and thanked the dean as she left his office. It had been a grind for the last two days, but now she was free on her two weeks of leave. Her back arched as she stretched, letting out a groan as she walked down to her desk to tidy up.

‘I envy you so much.’

Momo looked up at the voice and smiled when she saw Hyejin leaning over the wall of her cubicle. “What’s there to envy? Didn’t you take a leave just last month?” she asked. Hyejin sighed and set her face in a wistful expression.

‘I did, but it seems so short-lived when I think back to it. I could kill for another break.’

‘If only.’

Momo looked over her desk for a final time to see if anything was out of place then slipped her phone into her pocket. She slung her handbag over a shoulder and pushed her chair under the table. “By the way, don’t forget that the patient in the east wing is scheduled for another set of blood tests tomorrow,” she said as she walked down the corridor to the elevators. “Also, I think room 302 needs an IV drip change. Make sure the nurses…” Momo trailed off as Hyejin made a pained face at her.  

‘Hey Momo, I know you’re the best doctor in our ward but we other doctors are more than capable. Enjoy your break and don’t worry about us for the next fortnight. You work too hard. We’ll be fine without you.’

Momo grinned, a little embarrassed. “Sorry. I guess I do worry too much,” she said then added an afterthought, “Oh, don’t forget that we need to-” Her sentence was cut off as Hyejin put her hands on Momo’s shoulders and frogmarched her towards the elevators. “We’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “Don’t worry about us and enjoy spending some quality time with your girlfriend instead.” Hyejin gave her a quick hug then waved as the elevator doors closed, smiling as she said, “Also, an early Happy Birthday to you.” Momo chuckled as the elevator took her down to the underground parking lot. She knew she had trouble letting go of control among other things and Hyejin was right. The other doctors in her ward were some of the best in the country and they were more than capable of running things while Momo was gone.

Turning her thoughts to what she would do now that she had so much free time on her hands, Momo felt her mood lift at the reminder that Mina would be flying back soon. They hadn’t managed to call or Facetime each other but Mina had left a message apologising for being busy and saying what time her flight back would touchdown. As it was, it meant that Momo still had the rest of the day and the next to herself. She hummed softly as she zoomed down the highway, heading home and eagerly awaiting the coming days.

~

Momo put her book down and looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. She sighed as the clock hands seemed to have barely moved since the last time she had checked the time. Mina was on her way home from the airport, having told her that she shouldn’t drive all the way just to pick her up. She opened her book again, but the words danced around the page, not making sense to her distracted brain. She sighed a second time and set the book down onto the coffee table, getting up from the couch. She walked to the kitchen sink and filled a glass with water, leaning with her back against the benchtop as she drank. Folding her other arm across her chest, her brow furrowed as she zoned out in thought.

She was already 30; this year she would be turning 31. So much time had passed since she was the little girl who only thought about what barbie dolls she would be getting for her birthday. She smiled wistfully at the memory of when times were simpler and she didn’t have to worry about so much. Her childhood with her parents had left behind lasting memories and the reminder of their deaths still ached but she could think back happily now.

Her thoughts turned to her grandma who had taken care of her up until her death. Her grandma had been her everything after her parents passed away and she still missed her presence. Momo hadn’t been able to say a proper goodbye before her grandma slipped into her eternal rest and she wondered what her parents and grandma would think of her now and whether they would be proud. She had achieved her dream of becoming a doctor that helped to save lives and had a great group of friends who she considered her new family. A smile appeared on her face as she added ‘a great girlfriend’ to her list of achievements.

She perked up as she heard sound of keys in a lock coming from the front door and drained her glass, placing it in the sink before rushing down the hallway. Opening the door, she beamed as she greeted Mina with a hug. “I missed you so much,” she said as they separated. Mina smiled and gazed at her for a moment before kissing her.

‘I missed you too. I’m sorry for taking so long. Traffic was horrible.’

‘That’s alright. Do you need any help with your stuff?’

Mina shook her head and wheeled her suitcase behind her as she followed Momo into the house. “What did you make for dinner?” Mina asked as she took off her sho