05:59PM

A minute before the alarm struck 6:00PM. 

The red-colored numbers of the clock next to her blink in slow succession, a reminder that time won’t adjust to anyone. Irene sighed a bit, the time couldn’t come any faster. She just wants to get off work, feeling the day weigh heavy on her slumped shoulders. 

Meetings and presentations and several other tasks, that piled one after the other, made it hard for her to take a break except when refilling her cup for coffee.

 After finishing her work an hour early, the time just seem to whenever it blinked slowly. Typing on her keyboard senselessly, moving her mouse and clicking random folders just to fill the slow dragging minutes before she could call it a day. 

Twenty minutes into her ‘work’, her phone vibrated next to her mouse. She always keeps it on vibrate, not wanting to draw attention from her coworkers while subtly keeping it convenient only for her in case someone texts.

Irene unlocked her phone, the text from someone easing her out of her struggles. 

She crinkled her nose to try to keep her face from breaking into a smile but completely failing at it. Irene opted to close her eyes, breathing through her nose slowly before exhaling the smile that painted her features bright again. 

WanLove:  Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers?

WanLove: He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them

WanLove: XD was it funny? 

WanLove: anyway, I kno ur not busy anymore since ur reading my texts

WanLove: but I miss you, love

WanLove: and I know u’ll reply to me later, so, hang in there baby

WanLove: iloveyou :*

She knows her too well, which is why Irene can’t not wait to get home anymore. But time sure knows when to take its time. 

Irene was always a professional when it comes to work, when texts unrelated to work comes, she doesn’t reply unless if it’s an emergency. But when such texts displays just minutes before she gets off work, it makes her more frustrated, the internal battle against her professionalism and affections making her grip on her phone tighten.

So, when the alarm finally broke out the quiet atmosphere of her office, Irene was quick to gather her things before bolting out of the double doors, not forgetting to punch out and greet the guards on the way out.

Irene was already in her car when she remembered that she was yet to reply.

To WanLove: I miss you too, love, im omw iloveyou

She looked at the message, a satisfied smile painting her features, before hitting off send.

Irene slowly drove out of the parking space, reminding herself to go to the convenience store first to grab some beers and take out some chicken for dinner.

***

Irene just opened her apartment when the fragrant smell of fresh vegetables and meat permeated the whole space. She could only think of one person whose cooking smells as good as its taste. She went further into her shared apartment, leaving her shoes lying haphazard below the shoe rack in her haste to get inside.

Irene was near the kitchen island when the view of someone’s back busily cooking left her stunned in place. She admired the sight a bit more with cheeks flushed, butterflies in her stomach, heart warmer and body relaxed just from being in the same space with her person. She couldn’t help the growing smile on her face, completely different from the stoic and almost cold expression she wore earlier. The rigid posture she acquired from being stuffed with workloads, loosening just from seeing the reliable and safe back of her person.

Irene broke herself out of her reverie, before quietly placing her stuffs in the kitchen island, her person still yet to notice her presence, too focused in her cooking. Irene chuckled quietly, she took a photo of her person, before slowly waking behind her. 

Irene slowly eased herself to Wendy, arms wrapping itself on her waist, careful to not startle her on her cooking. She’s hugged Wendy a lot from behind, latching herself to her every time she sees her after work, Wendy completely used to how she’s like after work.