An Engagement Of PARALLELS

6. REYNA

When Christopher called it a day and disappeared into the exit, I study the office atmosphere for a good minute.

It was past six in the evening and most of the employees were packing up their things and exiting through the glass doors or were busy chatting with their colleagues before leaving.

Marshall's office was empty. He had a meeting scheduled with some foreign delegates over an inter-governmental collaboration. I also see Maverick working intently on some files with no clue what was going around him.

Perfect!

I turn a switch on, and the glass walls facing the common working area and Maverick's office, starts getting draped with another glass wall, a lot thinner but not see through.

The three main offices had this arrangement whenever privacy was needed and this is the first time I am using it.

When the walls are draped, I face the wall overlooking the expansion of California. My throat makes a noise on its own accord and my mind strolls back to Luna. I'm breathing so hard, my frame is shaking. The cold sweat of my skin trembles and my legs are unable to withstand my weight.

I get on my knees, my body cracking in pain. Sobs after sobs heave my chest and the agony of past twenty four hours rips my lungs of air. My composure dissolves in tears until I can't breath and I'm dry heaving into nothing again.

Reality slaps me in the face-

Nine years.

I remember when mama got her for me. Her white fur had a small red ribbon and she looked like a ball of snow with two black beads for eyes. I had peppered mama with questions about Luna, confirming a hundredth time that she was in fact for me to keep and love.

She was with us in Israel and she came along with us, after mama passed away, to America.

I swallow the nothing in my throat as I remember snuggling with Luna after a long study session during my college and masters days. She had been my companion and my partner in crime in everything. My chick flick marathons for the lack of a real romantic partner. My gossip buddy for lack of any actual friend. My sous chef when I used to try various delicacies and fail miserably.

I laugh with no humor at the memory. A few strands of my hair stick to my cheek because of uncontrolled tears rolling down my eyes.

I feel every bit of the girl who lost her mother then and now lost a pet who was probably the only thing she called family. There is no strength in me, no courage. A facade that I have tried building here over the years all gone in a couple of hour.

But it was just that- a facade. And now that the glamor is off I feel empty once again, with emotions I have no idea how to handle.

I take off my sunglasses for the first time in entire day, if we do not count bathroom breaks. The pain is so much that I wince and move back to my office chair. Taking a seat, I put my head up and close my eyes to help with the unnecessary pain. Gravity sometimes makes things worse; like right now.

I laugh a bitter laugh. But it comes out as a harsh sound.

Perhaps, me drowning in my own thoughts and wallowing in my grief is the reason but I don't hear the door opening.

"Dahan?"

The first time I hear my name, I arrogantly ignore it, thinking I was probably starting to hear things out of misery.

"What is it, Dahan?"

Those words and that voice stuns me silent for a good minute. And the pause afterwards gives me enough time to choke on the horror caught in my throat.