BRINK (gxg)

1

"Hey, my love. I'm not sure what time I'll be home tonight. Papers are piling up," Elle said aloud as she shuffled through the stacks of folders on her glass desk.

"No worries. Just update me, okay? I'll pick you up after my meeting," Jane replied on speakerphone. "Don't stress yourself out too much."

"Thanks, Jane. You, too. I love you always."

"I love you," Jane said before ending the call.

With a sigh, Elle sat down on her leather seat, and turned to face her floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The view from the 30th floor used to be breathtaking. But after working at the law firm for three years, Elle found that along the way it had lost its calming effect. Now, the glowing lights akin to fireflies would often only remind her of the traffic she would have to go through to get home.

Occasionally, however, Elle would catch the sunsets. Those never seem to lose their beauty.

Elle leaned back and observed her faint reflection against the night sky. She donned a tailored suit, finally found the perfect haircut for her face, and achieved the build she wanted for her body. 18-year-old Elle would be proud. Elle smiled and mentally gave herself a pat on the back.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound on the table interrupted her sentimental musings. She stood up to check her phone.

[1 Message from Reese Tracy to Heterohomos group chat]

A wave of nostalgia crashed upon Elle at the sight of the notification. It wasn't the typical wave of calm contentment that forces a small smile upon the lips, like when you remember the first pet you've ever loved, or come across a drawing or journal entry from your childhood. No, it was more akin to a wrench being forced into the chest, twisting a little bit and weighing heavy until you feel it in your stomach. A common feeling among almosts, Elle reasoned, in an attempt to brush off the once-regular phenomenon.

Notwithstanding the fleeting pain, however, Elle still smiled upon seeing her old lover's name.

It had been at least three years since she last thought of Reese. It felt unfamiliar to even say her name in her head. Reese. Reese Tracy.

Relishing the aftertaste of the little burst of stinging nostalgia, Elle opened the message, and found an image attached.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of
Reese Tracy & Paul Marco
on August 03...

Elle smiled. "Of course, even her wedding invitation would be pink."

This was Elle's first thought. That is, until she realized what she just read.

Elle had to sit down again. She placed her phone back on her desk as it buzzed continuously from the string of enthusiastic congratulatory messages from the other members of the group.

Reese is getting married.

Before she could figure out how to feel, Elle heard her office door burst open, and she found Vi striding towards her desk, her heels clacking against the marble tiles and her legs looking longer than ever.

Tonight, Vi wore a white dress that contrasted beautifully against her dark skin. For some reason, she's never repeated an outfit, and Elle never got an answer as to how she could afford such a lifestyle, and where the clothes go after.

"Reese is getting married!" Vi exclaimed in surprise.

Elle, still shaken, put on a smile and nodded. "Y—yeah," she said. "In two months."

"You don't seem happy about it. You look confused."

Elle didn't reply.

Vi slowed down. "You still have feelings for her, huh?"

"No, none at all," Elle denied immediately. She paused and attempted to find the right words. "It's just... weird. I never got any closure with her whatsoever, and all of a sudden, she's just... getting married."

Vi shrugged and sat on the leather seat across Elle's desk. "Yup, she just disappeared after we graduated from university," Vi said.

None of them said it aloud, but they both knew that Reese began distancing herself when Elle introduced her current girlfriend, Jane. It was a topic neither of them ever brought up. But it was more peaceful that way.

Elle cleared her throat. "Yeah. But... I don't know. I don't really know how to feel about it," Elle admitted.

"Hey, we've been friends since we were 14, and I know you have the emotional capacity of a piece of paper. So if you're feeling something, that says a whole lot."

Elle broke into a smile. "Just because I'm a lawyer doesn't mean I have no feelings."

Vi laughed. "If you say so." Vi softened when she saw how much the whole situation affected her closest friend. Elle's eyes looked distant since she walked in. "Maybe you can get your closure on her bachelorette party? You and I are invited, you know."

"I guess."

"Cheer up, Elle. I mean, if anything happens, I'll make sure to recommend you when she starts looking for a divorce lawyer."

Elle smiled and chuckled. "You're an asshole."