As Sophia settled in at her new workstation, Juniper glanced up from her notes, mind already racing ahead to next steps. “Daniel… summaries for the affected,” she murmured, barely looking up from the motion she was annotating. The words fell as casually as discussing the weather, her attention still caught on a particularly crucial citation - locked in.

He was already moving, quiet footsteps carrying him toward the file room. Just another moment in their professional dance, like passing coffee or sharing pens - the kind of unconscious rhythm good colleagues develop over time. Nothing worth noting, really, except maybe how his hand brushed her shoulder as he passed, steadying himself against her chair.

Sophia’s eyes flickered up at the sound of the file room door, then back to her screen, the gentle tapping of her board never missing a beat. The morning light catching the snow outside, casting soft shadows across their familiar routine as they worked, the holiday decorations twinkling quietly at the end of every row.