She took the flowers without asking why.

At lunchtime, my supervisor mentioned that Major Holloway had requested a meeting concerning interagency readiness planning.

That was not unusual; Tristan’s role sometimes intersected with emergency logistics.

But now our professional worlds had collided with a history nobody at work needed to know.

“I’d prefer another director handle that meeting,” I said.

“We have a personal connection that could complicate things.”

“Understood.”