2:00 sharp hit the clock; it was time for her lunch break. Amelia finished up her last bit of the tedious work she does every day and then headed out. However, her coworkers, Lisa and Sarah, have been pampering her recently, which has made it less dreadful. Amelia thinks it’s because she's the newest employee, but she started a couple of months ago, so that couldn’t be why. “Maybe they're just happy to see me back from vacation,” she thinks. When she got to her desk this morning, there was her favorite breakfast; a medium vanilla latte with one pump of hazelnut syrup and a blueberry muffin dusted with sugar. It was waiting right in the middle of her perfectly tidy desk; nothing even an inch out of line. 

Nearly everyone in the office peered around their 8x8 cubicle as she walked in and asked how she was doing, looking genuinely concerned about the answer; even Jared, her cubicle neighbor, who never showed a bit of interest in anyone’s life but his own, asked. However, the strangest part to her was the bouquet of white lilies tied in a black ribbon sitting on her desk with a note that read, “We’re here for you. Sincerely, your friends at Branching Offices.”

 Amelia went to the same park daily, sat on the same bench, and ate lunch. She loved people-watching and enjoying her lunch alone. Not that she had the choice since she had just moved and didn’t know many people besides her coworkers, but she preferred it that way; it was the perfect time to clear her head and escape from her reality a bit of missing her old life. Most importantly, she loved watching nature in Oregon; her recent favorites were the butterflies and hummingbirds. She walked outside and noticed the overcast sky, but she didn’t care; rain or shine, she was out there, in her spot, watching the world unfold around her. During her walk over, water droplets land on her perfect button nose, and her crooked smile lights up; it reminds her of her old home where it was always raining. She sat comfortably on the bench while the rain picked up, but she didn’t care.

In the last couple minutes of her peace, her phone rings; she gasps, hoping it is her boyfriend, Micheal, back in Seattle. Looking down, her hopes are shut down slightly, seeing it was her mom. Her mom lived in Seattle and was the sweetest lady anyone had ever met; Amelia was the spitting image of her mom. They had the same wrinkles next to their eyes from smiling, the same button nose, and the same long brown hair. 

After one brief ring, she picks up the phone, “Hey, Mom, what’s up?” Amelia says as she walks slowly down the damp street. She is caught a bit off guard because this isn’t the first time her mom has called her today.  It was her favorite time of the year when the leaves were beginning to fall but were still in blossoming colors on the trees. Walking down the quiet street, she can take the sights in all at once as she finishes the last couple of bites of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

“Well, first of all, you’re my daughter who just packed up and left. Can't I call to see how you’re doing?” she pauses a second, waiting for a response. 

“Sorry, I guess you can,” Amelia replies. “ I’ve just been worried. I haven’t heard from Micheal since I moved; I hope he’s not mad at me.” 

There is a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before her mom responds again, “No need to be sorry, sweetie. We’ll talk later. I love you.” 

During her walk back, she only checked her phone once to see if he texted back, but nothing. She texts him one short and sweet message and brushes it off. 

After a while, she finally reaches her office building. It was tall, around 15 stories high, perfectly landscaped with seasonal flowers and beautiful trees behind a sign reading “Branching offices.” Amelia walks through the oscillating doors past Jill, the office secretary, who smiles at her. She continues down the nicely decorated hallway and takes a left to the elevator; she pushes the up button and waits for it to come. The doors slide open, and she is greeted by 2 of her co-workers headed for their lunch, Ashtyn, and Aaron. 

They both smile at her, and Aaron puts his hand on her shoulder, “We’re happy you’re back. Let us know if you need anything.” 

All she does is smile back at them, “Why does everyone think I’ll need something?” she thinks to herself, confused.

Amelia returns to her perfect desk and resumes her work, forgetting how odd people are acting, thinking maybe she is reading too much into it. She works for about three more hours until her boss, John, tells her she's done enough today, so go home and rest. 

She finds a good spot to stop and packs up her stuff for the weekend, and heads home. Her house was a little yellow ranch-style house, the perfect size for her. It had a nicely paved driveway, mums, and pumpkins on her white wooden porch decorated with a few rocking chairs. 

When she pulls up to her house,  she sees a small black car, her mom’s, parked in the middle of the driveway. Amelia takes her time parking her car and walking in. 

“Mom?” Amelia yells as she walks into her kitchen to see her mom at the espresso machine in her small, white, black, farmhouse-style kitchen, making herself an Americano in a mug that reads “Pumpkin spice and everything nice.” 

“Oh, hi honey, I hope you don’t mind me intruding like this,” she pauses to sip her coffee. “I was just worried about you, and so is everyone else at work. Are you doing okay?” 

“Why does everyone keep saying things like that? All week since I’ve been back, people have been saying they are here for me and asking how I am. Can you tell me what is going on?” 

They get settled in for the night. Amelia changes into comfy clothes and gets them both coffee. What do you want to talk about? It has to be important if you drove all the way here.

“Amelia, did you forget what’s going on?” she pauses for Amelia to answer, but instead, she sits there looking confused. “We all know Micheal's importance to you because he was just as; that to us. What happened was tragic; the loss has been hard on all of us.” 

Amelia sits there speechless and looking heartbroken all over again. 

“I knew I should’ve followed you and not let you start working so soon, but I thought it would be good for you. I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I’m here for you,” her mom says.

Still no words. Still too stunned to speak. Her mind was completely blank and numb. 

“When you’re ready to face reality, I’m ready.”