Guarded Hearts and Broken Wings || S.R.

17 - Subtle Decisions

The video call ended, and a new sound dominated Garcia's cave — the click of a mouse and the creak of her chair as she leaned back with a sigh. Spencer sat behind her, chewing his lip and staring with heavy eyes at the empty computer screen. Garcia cleared her throat.

"I think we need some cute baby animal videos," she said with a shaky voice and returned to her keyboard. She opened a file on her desktop that read "EMERGENCY CUTENESS" and clicked the first video. Spencer sat with distant eyes through the first video, but after the second video played, Spencer pushed himself out of his chair. Garcia turned around with wide eyes and a slouched back. "Do you not like the piglets? I can find something different. What's your favorite animal?" She turned back to the screen and began hurriedly searching for different videos.

"No," Spencer mumbled with a twitch of his hand, "I just need to leave. I need to go home."

"Oh okay." Garcia picked at her acrylic nails and gave Spencer a sad smile. "Are you sure you don't want to see a baby elephant?"

Spencer nodded and picked up his bag. "The team will be back tomorrow. I'll do my paperwork then."

Garcia looked shocked and yelled after him as he closed the door on her looping baby animal videos. "Be safe! Let me know if you need any cookies!"

----

Spencer hesitated at the subway platform. A man was announcing over the speakers the arrivals and departures of the trains. The first was to Mel's apartment; the second was to his. He did not know which to board today. It was not that he did not want to see Mel. He loved seeing her. However, today was different. Today the job had pushed him to the floor and kicked him in the chest. His past visits to Mel had been a silent struggle to pull her out of the cave in her mind. Away from the shadows on the wall. She needed a light on her bleak days. He knew he could not be that light today. She had hardly moved or spoken in weeks and his tired, depressed state likely would only increase her own. As much as he hated the thought, he was also worried of the opposite effect. Today, she might actually drag him down into the cave with her.

The first train came flying into the station, blowing Spencer's hair and sweater wildly, and interrupting his thoughts. He hugged his sweater to his chest as the wind blew the smell of grease, oil, and urine into his nostrils. The brakes released an ear-splitting cry. Then it all came to a halt and the doors opened with a friendly chime. People around him pushed past him to get to the doors. Spencer could not explain why but stared then took a deep breath and followed them.

----

Mel was drifting through another hazy day of watching the shadows stretch across her room. The front door opened slower and later than normal and the thump of the bag was softer than usual. Feet shuffled down the hallway. The door creaked open like it was struggling against the hinges. There stood Spencer in the doorway with dark eyes and a dejected slump of shoulders. He gave Mel a tired, weak smile and drifted into the room.

She only glanced at his smile before she looked down at his wrinkled pants and crazy socks. She noted how unusual it was that he had already kicked his shoes off. Then her eyes trailed back up his long legs to his chewed-down nails. To his cardigan pulled tight around his chest. To his hair frizzy like he had been running his hands through it all day. Amelia took an unsteady breath. "What's wrong?" Her voice was hoarse from not using it all day.

"Nothing."

She blinked and squinted.

"It was a long day." He sighed.

"A bad one?"

He picked at his fingernails and nodded into his chest.

She stared for a long before speaking again."Do you have any of your de-stress books?" She cleared her throat at its hoarseness.