District - 17: Reunification

Bloom Tower

WHEN DANG REACHED THE TOWER HER SMILE HAD FALLEN INTO A FROWN. She skirted around the outer courtyard and clutched the wall.

She expelled the contents from her stomach and regret followed. What was I thinking?! Now is not the time to be getting distracted. She went inside and detoured past a group of general academics and staff. No-name faces she would never remember again. She ascended the lift. The doors opened with a yawn and she glided to her office. She waited a few feet near the door. When she was satisfied there were no watchers or tails on her she entered.

The first thing Dang did was go to her cabinet. She took out a small container. Removed her glasses. She inserted the contact lenses in with ease, a task done over a trillion times in her life. She put the glasses in her case and into the messenger bag she lifted off Froy back at his flat. She thought about him for the briefest of moments. She wondered if he was dead or not but figured she'd find out about it over the morning news or in the papers.

Dang glanced at the calender. The day was lit up in a highlighted neon. She read the words under it. It was that time. She slipped the messenger bag over her shoulders and exited her office. From the lift she descended toward the fifteenth floor. Once the door yawned open she was greeted by the black font over the concrete passageway:

LETTERS & CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT

She walked toward the center of the room and saw her. Nadine Lancecross sat with her elbows on the wide desk. She was reading something but Dang didn't care to know what. The table was part concrete but the surface was deep blue wood. Smooth and it smelled nice too. Nadine looked up and her eyes remained neutral from behind her large, round glasses. "You've got mail." She gestured at the sheet in front of her. "Sign-in."

"Figured," Dang said and signed. She could smell a chestnut scent from her. Perhaps it was her hair.

Nadine pointed to the inbox and then handed her a key. Dang went to the box, inserted the key and turned it. She found one letter. It was metal with flowing text that disappeared when tilted at a certain angle. She frowned. Not again.

"That you, Tara?"

She slid the letter out of view and turned. "Morning, DeSanta. Been a while."

"You've been busy, chica. How are you? I heard about Cube Nox." He walked over to her and folded his arms across his barrel chest. "You all holding up well?"

"We're taking things slow. Other than that everyone is healing and slowly putting the pieces back together."

He raised a brow. "Everyone?"

She shrugged. "Ryder will most definitely require constant medical care for a while. But he'll pull through and be back to his old self soon."

He shook his head and smiled. "I don't know what they would do without you. You're a hell of a woman, Tara, don't you forget it."

She smirked. "And you? How are things?"

"Good," he said. He went on to explain his hopes and anticipation for his newcoming registrants in the autumn. He then reeled off a list of locations he and his fiancé were juggling on for their wedding. Most of the information she didn't care much for, but Leo DeSanta held somewhat of a soft spot in her heart. "Now to see if I can persuade Nadine to say a few words."

"Not happening," she said from her perch. She flipped a page and brushed a strand of honey brown hair behind her glasses. "You'll get my vows and a kiss. Other than that, get Malik to do it." Her tone was direct and unwavering.

He smiled. "She'll do it," he whispered.

Dang nodded and let out a quiet chuckle. "Good seeing you, Leo." She turned and headed for Nadine's desk.