I stood and moved to the window, not because I needed to but because it gave me a second to reset. The city moved below the same way it always did, steady and predictable in its own way. I watched it for a moment, then went back to my desk and picked up the next file.
For the next two hours, everything stayed where it should. Decisions were made quickly, problems were handled before they grew, and the day moved forward without interruption. That was how it was supposed to be.
The shift came later, and it was small enough that I almost ignored it.
I paused before answering something that didn’t require thought. I reread a line I should’ve understood the first time. It wasn’t enough to call distraction, but it was enough to notice.
Simone noticed too.
“You want me to push the one o’cloc
