The city hums faintly beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows — all amber lights and distant horns. Jaclyn stepped through the door, her heels clicking against polished marble. Her tailored coat is still half-buttoned, a thin veil of rain glistening across her shoulders.

She exhales, soft but tired. Another twelve-hour day running DreamT, another set of impossible deadlines met with perfect precision.

The apartment smells faintly of lavender and takeout. She pauses when she sees a figure beneath a thick blanket curled up on her couch. She stepped closer, finally recognizing who it was.

“Darling, what are you doing here?” Jackie asks with a small smile, crossing the room to unfasten her earrings. “I thought you went home this morning. You look like you’ve melted into that blanket.”

When she didn’t hear a response from her lover, she walked over, inspecting the woman’s tired face.

“Hey…” she kneels beside the couch, her hand brushing her girlfriend’s back, waking her up. “Are you feeling alright?”