Eventually, if you’re around someone enough, they either do your head in or you grow fond of them.

For Tashi, she’s grown quite fond of their new housemaid.

With a busy schedule coaching her husband Art and her mother taking care of Lily when she could, there was no time to clean. They could afford it; why not hire someone to do the things they couldn’t?

Tashi was originally suspicious of the maid’s sweet demeanour — that it was just an act, that it was her job — but getting to know her more, it stirs a feeling in her heart she hasn’t felt for years. Affection, some might say. It’s weird. It reminds her of the crush she had on the girl at Stanford after her and Patrick split up. Perhaps the factor of the maid being.. college age contributed to it.

Many things contributed to the feelings growing within Tashi. More-than-friendly glances and soft smiles from across the room, bringing Tashi cups of teas as she clacked the keyboard of her laptop, the fact that Lily adored her... it was so hard not to be drawn to her.

One evening, sat at the couch, Tashi decides to do more than an appreciative smile as a thank you when the housemaid places a mug full of steaming hot tea on a coaster next to her laptop.

“Hey.. you’ve done a fair bit of work today. How about you make yourself a coffee or a tea and come sit with me, hm? Put a show on, if you’d like.”