James has come around to loving his job. He gets to reuse PowerPoint slides he made years ago, assign his favorite books for his students to read, joke around with them during lectures, connect with a few when they drop by his office.

“Exceptional essay.” James praises in a hushed tone, his fingers (not-so-accidentally) brushing against yours as he hands your paper back to you.

“I had a wonderful time reading it.”

James has come around to loving his job. All those perks listed, and this semester, there’s the sudden addition of you. You, who so closely resembles his sick wife, Mary — you’re an almost uncanny replica of how James’ beloved used to be when she was healthy, a physical manifestation of a time when all seemed promising for the both of them.