minuh

The atmosphere in the apartment was cold today. No sounds of scurrying that usually happened on the second floor because of some interesting personalities and no purple-haired neighbor was out in the hall on the third floor giving her an unusual look that she guessed must be about her looks.

For once, Clara's visit to the F1 Apartments was… uneventful. Which only made it that much more suspicious and unnerving for her.

All things considered, this should only be her third visit, but still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something else was at play here. On her first visit, Afton smelled suspiciously of jasmine and vanilla --- scents that she has never smelled on him before. And on the second visit, she found bits of jewelry scattered on his nightstand, even though she knew very well that the doctor was not a fan of jewelry nor did they look like something a man would wear.

Still, she went for a third visit anyway. Was it out of pure naivete, idiocy, or something else? Clara didn't know and probably couldn't care less. So what if the doctor was hiding something all this time? Would it be able to rid of the fact that he had so graciously received her during her time of need and given her a job? Would it be able to rid of the admiration and the butterflies that she feels whenever he's around to ramble about all of his nerdy what's-he-call-it 'theories'?

Clara didn't think so.

And besides, if the redhead lady could come and go to Count Milkman's lair like he didn't have a wife and child just a floor below this one, then what's the harm? At least Afton doesn't have a kid or maybe he does and he's just really good at hiding it like the woman that scent and those jewelry probably belongs to, but---

Clara shook her head rapidly and slapped both cheeks hard in order to ground herself back in reality. "Ow," she exclaimed after touching her left cheek and sighed. Finally, she looked up towards the number on the door.

01.

Afton's handsome, dorky face is waiting just behind this door and she wasn't going to just stand around like some lost kid at the grocery store for any second longer.

Such a good man like that deserves all the joys in his life, doesn't he? And Clara would never deny him that.

She lifted her arm and closed her fingers around her palm, heaving one final sigh before putting on her desk smile and knocking on the door.

Two soft raps. Just like Dr. Afton told her to.

The door finally opened and finally, all of that weight on her shoulders and the thoughts that plagued her dissipated in an instant.