#facing mistakes

Miller had resigned, and while that news didn't come as a shock, the name she gave for her replacement was.

Sophie Holmes. He wondered if it was just a coincidence- but the odds were against him. How many people had the last name Holmes? He must have stayed silent too long, his gaze unfocused with his brows furrowed because Miller got worried. Worried, about him.

       Do you know her?                                      ...                                              Sir?                                                         I'd best get going.

He had left her exasperated and confused, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It was nice, seeing a bit of her old self back; those moments are rare these days. Sir. Honestly, how long was she going to keep calling him that?

Those thoughts were soon replaced by something more worrying, and he spent the next few days restless and on edge. Thankfully, people left him alone. Nobody, except Miller, ever wanted to deal with him on a good day. He worked his way through endless paperwork in his new administrative position, and while the reduced stress has done wonders for his heart he certainly did not become any more approachable.

He processed Sophie Holmes' transfer himself, numbly signing and rubber-stamping papers with a protective detachment as it confirmed without a doubt that it was his Sophie.

No, not his, he remembered with a pang.

Then finally came the day when she'd start. He'd left the hotel as early as he could, couldn't stand the thought of her sleeping in a room somewhere nearby. He arrived at the office before anyone else and he made his way quietly through his work, his heart leaping to his throat each time the door opened to admit someone new. He refused to look up.