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Her kitchen table had the benefit of the right height, but the lighting wouldn’t be good until much later in the day. With a scoff, she set the items down in favor of pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water while she considered her plan.

The light breeze passing through the window smelled like spring.

She hadn’t made note of the date, but with a moment’s thought, realized it had been close to a year since she had entered Tan’s Dry Goods for the first time.

She had spent a year getting to know him, Yu Jin, Eboshi… even herself.

The ghost of his hand on her upper arm and a kiss on the back of her shoulder sent a thrill up her spine, fanning out across her back and back down her arms.

Tomorrow, she thought. After dinner.

The dress and matching shoes were carefully stored in her closet, placed with the same acerbic oversight from Eboshi that Lin recalled from their first encounter nearly ten years before. The shoes were covered, the dress sheltered by a drape, their striking colors hidden from view.

The weather was still a little unpredictable, so Eboshi had made sure to have her favorite black trench coat cleaned and ready.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Her ex-girlfriend was helping her get ready for a date with a man with a criminal history.

Life could be so strange sometimes.

Before she mined that vein of thought any further, she picked up her items and walked over to the balcony.

That she never had started locking.

Su’s extra chair was still sitting in the far corner, so she unrolled her stone-shaping tools and set them within easy reach of her preferred chair.

Once settled, she opened the small, white nephrite jar, and gently removed the stone nestled inside.

It was nearly done, and she had all day to finish the details and polishing, and attach the pin that would allow Tan to wear it, should he choose to.

Her fingertip felt the contours her tools had already carved. Her chi flowed through the roughnesses that still needed to be refined. The design sharpened and clarified under her intense focus.

It was almost ready.

She was almost ready -

Ready to see him again.

Ready to hear him out.

Ready to open up in ways she thought she had given up on.

One day more.

He just needed one day more.

Please. Just one. One day, that was all he needed to make it.

To make things right.

To be able to heal him.

One day more.

But he didn't breathe anymore.

And he was starting to get cold.

He couldn't feel a pulse anymore either.

No, no he couldn't be dead.

He was almost done with the potion!

He had to be alive to take the potion!

He couldn't be too late, he'd needed just one day more!

He could have saved him if it had been just one day more!

Just one day more...