Page 20 of It Happened Again

Re: Internal Innovation Initiative

Call for Staff Submissions

I sipped my first cup of coffee and read it. Per usual, it was one of those all-staff memos I usually skimmed and filed under “good for someone else.” But the wordspilot projectandcross-department collaborationmade me pause. By the second paragraph, my pulse had kicked up a notch.

Orion was hosting an internal ideas competition—encouraging staff to submit proposals for cutting-edgeinitiatives in neuroscience, research application, or institutional wellness. Orion would fully fund the winning submission, assign the winner their own team, and give them development support directly under Dr. Stone. The winning employee would also be temporarily assigned full-time to work on the idea for an unspecified period.

I stared at the email. I had plenty of ideas. And if I choose the best one to enter and win, it could mean wonders for my career, not to mention a break from working with Julian for a while.

One thought in particular came to mind. I’d been turning it over since the day I first walked into Orion and this beautiful building—envisioning how light, sound, and spatial flow could impact stress regulation and recovery. Not just for us employees, but for patients in hospitals, researchers, caregivers, doctors. Like me, people who were stressed but driven, pushing relentlessly toward their passions.

I opened a blank document on my computer. Fifteen minutes later, my coffee cold, and my fingers aching, I had the bones of something real and bold.

And yet... I hesitated.

Was I a fool to think that I could submit this proposal and win? The prize stood way too valuable to pass up the chance. But there were a hundred scientists at Orion. What would be the odds mine would get selected?

I needed a second pair of eyes, someone in my corner to cheer me on. Sophie would simply get a blank stare and nod at the science words I’d spew at her if I read this to her. And I didn’t want to bother Chelsea with this; her reaction wouldn’t be any better than Sophie’s.

Professionally, the one person who I’d always had in my corner had been Julian.

At work, after using my lunch break to fine-tune my proposal, I printed the pages and made my way toward Julian’s corner office on our department floor.

When I knocked, he glanced up from his computer with a warm, familiar smile—the kind that had once made me feel like I belonged in the world of science, like I mattered.

From the first day we’d met in class at Columbia, we built a friendly rapport, as professor and student. Eventually, friends in class noticed I’d quickly become his favorite, often called upon to answer questions, taken aside to talk with over assignments, a little flirty. I took it in all stride. But it wasn’t until I arrived that very first day on the ship that I realized how much I’d need to depend on him and welcomed our connection.

The gray and white vessel loomed before me, large and foreboding. I had bid goodbye to my family at the car. Mom and Chelsea, even Sophie, splitting a box of tissues between them, wiping away tears.

I headed toward the dock, swallowing a lump in my throat. Each step I took, I hoped I made the right decision by doing this, and walking away from the life I’d known into the unknown. With a quick prayer, I asked for Dad’s guidance from Heaven; he would have loved going on this adventure with me.

I shifted the weight of my huge duffel on my back, the one packed with everything I’d have to live with for the next year, when I heard a man screaming my name.

I turned to see Brooks sprinting toward me. The air escaped my lungs. I thought he was too upset at me to want to see me off today. But he was here. I dropped my duffel to the ground just in time for his arms to wrap me up and twirl me around.

“Brooks!” I cried.

“Maisy. Fuck Maisy. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I tried to stay away, but I couldn’t,” he admitted.When he put my feet back down on the dock, I could tell from the bags under his eyes how much this hurt him. It hurt me to leave him, too, and if not for my family and friends keeping me busy with farewell and bon voyage parties, I probably would have been an ugly mess over it all.

“I’m glad you came. I hated leaving things between us like we did,” I said. We cooled things between us since spring, but each time we saw each other only started the fire again. His sexy face with the stubble on his strong jawline and the messy-on-purpose hairdo didn’t exactly give me the strength I needed to put a foot on that boat today, either.

He pressed the locks off my face and cupped my cheeks, his slate-blue eyes piercing into me. “I feel like a shit asking this. Please, don’t give yourself to anyone. Please. Save yourself for me.”

“Brooks, that’s so unfair. We’ve talked about this.” My lips trembled. “I mean, I want that, too, but it’s not fair to either of us. A year is a long time. How do I know another woman won’t parade in front of you and you’ll?—”

“No, I can’t even think of another. All I see is you.”

A fog horn sounded from the ship, and an announcement came by the caption to board. “I have to go, Brooks.”

“This isn’t goodbye. Don’t let it be goodbye, Maisy.” His lips crushed mine in a last kiss to beat all kisses, my heart pounding out of my chest.

He helped me hoist my pack into place, and I had no more words, because if I spoke I’d cry and I’d crumble to the dock, never leaving.

So I mustered up every ounce of bravery and got on board that ship. I made it to the bow, where I could see the entire dock—and Mom, Chelsea, Rex, Sophie, and Brooks.

I stayed there and waved at them as the boat pulled out, until I couldn’t see them anymore, tears streaming down myface. “Goodbye,” I whispered, suddenly scared but excited all at once. I wanted to throw up from all the nerves in my body on edge.

Then a voice called from behind me—the deep baritone of Professor Julian Thorne, familiar and a total comfort to me today.

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