Ava was a great cook. One might even go as far as to reward her the prestigious title of 'grand chef' considering each and every one of her meals maintained an abundance of savory flavors and was somehow always rich in nutrients.

It was only now when Quinn found herself struggling to bake pre-made banana-nut muffins that she was reminded of that very fact. But, she figured she shouldn't think too poorly of her cooking skills. After all, she'd met success both when frying a small mountain of bacon and when making an omelet. She even managed to produce an entire stack of pancakes; all of which was cooked to a rich golden-brown.

Still, Ava would've done it better.

Quinn grimaced at the heat that raced out of the oven the moment she relived it of the pan of muffins. Ignoring the warning the steam emitted, she didn't waste any time getting them out of their slots, forcing her fingers to pay the price the hot muffins demanded.

She snugly tucked two banana-nut treats onto a plate of white china, joining the rest of the breakfast she'd arranged on a tray. She clicked her tongue twice, immediately earning Siberia's attention. At first, the Husky flickered her eyes to Quinn but it didn't take long for her gaze to lock on the leftover bacon that remained on the counter.

With the roll of her eyes, Quinn tossed Siberia the pork. Satisfied, Siberia followed Quinn into the guest bedroom. It only took a moment for the dog to become airborne as she leaped onto the bed and bombarded a snoozing Paloma with her caramel snout.

The brunette was frowning, even in her sleep, but the moment she opened her eyes, her prominent scowl disappeared. Siberia always managed to put a smile on her face, even when she was feeling as emotionally drained as she was that morning, but waking up to the aroma of all of her favorite breakfast foods definitely put the icing on the cake.

Eventually, Siberia calmed down enough to assume her spot at the end of the bed, finally giving Quinn a chance to hand the tray to her sister. Paloma sat up, her grin was both sheepish and wide at the same time as she admired the carefully arranged setup.

"You did all this for me?" Paloma's voice was far more rugged than even she anticipated. Then again, it was to be expected considering, after screaming her lungs out at Ava, she spent the remainder of the previous night drowning out her sobs into her pillow until she grew too exhausted to stay awake.

Though she hadn't witnessed her older sister's cries of despair, Paloma's puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks told Quinn the whole story. So, she made a mental note keep the conversation light.

"Well, initially it was for Siberia but then I remembered omelets, muffins, pancakes, and coffee are unhealthy for a dog's diet. Though she did cheat you out of some of your bacon." Quinn smirked. "Either way, it's your lucky day."

Paloma smiled as sincerely as she could then gave Quinn's hand a faint squeeze. "Thanks, kiddo. I need the boost." She grabbed her cutlery in preparation for the feast but stopped in her tracks upon recognizing the pancakes' unusual shapes. "Mulan?"

"What kind of sister would I be if I made pancakes that weren't in the shape of your favorite Disney character?"

Every one of Paloma's teeth made a debut as she smiled broad and bright. She dowsed the pancakes in syrup and dug in which was more than enough to coax a small grin onto the girl's face.

"Unfortunately, you won't be able to savor the breakfast as much as you and it deserves. You've only got about another hour before you've gotta leave for work."

"In spite of this delicious meal, even the thought of work makes me wanna puke," Paloma deadpanned. "I'm hungover as hell. There's no way I'm going in today." Her frown returned. "Or...ever again."

She peered past her sister and out of the bedroom, hoping to catch a glimpse of what—or, more importantly, who—could potentially be in the home besides themselves.

"Don't worry. She's gone," said the teenager. "Left last night."

"Good." Paloma's deep, brown eyes flashed to Quinn's."Wait, how did you—" She nodded, all the while chuckling grimly. "You heard us last night."

"The dead heard you guys last night."

Paloma tensed her jaw. Suddenly her appetite vanished. "Can you believe her? She lied to me...for months. And God knows what else. And with my ex, of all people."

Quinn winced. "With your ex?"

"Talk about a walking, talking cliche. And she claims she was just helping her out. Like it was casual and absolutely nothing else happened." Paloma scoffed. "As if I'd ever believe any of that bullshit."

Quinn merely nodded and it was that nonchalant gesture that tipped the elder Sullivan off.

"...You don't seem too upset," Paloma started slowly, "or even all that surprised."

Quinn straightened her posture and shook her head. "No, no, I am. I've just had time to process, I guess. Which is exactly what you need—time."

"I could take all the time in the world and it still wouldn't change what she did. I don't need time, I need her to stay the hell away from us. At least she did that right." A grim look overtook her features. "To think I brought her into our world. Introduced you to her. Gave her a say around here."

"Ava made a mistake." Quinn meekly shrugged her shoulders. "Either way, you didn't know what was going on. It's not like it's your fault."

Shaking her head, Paloma fought to hold on to what little composure she had left. "I should've been more careful."

The girl held her grimace at bay and worked to provide comfort the best way she knew how. "I can stay home today if you want."

For a second, Paloma's smile returned. "That's sweet, but you can't miss school, kiddo."

"Come on. It can be a day of watching scary movies that make us wanna crap ourselves and consuming every junk food you can imagine, all prepared by yours truly. You won't have to lift a finger."

Paloma sat up impossibly straighter and studied Quinn, her eyes became so narrow they appeared to be closed. "Let me get this straight. First, you make me breakfast in bed and now you're offering to prepare the rest of today's meals? Just for me?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised. I do nice things. Besides, you're my sister and you're sad. Is it not my job to cheer you up?"

"Correction—I am not sad," Paloma asserted. "I'm pissed off on an astronomical level. Either way, you only ever offer to cook when you're trying to bribe me, or...when you feel really guilty about something. Considering you haven't already bombarded me with what you want, I know your acts of kindness isn't meant for bribery, which only leaves guilt. The question is: what could you be feeling guilty about?"

A feigned expression of hurt flashed onto Quinn's features. "Can't I, a kind-hearted youth, do something nice for you, a woman in need, without raising suspicion? I'm appalled at you."

Paloma nodded. "Sorry. I guess I'm just still a little thrown about Ava. I had no idea, you know? I was so caught off guard. Weren't you?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, of course. It's crazy."

The brunette's smile was everything but genuine. "Remind me to thank Charlie next time I see him." She met Quinn's inquisitive frown with a prompt explanation. "For rubbing off on you and transforming the world's greatest liar into the world's worst."

Quinn's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, that's not—"

Paloma didn't give her time to conjure up a lie of any kind, not that she would've believed it anyhow. "You knew about Ava?" Her low tone was eerie enough for Quinn to duck her gaze. "How?"

"Whoa, I never said—"

"Truth. Now. I'm not asking."

"First," Quinn squeaked, "I wanna remind you that I did, in fact, make you Mulan-shaped, chocolate chip pancakes."

"Quinn," the older sister warned.

If it were possible to be consumed by a mattress, Quinn would've set herself up as bait right then and there. "...I only found out because that Sandra woman dropped off a key to Ava's apartment when you guys went on vacation."

"So, in other words, you knew that Ava was screwing around on me."

"No!" Quinn shook her head with a sense of desperation. "When Sandra came by to drop off the key, I had no idea who she was to Ava or you. It was just a suspicion...I guess." The explanation sounded far better in her head.

"Well, your 'suspicion' checked out, detective. Now, why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to. I really, really wanted to but I didn't wanna start any unnecessary drama so I confronted Ava about it first and—"

"You believed her bullshit. Well, isn't this an astounding new development? I hadn't realized I was the only one not in on the grand conspiracy." Sarcastic grin beaming, Paloma shoved the tray off of her lap, completely turning over her breakfast in the process. She wasted no time storming out of the bedroom but Quinn was quick to follow.

"Come on, Paloma. You know it wasn't like that."

Paloma whipped her head around to face her sister once they'd both made it into the kitchen. "Yes, it was! Don't lie to me!" She frantically raked her fingers through her hair one good time. "God, you sound just like her! I'm your sister—me! I come first! Always! You're a Sullivan, not a Pfeiffer! It goes without saying that you come to me first, especially about something like this!"

Paloma had been standing a good few feet away but her domineering stance still managed to make Quinn nervous.

"I only did that because I trust her and I didn't wanna upset you, in case I was wrong."

"I'm sorry...you 'trust' her?" Paloma jeered. "As in present tense? Do you have any idea what she did?"

Quinn sucked in a breath and dared to look Paloma in the eye. "She was wrong, I know. There's absolutely no refuting that. I even told her that she was wrong and that she should tell you but she didn't want to. And not just that but...she couldn't. She was scared."

"Because she knew that what she was doing was shady as hell! Either way, the ball was in your court, too! It's not like you couldn't tell me. You chose not to!"

"I didn't choose that!" Quinn fired back. "She made it pretty clear that if I told you about her, she would've told you that I—"

Paloma sized Quinn up using just her eyes. Choosing to shelve her rage, for the time being, she did away with her outside voice. "...Told me that you what?"

"Nothing." Quinn shrugged. "You're right. I should've told you."

"Quinn, if it wasn't already monumentally clear, I am beyond done with lies in this house. I will not be screwed with anymore by anyone and that includes you." Paloma glared at the teenager who could only squirm in response. "So, what would she have told me about you?"

Quinn exhaled sharply but bit the bullet anyhow. "Just that I've...freaked out a few times."

"What does that even mean?"

"Like...panic attacks. Okay? Only a few times, though, and I don't want you to lose your mind over it."

Paloma threw her head back in exasperation. "Jesus, Quinn. That's a typical side effect of TBIs. The doctors have asked both of us a million times if that's happened and you've said 'no' every time. You'll never get better if you don't tell me what's going on."

"Oh, yeah, because Paloma, 'the great and powerful', can fix all," Quinn mocked with the dramatic wave of her hands. "It wouldn't change anything. It's not like there's a surefire way to stop them."

"For Christ's sake, you are so unwilling to give things a shot. Well, lemme tell ya, trying and hoping for the best has been our only play these last few month, and guess what? We've made it this far." Quinn's scowl was feisty indeed but Paloma bested her with ease. "There is no elixir for anything in this life, Quinn. The sooner you grasp that, the sooner you can cope. Either way, you lied to me and them—repeatedly."

"Because I don't wanna be under your lock and key all the time." Quinn groaned. "Or theirs."

Paloma dragged her hands down the length of her face in anguish then propped herself up against the island bar once her lassitude became too much. "So, what, panic attacks are somehow better?"

"They suck and I hate them, but they're nowhere near as bad as what I have to deal with any time you find out something else is wrong with me."

"So, that's what Ava had over you? And instead of telling your sister that she's being lied to and cheated on by her girlfriend, you use it as a bargaining chip to get what you want? That's outstanding." Paloma's jaw locked so tight she wouldn't have been surprised if her teeth split open her gums. "I thought I was raising you better than that."

Quinn practically shrank.

"But, it's not all on you." In response to her rising temper, the vain in Paloma's neck throbbed violently. "This means that Ava's an even bigger asshole than I thought. She knew exactly what was going on but she cared more about keeping her dirty little secret than your well-being."

"The attacks aren't even that bad and she only hid it from you because I made her."

"Stop...defending her," Paloma sibilated. "She's a grown-ass woman. She made those decisions all on her own."

Quinn blew out an exaggerated breath. "This is why we're always scared to tell you stuff. You're insanely judgmental and you always lose your mind over the smallest things. We'll do pretty much anything to avoid facing you when you're like that."

Paloma chuckled bitterly, "So, it's my fault that my girlfriend lied and cheated on me and my little sister didn't have the common decency to tell me about that or anything that's going on in her life. Is that it?"

Quinn rested her eyes and willed her irritated state to diminish. "Paloma, that's not what I mean and you know it."

"That's exactly what you mean," she snarled. "You're not about to make me the bad guy in this situation. I'm the one that was wronged! I'm the one that's hurt!"

"I know and I'm sorry about what she did. But so is she."

"This is rich!" Paloma cheered. "I cannot fucking believe you sympathize with her! It's like you don't give a shit about what she did to your own sister! If Charlie did anything even close to something like this to you, I would've had his head on a pike!"

"See? That! You're too aggressive! Neither I nor Ava has ever been able to just talk to you without you freaking out and feeling like you have to fix everything. And before you call it love, lemme tell ya, it's more like possession."

"You wanna call me 'possessive'? Paloma accepted the title with a firm nod. "Fine. But even when I get 'possessive' my heart is always in the right place."

"And you think Ava's wasn't?" Quinn softened her eyes. "...Plum, of course I care about what she did to you, and I absolutely hate that she hurt you but I only sympathize with her because I know her and there isn't an ounce of malice in her heart. If anything, it happened because her heart's too big."

Paloma replaced her scowl with a bitter grin. "Well, look who's team Ava. Maybe you can go live with her and Sandra. You guys can just be one big, happy family!" Paloma's feigned elation heightened. "After all, you and Ava have always clicked so well and I'm sure you'd fall in love with Sandra, too. Actually, yeah, you should totally do that!"

Quinn didn't know about Paloma, but the conversation alone was making her exhausted. "There are no teams."

The anger that flooded Paloma's eyes returned ten-fold. "Oh, you've made it loud and clear that there are. If you're on her side, it means you're not on mine."

"I'm always on your side," the girl soothed.

Paloma's fuse ruptured like a volcano. "It can't be both! I cannot believe I have to explain this shit to you!" She snuggly gripped her hips and let a vitriolic laugh barrel out of the depths of her throat. "All this time, I thought that Ava was such a good influence on you; such an outstanding role model. Had I known that she would've rubbed off on you to the point of convincing you that this kind of behavior is okay, while, not to mention, simultaneously persuading you to betray your own sister, I never would've let her move into this house."

"I wasn't trying to—" Quinn stammered. "She didn't—"

"That's just grand that you've made your peace with the situation and have forgiven her. I, however, have not and will not. I'm not sure if her lying rubbed off on you, or if it was the other way around. Hell, maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, as for those living in my house, it stops now. And, if I were you, I'd listen good 'cuz I'm only gonna say this once: Ava is no longer a member of this family which means, unfortunately for you, choosing her over me is no longer an option."

"Paloma—"

"End of discussion," the brunette barked.

Her eyes snapped towards a nearby window where the sun spilled through the glass and bathed the living room in daylight upon hearing the familiar horn that could only be conceived by Charlie's car.

Paloma snatched the girl's book bag off of the floor. Quinn winced through her woeful expression and relieved her sister of the bag (as if she was given a choice) the moment Paloma shoved it into her chest. Paloma stormed past her, not bothering to peak over her shoulder as she charged up the staircase.

"Go to school."

Paloma had been alone for all of twenty minutes before being called into work by the one person who had enough power to make her drag herself out of bed—her boss. He hadn't said much other than her presence was 'absolutely vital'.

Not only that, but the tone in his voice told her in no words at all that she'd better clock in if she wanted to have a job to come back to. So, even though her head was pounding like a jackhammer and she was drained in every sense of the word, she found herself barely conscious, slumped over a stack of papers—all of which were thirsty for her signature—at nine o'clock in the morning.

The only thing that caught her attention was the flashing red button on her desk phone. Grudgingly, she mashed it.

"Yes, Olympia?"

"I know you said not to bother you—"

"That's right," Paloma cut in, her patience already wearing thin. "So, what is it?"

She could hear her assistant's hesitation a mile away and even that managed to annoy Paloma.

"...There's an 'Octavia' from the Fashion and Beauty department on line one that wants to speak with you. I told her you weren't taking calls but she said that it was very important and couldn't wait."

Paloma pinched the bridge of her nose. "Send it through." She lifted the phone to her ear then sighed into the handset and mumbled a bleak, "Hello?"

"Baby, please, don't hang up."

The voice was familiar enough to just about make her ears bleed and the pet name churned her stomach like no other. She hastily slammed the phone down, ignoring Ava's plea out of pure spite.

The only thing that stopped her from marching all the way over to the redhead's department was that the one thing she could imagine being worse than hearing Ava's voice was seeing her.

She spun around in her chair to face the gargantuan window behind her and shut her eyes. For once, she didn't care to admire the captivating view of the city. She'd always been somewhat surprised by Oakheart's beauty. To some, it might not have been so special but even after twenty-eight years of dwelling in her hometown, Paloma found herself in awe of its magnificence. However, that was not one of those times.

There were two abrupt knocks at her door that occurred back to back, nevertheless, the intruder didn't give her time to answer as they barged into her office.

Paloma stood and whipped her head around to face whoever was bold enough to enter without her say so. "Why the hell knock if you—"

"Paloma! Just the woman I wanted to see!"

The brunette's breath caught in her throat. She put on her fakest smile and engaged the man in a firm handshake. His wrinkling, caramel palm engulfed her own as she let out an awkward chuckle.

"Mr. Vazquez, I hadn't realized you'd be visiting today."

For a long time, Paloma could count on her fingers how many times she'd actually seen anyone from corporate but these last few weeks, Mr. Vazquez had made it his business to—without warning—check in on each of the company's departmental managers. Though the nerves his presence conjured up was far from enjoyable, it'd kept her on top of her work. Usually.

"I don't have the quarterly evaluations just yet," said Paloma, "but I assure you, you'll have them first thing Monday morning."

"And I'm certain you're going to have some great stuff to show me. Your department didn't become my favorite through charm, after all. But, I'm not here for that."

Paloma hoped that she hid the relief that washed over her face well enough. "Right. You said you had some important information for me? I figured you'd just run it by my assistant."

"What I'm about to say is far too vital for you to read on a sticky note. One word—collaboration."

The brunette nodded but her frown said it all. "I'm not sure I'm following, sir."

"Let's just say this company is moving up and your department is going to be the one to make it happen. With the help of another one our finest of course."

"...I'm still a little lost."

"You, of all people, are familiar with Oakheart Memorial, correct?"

After camping out on a rickety cot for far longer than she cared to admit after Quinn's accident, she was all too familiar with it. "The city's only hospital? Yes."

"They want our endorsement."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"It seems that they've grown tired of being overshadowed and outnumbered by hospitals in the surrounding cities which are, need I remind you, much bigger and far more established."

Paloma shrugged. "I guess they have the same issue as we do."

"Exactly! They want to rake in more patients, steal back all those the bigger cities have taken from them, and prove that their healthcare is the best money can buy. And they approached us because they know we're the greatest magazine in the city and the only one that can make it happen."

The brunette lifted an eyebrow. "How could we possibly make that happen? I'll admit, we've definitely gained some popularity over the years but we're still a pretty small company. I doubt anyone outside of Oakheart knows our name."

"Well, right now, Oakheart is the priority. They can't steal back their patients or take from the other hospitals until they sink their hooks into the ones in this city. But, with our help—a little advertisement, some endorsement from an acclaimed health and fitness magazine like ourselves—they can do that and more."

"Okay," she started slowly, "I think I'm following. But, why are we so keen on helping them out? What's in it for us?"

A grin spread across his lips. "I'm so glad you asked. We'd get a hell of a lot more recognition. Think about it, the hospital has so many more customers and brings in more money in a year than we could make in a million. They're finding it harder and harder to compete with other hospitals, yes, but they're still our best play. We're endorsing them but it's more like they're endorsing us. I mean, we're talking more credibility, subscribers, expansion—all the works. And not to mention having guaranteed access to all things health-related. Their knowledge will become ours and it'll at the tip of our fingers. We've already got a contract mapped out."

That was enough to make Paloma crack a smile. "Okay, sounds great. So, how does my department come into play with this 'collaboration'?"

"Well, not just your department."

Paloma peered past Mr. Vazquez as the door propped open, without her consent, for the second time that morning.

"Ava, right on time!"

The redhead in question smiled courteously and shut the door behind her. She rashly rubbed her hands together and dared to approach the two. And judging by the way Paloma's expression soured, she knew that the meeting would be just as unpleasant as she'd anticipated.

Paloma could hardly hide her disdain. "I'm sorry but what role does she play in all this?"

Ava took her place at Paloma's side. The brunette kept her distance as best as she could without drawing Mr. Vazquez's attention.

"Your and Ava's departments are among the magazine's most popular."

Paloma shook her head. "With all due respect, sir, that's not exactly true. Both the Food and Nutrition department and the Physical Fitness department each pull higher numbers than my or Ava's department. Every quarter. Understandably. This is a fitness magazine after all."

"Their numbers are only slightly better and that's only true because they've got more manpower and have been well-established for a lot longer."

As hurried and hushed as it was, Ava's explanation earned her Paloma's un-Godly glare.

"She's right," said the man. "Besides, the leaders of those departments aren't seeing one another."

That silenced Paloma and Ava equally. But not for long.

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Ava.

"The two of you both know that this company, as many do, typically frowns upon romance within the workplace."

"We are," Paloma said simply. "However, our...situation has changed drastically so that's no longer relevant."

"Well, there's some stuff we have to figure out but I wouldn't say that for sure just yet," Ava asserted.

Mr. Vazquez waved them off, not giving Paloma long enough to refute Ava's bold statement. "Then you must also be aware that I pulled a lot of strings to ensure that you and Ava still had a place here at this company after it became known that your professional relationship had become romantic."

He'd more than pulled a few strings. The company policy on relationships was rather clear—romantic interactions, of any kind, among colleagues, was out of the question. There were many that disrespected said policy but, as long as they practiced discretion and ensured that the wrong person hadn't caught wind of their lack of professionalism, most didn't have too much to worry about.

But between the daily carpooling, private lunch breaks, and not to mention all the elongated glances and lingering touches that were, to put it plainly, less-than-professional, neither Paloma nor Ava were very successful when it came to discretion.

Paloma exhaled and threw a hand over her hip. "Yes, sir, and I'm grateful. As is everyone currently in an office relationship, but—"

"No one could possibly be more grateful than I," he interrupted. "Both of you proved that your private relationship would, in no way, affect your professional relationship nor reflect poorly on your work here. I'm not sure if you're aware, but I stuck my neck out for you two and my job depended on whether or not you made that work. But I'd do it again if I had to because I saw potential in you. I still do. Each of your ideas has helped get the company to where it is today which is why I was unwilling to lose either of you."

"Again," Paloma began, "I'm grateful. But unfortunately, Ava's and I private relationship has dissolved. So, the 'collaboration' would be far more fulfilling if conducted by a department—any department—outside of my own, I'm sure."

Mr. Vazquez stroked his silvering mustache and chuckled. "Paloma, I cannot stress enough how thirsty Oakheart Memorial is for diversity and you and Ava are just that."

Paloma's eyes resembled the moon as astonishment washed over her. She couldn't suppress her laughter. "I'm a brown-haired, brown-eyed, Caucasian-American women who's been working the same job for three years. I've got zero religious affiliations and can count on my fingers how many times I've left the state. I don't think I exactly fit the description of diverse."

He stuck his hands into the pockets of his navy-blue suit. "But...you are a member of the LGBTQ community."

Ava's eyebrows knitted together ferociously. "I gotta agree with Paloma, I don't see what any of this has to do with anything."

"Two, highly successful LGBTQ, women writers like yourselves is just the kind of diversity I'm sure the hospital would love to see."

The brunette locked her jaw. "I don't get how my sexuality would come into play with the hard work that I do here. I'm here because I'm a—dare I say—great writer. Not because I occasionally bring women home."

Paloma's glare hardened, even as she ignored the way Ava gazed at her. She'd miss the hurt in the woman's eyes but she could feel it nonetheless. Even so, the pain Ava managed to inflict on her last night was more than enough for her to want to return the favor ten-fold and now was just as good a time to start as any.

"Precisely! You're a phenomenal manager and an even better writer!" he assured. "You're here because of your skills and nothing more—both of you—don't doubt that. I'm just playing the cards that this company already has. Besides, if I'm being totally honest, my support for your office relationship and the ones that came forward thereafter didn't come without its difficulties."

Paloma ran her hands through her hair in exasperation but allowed the man to continue anyhow.

"It was made clear very early on that if things went south and there were ill results for the company on any level as a consequence of my approval of office relationships, that I would be the one to take the heat. All of it. Nevertheless, I stuck my head out for both of you because, again, I knew that losing either of you would be far worse than allowing your romantic affiliations to transpire. And I was right. If this collaboration goes well, this will be big, not just for me, but the two of you as well."

Paloma didn't budge. "You know, sir, I'm just not so sure about all this."

"I see." He nodded. "Then maybe I should mention that Oakheart Memorial is willing to extend a sense of leniency to employees of ours with less than forgiving medical bills; granted that they have health insurance, of course, which all of our employees do. Not all of our employees, on the other hand, are in the same predicament as you are. This could prove to be a great help for you."

He chuckled softly once Paloma's lips parted in intrigue. "Though they stressed that the benefit would only result in a minute percentage of the bill being reduced, I can imagine it could go a long way depending on the extent of one's costs."

What he said couldn't have been any truer. Paloma never thought the number zero could be so maniacal and menacing until she was exposed to so many on Quinn's medical bills that always came around just as faithfully as the darkness of the night.

Though Paloma wasn't one to discuss personal matters at work, it was made known that she could either offer a decent explanation as to why she suddenly required a two week, non-vacation, paid leave out of the blue, or lose her job. She quickly chose the former and, for the first time, it seemed to pay off.

"I'm sure you won't be the only employee to appreciate this benefit but you'll likely be the most grateful. Besides, we won't be receiving monetary compensation for this collaboration so this makes up for it, in a sense. But, they were only willing to negotiate such a thing because they have faith in this company—faith in each of you."

Thoughts running rampant, Paloma could only manage a smile. Ava matched it.
"So, everyone's on board. What will Paloma and I have to do?"

"The hospital requested at least a couple of representatives and the two of you will be filling that role. A handful of others will also be assisting you on this project but you two are the leaders in all this and I'm counting on you both." He gave them a sincere once-over before commencing. "They'll provide you with statistics and data concerning all things health-related and, more specifically, their own personal contributions to the medical community."

"That's a very broad task and sounds awfully time-consuming," Ava speculated. "How can we possibly do that and stay on top of running our departments here?"

"I'm not going to sugar coat it. It's going to be difficult." His heavy sigh said it all. "We're talking long hours—"

"You mean, even longer hours," the brunette groused.

"—and sacrifices in every sense of the word. But your efforts will, in no way, go unnoticed. And there is an upside. You won't only be focusing on big picture stuff. Ava, as you made clear in several of your articles, everyone wants to feel beautiful. Hospital patients aren't an exception, especially when suffering from serious illnesses. By pinpointing the accommodations necessary to achieve such beauty and what products are most feasible on a low budget, you'll be expanding your department's horizons and luring in a fresh, new audience. You know how important that is."

Once Ava nodded, Mr. Vazquez turned to Paloma.

"And, Paloma, Oakheart Memorial is a great resource that will grant you firsthand insights about sexual health—past, present, and future. You'll be an insider and so will this entire company. You'll able to learn a lot from them and your entire department will reap the benefits of that."

"I'm not gonna lie, sir, this sounds extremely ambitious. I'm not sure how much of myself I could dedicate to something of this magnitude," admitted Paloma. "I'm in no way saying that my time is more valuable than others and if this was a year and a half ago, I'd be all for it but I'm not as flexible as I used to be. I have responsibilities back at home that can't afford to be put on the back burner."

"This is something that I'm certain will bring Oakheart Memorial fully on board and could change the trajectory of this company for good." Mr. Vazquez smiled so broadly his cheeks were beginning to ache. "We're talking promotions all across the board."

"And not just that," Paloma resumed, "but while, I have no problem at all remaining cordial with my coworker, conducting myself in a professional manner, and getting my job done as I've been doing for years, I would rather limit our interactions as much as possible." She didn't miss the hurt flash in Ava's eyes that time.

Mr. Vazquez's pleasant smile was fading by the minute. "Paloma, it goes without saying that the benefits outway the issues by a long shot. Relationship or not, I need each of you to put your game faces on because you're playin' for the same team. You're both exactly what Oakheart Memorial's looking for and just what this company needs."

Paloma chuckled, "I'm not so sure I'd agree, sir."

"Well, it's already been decided," he contested. "This discussion is a mere formality to run things by you, let you know what's to come. Each of your departments has been handpicked by yours truly, so, it's happening."

"And this is something Claudette can't handle because..." Even Paloma knew that that comment was feisty. But she stood her ground anyhow.

He annunciated his very carefully. "Because...I chose...you. Her place is here. Besides, she's going to need to stick around to help hold down the fort here now that you're taking on this project. Not to say that your responsibilities here will be any less."

Paloma clenched her teeth in attempts to cage her sharp tongue.

His eyes softened as he looked back and forth between the two women. "Don't doubt yourselves. I wouldn't have chosen either of you if I didn't think you could handle it. We'll start going over the details next week."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving them to linger in the weighted words he left behind.

"...I tried to call; give you a heads up." Ava's gaze moseyed on, stopping only when Paloma's eyes met her own. "But you hung up."

"Yeah, Ava, I was there. What did you expect? And it's either 'Paloma' or 'Ms. Sullivan' to you from now on, so you can drop the pet names altogether. Got it?"

Ava would be lying if she said the demand didn't feel like a punch to the gut. She loved dishing out her own verbal forms of affection even more than she adored receiving it.

"If you keep trying to pull shit like that, I'm gonna start blocking calls from your department as a whole. I mean it, Ava."

"Okay," Ava whispered. "I hear you."

"And you knew about this 'collaboration' crap? For how long?" She didn't give Ava a chance to offer a response. "Lemme guess, this was another one of the many, elaborate pieces of information you've been sittin' on, holding back from me."

Ava closed her eyes and sighed. "Mr. Vazquez gave me the basic run-through earlier this morning since I came in super early. Didn't exactly enjoy the luxury that cheap, hotel sheets had to offer."

If nothing more, Paloma's flared nose demonstrated her incomparable rage. "And whose fault is that?" Her fingers sought out her temples as she pleaded with herself to maintain control of her emotions. "I'm not explaining this shit anymore to anyone, especially not to you. Get the hell out of my office."

Ava's voice was so soft Paloma wanted to scream. "...You're really hurt and really sad. I'm the reason for that. I know. And, God, I absolutely hate myself for it. But can we please talk?"

"You're right about 'hurt', I'll give you 'aggravated', and I'll even throw in 'downright fucking angry' but, 'sad' is pretty much the only feeling nowhere near my radar."

"Yeah, you are," Ava said matter-of-factly. "You only ever get nasty when you're really sad or hurt or scared."

"Oh, so, I'm the nasty one? Well, I'm so glad we cleared that up. I guess your lying and cheating has turned you into an angel of the Lord. I hadn't realized I was in the presence of someone with such great prestige," Paloma taunted. "Honestly, Ava, I'm not worthy."

"I know it's your thing, especially when you're upset, but can we please do away with the sarcasm for five minutes?"

It took no more than a second for Paloma to dismiss Ava's supplication. "And you know what I'm not gonna miss? You constantly analyzing me and telling me how I'm feeling." Paloma nodded at the exit. "I'm not asking, Ava."

The redhead could hear the gravity in Paloma's voice a mile away but still couldn't bring herself to leave. "I know I'm essentially the spawn of Satan in your eyes but we're gonna have to figure out how to do...this. Work together, talk. It doesn't have to be today, it doesn't have to be tomorrow, but I need you to tell me that there's a chance, that you'll try." Her lip nearly split open once she bit into it. "I really wanna talk, Paloma."

Paloma lackadaisically leaned against her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I really want some whiskey but, as you can see, my assistant hasn't gotten around to installing a mini bar in here, yet so..."

The desperation in Ava's voice was ever-present. "I don't deserve it, I know. But can you please be serious?"

"Oh, I assure you, I'm dead serious. While we don't have a choice but to continue our professional relationship here at the office, everything else—whatever that was—ended for good last night."

Ava scoffed. "'Whatever that was'?"

"Stay away from me and my sister. Again, I repeat—my sister. Apparently, there was some confusion there. No phone calls, no texts, I don't even want us to cross your mind. And, for your sake, Ava, don't make me say that shit again."

Ignoring the mournful look prevalent in the older woman's eyes, Paloma held the door open. She didn't focus her gaze until Ava honored her wishes and her form completely left her line of sight.

It was then that Olympia caught her eye. The blonde was doing nothing in particular. If she was anything like her fellow employees, she was counting down the hours before the workday's conclusion.

Olympia flinched, obviously startled at Paloma's abrupt and undoubtedly domineering presence.

"As my assistant, you've got three tasks—keep track of important dates and deadlines, report crucial information directly to me, and never let anyone into my office without contacting me first. I'm sure they covered this during orientation but it's apparently slipped your mind. So, for my sanity, let's have a refresher. Shall we?"

The brunette motioned towards Olympia's desk phone that matched her own. "The little black button on the far left is your direct line to me. When someone wants to see me, you hold down that button and request my answer. That is a 'yes' or a 'no'. 'Yes' meaning said individual can enter my office, 'no' meaning they cannot. Can you guess what silence on my end means?"

Olympia fidgeted in her seat but offered no answer so Paloma ranted on.

"Silence also means 'no' especially when you haven't asked in the first place. Unless you want to be applying for unemployment by the end of the week, I highly suggest you transform your work performance into something that's halfway decent and remotely helpful because if I'm having to do all the things that my assistant fails to do, then I don't need an assistant at all, do I?" she quipped. "Now, can you handle holding my calls or will that be too taxing for you?"

Olympia nodded hurriedly. "I-I can do that." She only summoned the courage to ask a follow-up question once Paloma withdrew her ruthless glare and stormed back to the confines of her office.

"...For how long?"

"Until I say otherwise."