35. Let Your Love Flow
Let Your Love Flow
C assie’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Cassie groaned and flopped her head back into the pillow.
Cassie stared at the text. She hated ho w much she wanted Alex’s help.
Cassie [8:09 AM]: Fine. But only if you both stay for brunch. Kellan’s already coming over.
Alex [8:10 AM]: Done. See you soon. ??
Cassie stared at the little red heart, her pulse stuttering. Alex had never sent one before. It was just an emoji. Probably didn’t mean anything . Just casual. Friendly. But somehow, this morning, barely awake and still tangled in blankets and stress, it felt like so much more.
What did it mean? Had Alex meant to send it? Or had it just slipped in at the end of the message without a second thought?
She bit her lip, thumb hovering over the screen like she could somehow feel the warmth of it through the glass.
Her brain kept telling her it didn’t mean anything, but her heart didn’t get the memo.
She dropped the phone onto the pillow and rubbed a hand over her face, trying to ignore the warm, fluttery feeling in her chest.
Stupid . It was just a heart. Just an emoji. No big deal. She had enough on her plate without getting hung up on texted hearts. But as she forced herself out of bed and started the coffee, she couldn’t stop the tiny, reluctant smile tugging at her lips.
***
Cassie had barely finished making the coffee when there was a knock a t the door. She opened it to find Alex holding a toolbox and Tricia juggling a bakery box and two iced coffees.
“Good morning,” Alex said with a grin. “We come bearing caffeine and carbs.”
Tricia breezed past them into the dining room. “And moral support. But mostly carbs.”
Moments later, Kellan arrived with a grocery bag full of fresh fruit and a mischievous sparkle in their eye. “Am I late, or just fashionably supportive?”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “You texted Alex, didn’t you?”
Kellan looked far too innocent. “Actually, I did not.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes. “You are so lucky you brought blueberries.”
The four of them sat around Cassie’s mismatched dining table. It wobbled slightly if you leaned on the far end, but no one mentioned it. Tricia, sipping her coffee, glanced around. “This place is so cute. I love a mid-century ranch.”
“Crappy water heater,” Cassie muttered into her scone.
“Okay, but that’s fixable,” Tricia said brightly. “I mean, with a little help—”
Kellan jumped in smoothly, “Speaking of help, Alex is actually weirdly great at minor home repairs. Who knew, right?”
Alex blinked. “Uh, yeah. I fixed stuff in my New York apartment all the time.”
“See?” Kellan grinned. “Built-in handy-person and creative genius. What a catch.”
Cassie gave them a look. “You’re laying it on a little thick.”
Tricia smirked. “Only because it’s true.”
Alex cleared their throat and shot Kellan a warning glance, which Kel lan studiously ignored.
“I just think,” Tricia said casually, “with all the repairs and work stuff, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to have a roommate again.”
Cassie stiffened slightly, but before she could respond, Kellan smoothly added, “Someone you like. Responsible, with a steady job . No long-term girlfriend waiting to pop the question.”
“I’m just saying,” Tricia added, nudging a bowl of cut fruit toward her, “sometimes the universe provides… you just have to be willing to accept it.”
Alex said nothing, quietly chewing their food, avoiding Cassie’s eyes.
They worked side by side throughout the morning: removing the hot water cabinet, cutting out damp drywall, and removing wet insulation.
Finally, there were a few signs that Cassie’s luck was turning.
The worst damage appeared to be limited to the corner where the water heater was located, spreading out to behind the refrigerator on one side, and the stove on the other.
And the old linoleum floor had done a great job of keeping the water on the surface.
Alex was able to disconnect both appliances, pushing the fridge into the dining room and plugging it in.
It wouldn’t be able to make ice, but Cassie wouldn’t have to throw out the perishables.
They pushed the stove just outside of the kitchen area…
out of the way, but close enough to move back easily.
The cabinet between the water heater and the stove would need to be replaced, but the rest of the cabinets would be fine with some minor repairs.
Alex assured her that they may have to replace a toe kick or two, but most of them could be sanded and repainted.
They also offered to build a pantry cabinet to replace the hot water cabinet.
The wood transition strips between the original hardwood floors and t he linoleum would need to be replaced, but the floors themselves were fine.
Kellan had joked that it was actually a good thing her grandma hadn’t replaced the old water heater.
Since the older models tended to be smaller, there was less water to go around.
Tricia was more cheerleader than handywoman, but she did a decent job hauling trash bags and making sure no one passed out from dehydration.
Cassie watched Alex crouch under the counter to unscrew a bracket, sleeves pushed up, forearms flexing just so. She swallowed and looked away.
“Can you check to see if the countertop can be picked up at all four corners?” Alex asked, not looking up.
Cassie blinked, finally registering Alex’s request. “Yeah. All good,” she said, quickly testing the corners.
Alex straightened, wiping their hands on a rag. “Great, we can reuse this on the new cabinet.”
Cassie stared at them for a long moment. Then, quietly: “Thanks for coming today.”
Alex gave her a crooked smile. “Anytime.”
Behind them, through the kitchen window, Tricia and Kellan high-fived without making a sound.
***
The weeks passed in a steady rhythm of work, repair, and cautious closeness. The new water heater was installed the next day, the final check Cassie wrote to the plumber almost comically large. Still, she didn’t complain. Not really. Not with Alex around.
Alex came by more and more. Sometimes with tools, sometimes with dinn er.
They replaced the insulation in the walls one night after work; installed the new drywall the following night.
They patched and painted together, getting more paint on their clothes than the walls.
They replaced the wood flooring transitions, sanded the toe kicks, installed the new cabinet next to the stove.
Alex never pushed. They just… showed up.
Cassie never asked them to stay, but they did. Often. A toothbrush appeared in the bathroom. A spare hoodie hung on the coat rack. Kellan joked that Alex was the world’s most useful squatter. Cassie laughed but didn’t correct them.
At work, things simmered. The expansion plans trudged forward. Late nights blurred into early mornings. Everyone was running on fumes, but they kept showing up… for each other, if nothing else.
***
Alex and Cassie moved through the large conference room like they’d done it a hundred times before…
co-leads in perfect sync, confident and composed.
The final prep deck flashed on the screen, and Alex’s calm, authoritative voice filled the room.
Seven days to launch, and perfection was the only bar.
Cassie matched their energy effortlessly, guiding the team through the rollout calendar with crisp efficiency.
The room buzzed with the quiet hum of focused energy, staff scribbling notes, eyes bright with anticipation.
The next morning found them in the small conference room, heads bent over laptops alongside the Social Media Manager. Scheduled content filled the screen… playful, smart, on-brand, just as Cassie had envisioned. Alex caught a few weak spots, suggesting tweaks to caption s that would make them pop.
When it was finally done, Alex leaned back and grinned. “Send it. No notes,” they said, a touch of disbelief in their tone.
Cassie arched a brow, leaning over their shoulder with a smirk. “You always have notes.”
Alex glanced up at her, eyes glinting with humor. “Weird day, I know.”
By midweek, they finalized the marketing brief, and Cassie gave it a last look, signing off without hesitation.
That afternoon, they filed into the screening room to review the AV team’s content.
The sleek, polished cuts played out on the screen, and Cassie couldn’t help the low whistle that slipped out.
The campaign looked sharp, final approval was given without a second thought.
The week pushed on, and Cassie found herself standing at the demo station with Kellan, phones in hand, a competitive tension crackling between them.
“You can’t beat the onboarding,” Kellan muttered, eyes narrowed.
Cassie scoffed, flicking through the screens. “Please. I practically designed the flow. Watch and learn.”
Behind them, Alex sipped coffee, fighting a laugh as the two continued to bicker like it was some kind of championship sport.
“Should I separate you two or let it play out?” Alex asked dryly.
“Let it play out,” Leah said from the doorway, arms crossed with a faint smirk. “My money’s on Cassie.”
By Friday, the office thrummed with excitement.
Checklists dwindled, caffeine flowed, and everywhere Cassie looked, she saw the culmination of months of effort coming to life.
She glanced at Alex, whose gaze swept the room with a mix of pride and relief, and she couldn’t help the warm, satisfied glow that settled in her chest. They ’d done it.