68
The morning moved slowly — not sluggish, but intentional.
Amanda brewed coffee while Ericka showered, the warm scent filling the apartment and curling around the quiet like a soft arm around the shoulder. Two mugs sat waiting on the kitchen counter, one with a splash of oat milk, one black. No words were needed; the rhythm was familiar now.
When Ericka emerged, dressed in a soft gray pantsuit and her signature watch glinting at her wrist, Amanda was already slipping into her heels, a sleek tablet under her arm and a to-go bag slung over one shoulder.
"You sure you're okay going in today?" Amanda asked gently, her voice low but not coddling.
Ericka nodded as she fastened her earrings. "I need it. Just... maybe not the full battlefield."
Amanda smiled. "Good. Because I already staged a quiet coup on your schedule."
Ericka raised a brow. "You what?"
Amanda turned her screen so Ericka could see. "I cleared the unnecessary meetings, moved your 1:00 call to Friday, rescheduled two of the vendors to meet with me instead, and made sure you're done by 4:00."
Ericka blinked, genuinely surprised.
Amanda shrugged one shoulder, brushing invisible lint from her sleeve. "If you fire me for insubordination, at least let me finish my coffee first."
"You did all this already?" Ericka asked, voice softer now.
"I had time while you were trying to decide between heels and flats." Amanda leaned in, lowering her voice. "Also, you chose right. You look stupid hot today."
Ericka laughed, tension easing from her shoulders as she picked up her bag. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculously efficient," Amanda said. "Come on, Mathews. Let's go rule the world — gently."
The car ride to the office was peaceful.
Ericka sat beside Amanda, looking out the window, letting the skyline glide by while Amanda responded to early emails on her tablet.
There was a quiet between them that didn't need to be filled — the kind of calm that comes after a storm, when the air still smells like rain but the sun is beginning to show through the clouds.
"I meant what I said last night," Amanda murmured after a few minutes.
Ericka turned to look at her.
"I'm not going to let you burn yourself out trying to prove you're okay. You don't have to perform strength for me."
Ericka's lips curved gently. "You make it easier to stop performing."
Amanda reached for her hand and gave it a small, grounding squeeze before letting go as the car rolled to a smooth stop at the curb.
They walked into the building side by side, like always. But this time, Amanda was one step ahead, subtly shielding Ericka from unnecessary chaos — intercepting questions, offering short answers, keeping things moving without letting anyone too close.
When they reached Ericka's office, Amanda stepped inside first, setting her coffee down on the desk.
"Desk's clear. Only two check-ins before noon. And I added a thirty-minute break after your call with Legal."
Ericka raised a brow. "A break?"
Amanda gave her a look. "It's revolutionary, I know."
Ericka crossed to her and brushed a kiss just behind her ear. "Thank you."
Amanda smiled, eyes soft. "Always."
By mid-morning, the office was humming.
Not with chaos—Amanda had seen to that. The calendar she'd carefully adjusted for Ericka was playing out just the way she'd intended: one meeting at a time, spaced with enough breaks to breathe, to think, to heal. Nothing that would push Ericka too hard.
Not today.
Amanda stood just outside Ericka's glass-walled office, tablet in one hand, a steaming cup of green tea in the other. She caught Ericka's eye through the door and waited for the smallest nod before slipping inside.
"Tea," she said softly, setting it on the desk.
Ericka looked up, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're dangerous."
Amanda raised a brow. "Tea's dangerous?"
"No," Ericka murmured. "You. With that calm voice and that outfit. I almost forgot we're pretending we don't want to climb over this desk."
Amanda smirked, smoothing the edge of her blouse. "I'm just here to help you manage your recovery like a responsible, professional assistant."
"Right," Ericka said, leaning back in her chair, eyes trailing her slowly. "Totally professional."
Amanda turned toward the door with a wink. "You have a break in twenty minutes. I suggest you use it for actual rest and not imagined misconduct."
She'd made it halfway to the door when Ericka's voice stopped her.
"Wait."
Amanda paused, then slowly turned.
Ericka stood now, her blazer still fastened, heels echoing against the polished floor as she moved around her desk. She didn't touch her—just moved into her space the way she always did when the tension between them started to crack.
"I don't have a meeting until noon," she said, voice low.
Amanda gave a slight smile, tilting her chin up. "I'm aware. I built your schedule, remember?"
Ericka's lips hovered dangerously close to hers. "You're very thorough."
"It's part of the job."
Their eyes locked.
The air buzzed.
And then—
A knock.
The door creaked open before Amanda could take a step back.
Ava's head popped in. "Hey, Ericka, I was hoping to—oh! Sorry."
Amanda took one graceful sidestep toward the filing cabinet, clipboard in hand, like she'd been pointing out some fine print.
Ericka didn't miss a beat. "Ava. Come in."
Ava blinked, clearly sensing she'd interrupted something but unsure exactly what.
"I was just going over the supplier timeline with Amanda," Ericka said smoothly. "She had a few adjustments that make sense for the new fabric order."
Amanda nodded, flipping a page like she was referencing it. "Yes. I can send you a summary by EOD."
Ava stepped further into the room, relaxing slightly. "Perfect. I'll add a follow-up to the shared doc."
Amanda smiled, already moving toward the door. "Great. Let me know if you want to sync later."
And then she was gone—walking down the hall, calm, composed, not even glancing back.
But inside?
Her heart was racing.
Ericka turned to Ava, fully CEO again. But as she sat back behind her desk, she touched the lip of the tea cup Amanda had brought in, and her lips twitched just barely.