Chapter 2.

9 months earlier...

Holly was relieved to be back at work. She had always hated the HR seminars and this last one was no exception. It was always hours of discussions on the payroll system, benefits coverage, terribly boring tedious topics that she had no interest in hearing about. She understood it was her job and she was very happy to still have a job but the last few months things had been difficult. AJ had been a welcoming blessing in her life but she knew it would never be the same. She missed Michael and wished things could be different.

She walked into the office and was greeted by Sarah, their bright and perky receptionist.

"You'll never guess what happened?"

Holly set her briefcase down on the floor and stood before Sarah, shrugging. "What's that?"

"You know that really weird Regional Manager from the Scranton branch?...Oh wait you were in that branch before right?"

"Yeah...what about him?" She licked her lips, they suddenly felt so dry.

"He showed up."

"Here?"

"Yeah. He called us and said he was coming in to do his sales meeting thing and we said sure. It... was a nightmare." The young girl began giggling and shaking her head in disbelief while Holly stood firmly in place.

"What happened? Did he ask about me? Um, no I mean, how was it? What happened? I'm just...no... go, sorry." Holly was stammering, begging her mouth to stop moving.

"Well he showed up with this girl, what was her name? The receptionist from there."

"Pam?"

"Ya, she seems nice. She has to deal with him though, I'm so glad I work here."

"So what happened?"

"First, he was being weird about you. Did you two have a falling out or something? Is that why you transferred here. He seemed relieved to know you weren't here."

"Really? Oh, no, we were... uh, we were friends. Relieved? Really?"

"Yeah, looked like it."

"Oh."

Sarah continued to explain to Holly about the fiasco of the meeting, how Michael badgered AJ and crawled out of the conference room, then Pam took over and called everyone names. Her mind began to reel, however, and she felt her heart sink deep within her chest. It had been so damaged when he left her there but this was something new. To know that he was relieved she wasn't there crushed her. It's not at all how she'd imagined it and she couldn't take anymore.

When Sarah stopped talking and waited for a response Holly just nodded and looked at the girl with wide eyes. Then reached down, grabbed her briefcase and went back to her desk. She was walking through the doorway when AJ stepped out in front of her stopping her movement.

"Hey good lookin'." He was a nice guy, suave, smart, handsome and perfect in everyway except that he wasn't Michael.

"Oh...uh hi. I was just going back to my desk to put my stuff down."

"'K, I'll come with you."

She really wanted him to leave her alone but she meekly smiled at him in reassurance and they walked to her desk. When she put her stuff down she noticed the small yellow sweater on her chair was moved. When she turned her head to inspect it she could clearly see the right sleeve had been cut at the elbow. She quietly reached for it and ran her thumb over the fraying edge.

"Whoa, what the hell happened to that?" AJ was standing behind her.

"I don't know," but she did know. Michael.

"That's messed up. I wonder if it was the cleaning crew or something."

"I don't know." She lifted the sweater off of her chair and quietly folded it up, placing it delicately on the top of her desk. She stared at it for a few moments more before turning her attention back to AJ. "You know what I should probably get to work, do you want to get lunch together today?"

"Sure sounds great." He leaned in and she hesitated for a brief moment before turning her cheek allowing him to kiss her softly. He was oblivious to her reaction and turned away leaving her alone.

She turned back to her desk, standing behind her chair and stared at it, imagining Michael. She closed her eyes and envisioned her feet were resting right where he had stood. She could almost feel his presence, if she squeezed her eyes tight and slowed her heart rate down, she was sure he was there with her. She reached out for the chair in front of her and ran her fingers across the back of it, pulling it away from her desk. She continued to keep her eyes closed and stepped in front of the chair, sitting down slowly. When she reached out before her to place her right hand over her mouse, the movement woke her sleeping monitor. She slowly opened her eyes and felt relaxed and calm again.

When her eyes drifted across her computer desktop they didn't notice the missing file titled "Dear Michael".