Seven days after our son died, I saw Leo again.

I went to the Dean to request a long leave of absence. I planned to finalize the divorce and then travel with my son's pictures, to clear my head.

The Dean was an old friend of my father's. He approved it immediately, then said with concern, "Talia, you're still young. A trip will do you good. You'll get through this."

Just as I was about to leave, there was a knock on the door, and Leo walked in.

The Dean joked, "Leo, you just couldn't wait to pick up your wife, could you?"

Leo gave me a cold glance and went straight to discussing work with the Dean. I just shook my head, said my goodbyes to the Dean, and left.

"Wait for me by the door," Leo called after me.

"Fine."

I closed the door, and I could faintly hear him asking the Dean for some kind of position.

A permanent staff position? For his childhood sweetheart?

To my own surprise, I felt nothing. So what if it was? So what if it wasn't?

All I wanted now was his signature on the divorce papers.

I ended up waiting until dinnertime.

I was getting impatient and about to leave when Leo and the Dean finally came out.

Leo didn't look too happy. It seemed the conversation hadn't gone well.

The Dean, however, was still smiling. He invited me to join them for dinner, saying it was a department gathering for Leo's neurosurgery team.

Leo could tell I didn't want to go. He fell back a couple of steps and tugged on my sleeve. "Talia, you have to come to this dinner."

"Why?"

"The Dean is your dad's old friend, right? He watched you grow up. He'll be more agreeable if you're there."

"Agreeable about what?"

"Nina's fellowship is almost over. If she doesn't get a permanent position, she'll have to go back to that dump of a hospital in her hometown. I need the Dean to pull some strings."

I laughed.

He wanted to use my connection to get a job for his sweetheart?

"Okay," I changed my mind and agreed instantly.

I was actually curious to see how the great man who always prided himself on his integrity, who claimed he never relied on my father, would bow and scrape for his precious Nina.