Emma

It was late in the afternoon, and most of the office had already gone quiet. I was walking down the hallway when I heard soft sobbing coming from one of the rooms. It was Emma’s office. I hesitated at the door. Emma had always been strong, confident, and funny, but now, she sounded… broken. I knocked gently. "Emma? You okay?" There was silence, then a shaky voice: "You already know, don’t you?" Her voice cracked. "They all do." I stepped in slowly. Emma was sitting at her desk, her eyes red, a tissue crumpled in her hand.