The words settled into the room slowly, like dust after something had been disturbed. No one spoke. It wasn't just silence, it was confusion. Disbelief, even. Amara… taking time off?
In an office that thrived on her presence, her quick decisions, her relentless energy, the way she seemed to hold everything together without ever appearing tired, the idea felt… wrong. Like a clock skipping a beat.
Raymond was the first to move. His hand, which had been resting on his mouse, stilled completely. His brows pulled together as he looked up, searching Janet's face as though the answer might already be written there.
"Why is that?" he asked, his voice careful, but edged with something harder to hide, fear. "Is she… I mean, is she okay?"
A beat. "Well, she has been working hard," The understatement lingered in the air.
