Lena suppressed a grimace at the pounding headache as she swiped her badge, nodding towards the security guards.  

She rubbed her temple, closing her eyes as the elevator doors closed, granting her a few moments of peace.

The previous night was hazy but she could remember drinking with Dr. Nikolaev and Hyun Joon.  Her stomach rolled at the thought of drinking and she waved away her thoughts.

“I’m never drinking again.”  She muttered, watching the screen flash the floors.

She leaned against the cool metal wall and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to zone out.

A memory escaped her before she knew it.

Brian reached forward and plucked a leaf out of her hair, not breaking a stride as he walked alongside her and listening to her explanation of her new work placement.  

“It’s top secret and I had to sign a million confidentiality agreements and short of giving my blood, I pretty much signed my life away to work on this project for the next few years.”  Lena concluded, a grin on her face.

Brian smiled back, opening the door to the coffee shop and waiting for her to enter first.  It was their favourite coffee shop close to campus, tucked away in a small neighborhood the two had discovered after their usual evening walks.

The owner, a widowed grandmother, nodded at them towards their usual table by the window, a twinkle in her eye.  

"I’ll meet you at the table.  I’ll get our order first.” He mentioned, already heading towards the counter and easily lifting some boxes by the side to take into the back of the kitchen.

Lena set her and Brian’s bag down at their table, pushed up her sleeves, and kneeled down to pick up the remaining box.

To her surprise, the older woman had squatted down and patted her on the shoulder.

“He’s a good boy.  You’re both like my children.”

Lena smiled warmly, shaking her head.  “We’re always happy to help, halmoni.”

The older woman pressed a small item into her pocket, surprising Lena as she stood up with the box in tow.

“It’s for you both.”

At the sound of the elevator announcing her floor, her eyes snapped open and she strode down the hallway.

She wondered why that memory suddenly came up.  It was just a regular day.  Her and Brian would always frequent that coffee shop, help the sweet grandma with some tasks, then they would walk back to the campus discussing everything they could think of.

She smiled, recalling some of the conversations they’ve had.

“If halmoni and I were both drowning at the same time, and you could only save one person, who would you save?”  Brian turned to her as they walked slowly back to campus.  He held out his coffee cup, acting as a microphone and waited for her answer.

She snorted, taking the cup for a sip.  

“Halmoni of course.  You can swim, after all.”

Brian grinned and tapped his chin.  “Okay, then if we’re in a burning building-”

“Hey, my turn.”  She cut him off, lightly bumping into him as she returned his coffee.

“What’s the likelihood we’ll ever get to visit another planet in our lifetime?”

Brian groaned, leaning against a nearby lamp post.  “Not this again.”  He complained. 

Lena shrugged.  “Hey, it’s only fair.  Your hypothetical questions make no sense.  At least mine have potential to be realistic.”

Brian drank the last of the coffee and chucked it into a nearby trashcan.

He was silent a moment as they walked beneath the lamplights that began to glow as the sun set.

“If you believe in something that firmly, then I have no doubt you would be one of the first to figure out a way.”

Lena smiled sadly at the memory.  She took a deep breath and braced herself as she pushed through the lab doors.