Their arranged meeting time comes and goes. Seconds turn into minutes and minutes into hours as Ed stares at the clock and sighs forlornly. He knows Joe will turn up eventually, offering an apology that Ed will accept with good grace; he always does.
At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Ed stands to attention, a random file plucked from a nearby shelf aiding an illusion of indifference to the lateness of his visitor.
He finally has Joe's full attention and being a mere afterthought is no longer of consequence; not when it's still the highlight of his day.