A few weeks passed from the encounter with the other woman, but Ms. Flint still treasured the memory. Her mother lived through the illness and was happily spending her day with her other relatives, and Ms, Flint was relieved.
She wanted to thank the Dean, but figuring out how was tough. Ms. Flint was in no way a romantic, but she finally decided on flowers, after taking suggestions from the fellow women in her office.
She found the office number of the dean and mailed a bouquet of lillies with a card inviting the other out to coffee. Sure enough, the two met up in a small cafe, chatting lightly about their jobs and sharing stories from their work, until the talk slowly died down and shifted into one about each other's home life.
The moment the dean mentioned that she was single, Ms. Flint could feel a smile growing on her face.
Maybe her life wasn't perfect, but Ms. Flint was ready for a new beginning; and that new beginning was named Abigail Hardscrabble.