Having shut the door behind them, Seamus pulled her hand through the crook of his arm and led her along the indoor corridors of the cave system they called home and others called Sanctuary. When they reached the enormous three-story hall of the main entrance, they stopped, leaned against the second-tier balcony, and gazed out into the almost circular hall Emer's ancestors had hewn from the mountain. The late afternoon sun bronzed the rocks, softening the usually imposing feel of Sanctuary's vestibule.
'Not a good day?' her husband and best friend asked.
'I've had better.'
'Still on the bench then?'
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She waited for the tension to fully leave her body before she answered. 'I can't do my job while they insist on wrapping me in cotton wool. I'm so frustrated.'
'Do you want to talk about what happened?'
She squeezed his arm. 'It won't help. We both know what the real problem is, and getting annoyed at the symptoms does not help anyone.'