Evelyn laughs, but the sound comes out a more humourless than she had intended. To make up for it, she slides a cup across her desk toward Abigail and sets a dish with sugar and lemon just next to it.

"Let's see now, in about six days it'll be...three years."

Saying it out loud makes something in her stutter, a gear missing a tooth wobbles out of place for just a moment before clicking back. Three years. A third of her years married. A tenth of her lifetime. Evelyn reaches for her own tea and stirs it absently, setting the spoon aside and taking a sip.

It's too hot, but the burning is the sharp jolt she needed to remind herself not to dwell on how long it's been. So many people have come and gone, footprints in sand being washed away by the tide. She casts a glance to Mark's desk before speaking again.

"A very long time."