Noah leaned back in his chair and rubbed at the fingers of his right hand, though it had been a long time since they ached. A self-comforting mechanism, he thought absently, and one that would probably hang on a while. At least it was harmless.
"Yes. I'm a professor of botany, and I teach that and related classes in the Environmental Studies program at UW. May is an adjunct professor in music."
He hadn't heard her play for a long time, now, and he missed it. She'd often played late at night in her room, and he'd lie in his own bed and listen to it before drifting off. Maybe some day she'd begin again. It was one of the nice things about living in her apartment.
"As with many who have already gained tenure or those who were on the tenure track, I received an invitation to the fundraiser, and May accompanied me. I don't often go to such things, but it seemed like a nice evening out. And it was, initially."