Chapter Text
It’s official: she’s moving to Moscow, and not even the famous one. Moscow, Idaho.
Mindy Lahiri is moving to Idaho with Josh.
Danny Castellano could never imagine Mindy, the thirty-three year old woman with the mind of a fifteen year old girl in a town with a population of 23,800. A town whose biggest landmark is a public library. A town that's 92% white.
Nope, no way.
She had told him in his office the day before, how her boyfriend of six months’ mother had developed a brain tumor, and how Josh needed to be closer to his family. He was thrilled at first, jumping to the reasonable conclusion that Mindy and Josh had broken up, until she told him that she would be going with him. To fucking Moscow, Idaho.
That was when he stopped breathing for a minute. He just started at her warm face, mouth agape, like a fool. He was a fool for thinking that she wouldn’t follow the “love of her life” to be there for him and his ailing mother. Danny thought that he would have more time to tell her that her prickish boyfriend did not deserve her. He was a fool to think that she cared for him the way he cared for her. He wanted to punch Josh in his stupid, stupid face. He wanted to tell Mindy what he had known for five years now, but all he could do was stare into her dark eyes.
“Danny, please say something.” she said, breaking the moment of silence.
He took a breath.
“When are you leaving?” he manage to crack out, stifling the sob that he felt in his chest.
“Next week.”
Danny fell silent, the shock painting his face. He knew that they had had their tussles in the past, but he could not imagine life without her. She made him want to smother her in her sleep, but at the same time, she was somehow his air. His soul. His sun. Mindy’s face pained as she reached out to touch his forearm, causing his whole body to stiffen.
“Listen, Danny…” she started, “I know you think Josh is a dick, but I love him, and I need to be there for him when he needs me. Can't you understand that?”
“But this is your home, Min. You can’t just uproot your life for some guy.”
Mindy drew her hand away from his arm and carefully placed in into her lap. “Home is where the person you love is.” she said, staring down at her violet pumps.
Mindy got up from the brown leather office chair and started to make her way to the door, as Danny attempted to compose himself.
“Min!” he called across the room.
She spun around, her checkered miniskirt swishing against her dark stockings. Their eyes met like weak magnets, aligning perfectly, but keeping to the opposite sides of the room.
“I’ll miss you.” he whispered, almost inaudibly.
Mindy nodded cordially and walked out of the office, Danny’s eyes following her. When the door shut, Danny slammed his head onto his desk and let the tears flow freely onto his medical charts, not caring if he smudged the ink. For once, he had to let it out.
He loved her, and she would never know.