But now that he was leaving her old fear was coming back even stronger than before. The thought of being alone in this strange city responsible for such a massive operation was terrifying.
Andrew saw the fear in her eyes. He came closer to her desk. He looked at her with a reassuring expression. "I won't be gone for many days," he said gently. "I will finish my work with Adam and come right back here. And when I return I will expect you to have seen this whole operation through to its end. Can I expect this from you?" He said this to Maria with a great deal of hope in his voice. He was not just giving her an order. He was showing her his trust.
Maria looked at his steady gaze. She understood what Andrew was really asking. He was asking her to be strong. He was asking her to believe in herself.
She closed her eyes for a moment taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She sat back down in her chair. Her resolve hardened.
