You told her that your job was to do anything that needed doing. You told her you fix things. But you can't fix people. That's her job.

Except for this time. This time it's Matt doing the fixing—Matt, your coworker and almost friend, who brought her into your life in the first place. He's fixing her.

Because while she may not be completely broken, she's definitely fractured: between the divorce, the cheating, her kids…she's damaged. And you want nothing more than to heal her.

Watching Matt do it gives you conflicting emotions. You're glad she's getting better, but it's killing you that you're not helping.

You know that she wouldn't understand what you mean. With a little effort, you could probably be a contender. You might still lose, but at least you would have a chance. Of course, that's only if she assumes you can help her…which you can't do.

You have tried before: your parents, your sister, your best friend. They just ended up more broken. You can make lawsuits go away, make certain items disappear, solve any score of problems…but those are easy, compared to a broken human heart.

But Matt…well, it comes naturally to him.

In fact, she improves every time she sees him. You can see it in her.

And as her heart is healing, cracks are showing up on your carefully guarded heart, bypassing your carefully constructed wall. You're happy for her, even as you wonder if you should find a new job.

Because you can fix a lot of things, but you can't fix people. And you sure as hell can't fix yourself.