A coworker quit, the work landed on me — and the question I finally asked

The desk next to hers has been empty since the start of the month. Chair pushed in, monitor dark, and the other woman's folders now stacked on her side. Her boss said "just cover it for a while," and she nodded — the way she always does.

The first week she stayed late, sure a little extra effort would do it. The second week the mistakes started: a wrong line, a number that didn't add up. Her boss sent a short, polite note about the error — and never asked why. She realized she had been quiet for so long that everyone assumed she was fine.

"For a while" sounded light at first. But nobody said how long a while was. No new hire, no end date — just two jobs and one paycheck. If she didn't ask, "for a while" would simply keep going. That afternoon she knocked on the door and asked for ten minutes.

She didn't complain. She put a sheet of paper on the desk, split into two columns: what she could get done, and what she couldn't. Then she asked plainly, "Which of these do you want me to drop?" Her boss was quiet for a long moment, then picked up a pen and crossed out three lines. She folded the paper and put it in her bag — for next time.

It doesn't always get cut. I still ask. Silence means taking it all.

Not every boss picks up the pen. When was the last time you said "I can't get to this"?