They finished their meal, and Julieta left a generous tip. Maybe the waiter would forget their conversation. The restaurant was her favorite place near the office, and she did not want someone there remembering something terrible about her life.

She had already started walking back toward the office when Deborah called out, “Our lunch is not over yet.”

Julieta hesitated, then quietly followed her boss and friend toward the nearby park.

“You know,” Deborah said as they walked, “it is nice to take a walk in the middle of the day.”

Julieta nodded. The park was nearly empty. The air was cold, but she still felt warm from the noodles.

After a moment, Deborah broke the silence.

“I got married at eighteen because I thought I should,” she said. “That lasted a year. The next, five. My marriage to James should have lasted a lifetime, but it didn’t. I’m still bitter about that.”

Julieta listened, surprised. Deborah rarely spoke this softly.

“Honestly, I was afraid of being alone in those last two marriages. Too weak not to pursue them. Now I’m learning to be happy alone.”

Julieta did not know how to respond. Moments like this, when Deborah let her guard down, were rare.

“You are the opposite,” Deborah said. “I admire people like you. Independent and strong. You may feel heartbroken right now, but I do not doubt for a second that you will find someone who truly loves you and will walk with you for a lifetime. You are young, and you have a good head on your shoulders.”

“If I did,” Julieta said quietly, bitterness creeping into her voice, “then I would have seen this coming.”

“No one sees the future, Julieta. We can only be honest about our choices and rest when needed.” Deborah paused. “By the way, you have two months’ vacation. Take it. Work can wait.”

“I cannot do that,” Julieta said.

“Yes, you can. Work can wait; you can’t. Take at least two weeks. We’ve got it. Trust me. Besides, I need to whip a few people into shape.”

Julieta laughed out loud, already imagining Deborah’s antics during her two-week absence.