The cold, fresh air was welcoming after spending the last three hours writing emails, providing status updates, and attending impromptu meetings.

Deborah was right. She did need some time off. Still, she felt irresponsible leaving right after lunch, so she tied up loose ends and made sure everyone was informed about her projects.

She had been assigned to work with a well-known tech executive who was remodeling his home, but he decided to postpone the project until his son’s high school graduation in May of the following year. Deborah required a hefty retainer fee, and he did not hesitate to pay it.

It felt as if the stars had aligned to give her some unexpected time off.

She would most likely stay home. She was not adventurous enough to take a trip across the world. She hated flying. She hated the crowds of people traveling to enjoy their Christmas and New Year holidays.

Julieta pulled into her apartment’s parking lot and immediately spotted Adrian’s blue Nissan parked in her space.

He always did that, claiming his parking spot was too far.

She wished he had the courtesy to text before showing up. She did not want to add this to the long list of complaints she carried about his behavior. No, she thought, I need to focus on being strong when I see him.

She had texted him earlier that morning about the ring, hoping they could have a long conversation about their relationship and why he had decided to leave without discussing it first. Now, they finally had the space to talk.