Chapter 77: Seventy Seven

The office was already buzzing when I arrived, the usual Monday morning frenzy amplified by the upcoming summer projects. I balanced my travel mug in one hand, my bag in the other, and offered quick good mornings to the volunteers gathered near the reception. The air smelled faintly of paper and old coffee.

“What’s so exciting, today?” I asked Ashlynn when I bumped into her.

“Ramona has a meeting with some hotshot academic. She’s pumped so everyone is.”

My desk was tucked into a corner near the wide windows that overlooked the city. I booted up my laptop, flipping through my planner as the machine hummed to life. Meetings, follow-ups, two grant applications to finalize, and at least a dozen emails flagged as urgent.

The nonprofit world was relentless, but it gave me purpose.

Before diving in, my phone buzzed, a message from Jacob.

How’s my girl doing today?

I smiled faintly and typed back, Busy, but good. Hope your morning’s going okay too.

Jacob had a habit of checking in several times a day; quick texts between meetings, little reminders that he was there. I never quite knew if it was meant to be sweet or if he was keeping tabs, but I always replied.

I dove into work, fingers flying across the keyboard. The first couple of hours passed in a blur of phone calls and back-to-back check-ins. By late morning, the office had settled into a steady rhythm. I had a meeting soon.

I leaned back in my chair for a moment, rubbing my eyes. My phone buzzed again.

Had lunch yet? Don’t forget to eat.

Will do, I texted back. I hadn’t even thought about food. That was sweet of him.

With ten precious minutes before my next call, my fingers hovered over my keyboard and opened a browser tab almost automatically.

I knew what I was doing before I even typed the first letter.

My pulse quickened as I scrolled. An old habit, one I rarely allowed myself anymore, but today curiosity had won. I skimmed through a list of names, titles, headlines. My chest felt tight, and before I knew it, the minutes were gone.

His face. Its not like I would ever forget it. But I liked to see him.

I slammed the laptop shut just as the call notification popped up.

“Willow?” Ashlynn peered over the partition. “You joining the meeting?”

“Yeah, give me a sec,” I said, forcing a smile. My heart was still racing.

_________

By the time the clock struck six, I was drained. Jacob had sent two more texts through the afternoon:

How’s the project coming?

and

Don’t work too hard, we’ll see you soon.

I gathered my things, grateful to escape into the warmth of the evening.

Home was quieter than usual. Jacob and Noah were still out, and the silence made the apartment feel weird. I toed off my shoes, letting my bag slump by the door. A thin layer of dust had gathered on the bookshelf, a testament to how little time I spent here lately.

I collapsed onto the couch, pulling out my phone.

Noah had texted from Jacob's phone, Mama! Daddy let me have ice cream before dinner! 🤫

I smiled faintly. Noah was always so excited to share the smallest things with me. Jacob, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t mention it at all.

The sound of a key turning in the lock snapped me out of it.

“Mommy!”

I barely had time to sit up before Noah launched himself into my arms, face bright with excitement.

“Hey, baby!” I hugged him tightly, breathing in the familiar scent of bubblegum shampoo. “Did you have fun with Daddy?”

“Uh-huh! We saw a fire truck!” He launched into a breathless retelling, hands flailing for emphasis.

Jacob walked in behind him, setting down the grocery bags with a grunt.

“You’re home early,” I said.

“Wrapped up my meeting sooner than expected.” He bent down to kiss the top of my head, his cologne sharp and familiar. “Pick up anything for dinner?”

“I thought I’d order Thai.”

He hummed in approval, already sorting through the bags.

“I’ll go take a shower, okay?” He said, and I nodded.

A few minutes later, my colleague Ashlynn pinged me: Quick call? I’ve got an update about the summer projects.

I clicked accept, and her voice filled my headphones.

“They’re bringing in an outside consultant for the summer,” she said. “Big name, someone with serious experience. Apparently, the higher-ups think they can help overhaul our outreach model.”

I frowned. “Did they say who?”

“Nope. They’re keeping it hush-hush. But the director hinted that you might be paired with them. Pretty big deal, Wills, congrats in advance.”

I forced a laugh. “Thanks. Guess I’ll just wait and see.”

When the call ended, I sat there, staring at my screen long after she had hung up.

Later, during dinner, as we finished the Pad Thai on our plates, I mentioned it to Jacob.

He watched me over the rim of his glass. “You said you’ll be working closely with them? Big opportunity, babe. Try not to mess it up.”

I forced a smile. “I’ll do my best.”

He kissed my cheek before heading to the bedroom, phone still in hand, already absorbed in whatever was on the screen.

I stayed where I was, glass clutched in my hand.

A consultant for the summer.

The words echoed in my head long after the lights were off.

And for reasons I couldn’t explain, a strange, uneasy feeling settled low in my stomach.