Chapter 7 Seven

Chapter 7 Seven
I woke earlier than usual the next day, long before the sun had fully risen. I lay still for a moment, listening to the quiet hum of my apartment, trying to calm the uneasiness in my chest. The consultation meeting tomorrow hovered in my thoughts like a shadow that refused to move.

I pushed myself out of bed and walked to Lily’s room. She was still asleep, her arm wrapped around her stuffed wolf and her hair tangled over her pillow. The sight of her always centered me. She had no idea how much her world was about to change. Or how hard I was trying to control the direction of that change.

After getting ready, I prepared breakfast and packed her things for daycare. She woke slowly, rubbing her eyes and smiling when she saw the puzzle box on her little desk.

“Can we read the moon book again tonight?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said.

She climbed into her chair, swinging her legs while she waited for food. The normalcy of our routine steadied me enough to move through the morning without letting my thoughts spiral.

After dropping her off, I headed to the office. The lobby was busy with people entering the building, but I barely noticed the crowd. I went straight to my desk and tried to mentally divide my day into manageable pieces. Work first. Consultation tomorrow. Adrian somewhere in between.

I had barely logged into my computer when a message arrived.

Meeting with Adrian Knight at nine thirty.

I stared at the notification, then reminded myself that these meetings were normal. Necessary even. He had made it clear that we needed to keep communication open, no matter how uncomfortable it became.

I worked until nine twenty-five, pretending to be fully focused. At twenty-eight past, I stood and walked to his office.

Evelyn greeted me politely but stepped aside quickly, letting me pass. Adrian’s door was open, and he looked up as I entered. His tone was quiet but formal when he said good morning.

He motioned toward the small sitting area again. I took the same seat as before, and he sat across from me this time, leaving a respectable distance.

“We need to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting,” he began.

I nodded. “I reviewed the outline the consultant sent.”

“Good. They will ask questions about Lily’s personality, her daily routine, and her comfort levels with new people. They might ask about past experiences.”

“I understand.”

His eyes studied me for a moment. “You seem tense.”

I kept my expression steady. “This is a lot to navigate. I am trying not to make mistakes.”

“You are doing fine,” he said.

The reassurance surprised me. He rarely delivered praise without calculation, but this sounded genuine.

“I want you to know something before tomorrow,” he continued. “I do not intend to challenge you on anything that affects her stability. I want this to be gradual and safe.”

His voice was steady, but something in it softened slightly. It made my stomach twist in a way I wished it did not.

I folded my hands in my lap. “I am not trying to keep her from you. I am trying to protect her.”

“I know.”

His gaze held mine, and the room felt smaller for a moment.

He shifted slightly, leaning back. “There is something else. I have arranged for you to have flexibility with your schedule if you need it during this process. Human resources will not know why. Only Evelyn and I do.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “I do not want special treatment.”

“This is not special treatment. It is accommodation.”

The quiet finality in his tone left no room for argument. I looked away to steady myself.

“We will manage tomorrow together,” he said. “You do not have to worry about being blindsided.”

I almost laughed at the irony. Being blindsided seemed to be a permanent state around him.

He must have sensed my hesitation because his expression shifted. “If there is something you want to ask me, you can.”

I hesitated, debating whether to voice what had been troubling me for days.

“Why are you handling this so carefully?” I asked finally. “You were not like this before.”

He did not look offended. He looked thoughtful.

“People change,” he said simply. “Circumstances change them. Time changes them.”

“Five years is a long time,” I said.

“Yes. It is.”

There was something unspoken in his tone, but I did not have the strength to reach for it.

We moved on to reviewing the logistics of upcoming projects. The work talk grounded me again, and when the meeting ended, I left feeling more stable than when I arrived.

Back in my office, I forced myself into my tasks. Numbers and analysis were easier than emotions. They had rules. They behaved predictably. People did not.

Around noon, I decided to take lunch in the small break room instead of going out. The last few days had drained me, and the idea of noise or crowds felt exhausting. I heated leftover pasta and sat by the window.

I had only eaten a few bites when Maya walked in.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked.

“Not at all.”

She sat across from me, sipping her tea. “There is a rumor that Mr. Knight is watching your team more closely because of the partnership work.”

My chest tightened. “Rumors spread quickly.”

“They always do. Fortunately, most people assume it is because you are performing well.”

I nodded but stayed quiet. Maya studied me for a moment.

“You carry yourself well,” she said. “Even when something is weighing on you.”

I met her eyes briefly but offered nothing.

She smiled slightly. “I will not pry. I just wanted to say that you are not alone in the workload.”

The kindness almost broke something inside me. I managed a small thank you, and she left soon after.

When I returned to my desk, I found a small envelope placed neatly at the corner. There was no name written on the front, but I knew exactly who it was from.

I opened it slowly.

Inside was a simple note.

For tomorrow. Read it when you feel overwhelmed.

That was all it said.

I stared at the paper for a long time. There was nothing manipulative in the wording. Nothing demanding. Just a quiet offer of support. It made me uneasy, not because it felt wrong, but because it felt sincere.

I tucked the note into my bag and moved on with my day.

Later, at four thirty, I left to pick up Lily. She ran to me as always, smiling wide as she waved another drawing. She had drawn a moon and colored it blue.

“Look, Mama. It is glowing in the sky.”

I smiled and kissed her forehead. “It is beautiful.”

On the drive home, she sang softly to herself. I listened but my thoughts drifted. I kept imagining Adrian in her life. I kept imagining how she might react. I kept imagining what the first meeting would look like.

Once home, Lily settled into the living room with her toys. I placed my bag on the table and saw the note again peeking out from the zipper.

I sat on the couch and unfolded it.

It still contained only that one line.

For tomorrow. Read it when you feel overwhelmed.

I wondered why he wrote it. I wondered what he thought I would feel. I wondered what he intended to say without saying much at all.

After dinner, Lily asked to read the moon book again. I sat beside her, reading the words slowly while she followed along with her finger. Her eyes sparkled when the main character finally realized the moon had never disappeared.

When she fell asleep later, I lingered by her bed. Her calm breathing comforted me. It reminded me of what mattered most.

I walked into the living room and sat on the floor beside the puzzle again. The pieces glowed faintly after absorbing the light. I traced the edges, thinking about how fragile everything felt.

Eventually, I grabbed my phone and checked it. There were no new messages from Adrian. A strange mix of relief and disappointment settled over me.

I put the phone down and went to shower. When I finished and changed for bed, I walked to my room with the note still in my hand. I placed it on my nightstand, unsure why I wanted it close.

I lay in bed for a long time, unable to sleep. My thoughts kept circling around tomorrow. Around what would happen in that conference room. Around how much of myself I would have to reveal. Around what Adrian would say.

Sometime around midnight, I finally drifted into a restless sleep.

I dreamed of a moon glowing too brightly to touch.

And a voice telling me I did not have to face it alone.