Fallen To The Knees

Anastasia Early in the morning, when the clock reads half past 4:00 a.m. on a Friday morning, raindrops patter against the window of a high-rise apartment in downtown Denver, Colorado. The clouds flash with lightning seen through the glass window which were currently covered in little raindrops , and the sharp roar of thunder echoes through the empty streets. A small lamp flickers on. The night has fled, and a new day awaits. As the smell of freshly brewed espresso fills the luxurious apartment, a set of bare feet taps on the hardwood floors of the living room. The tapping isn’t from anxiety but from the soft instrumental music that gently tugs at the strings of Anastasia’s heart, bringing a sense of calm and beauty to the moment. “I love when it rains; the droplets of water fall on everyone just the same. It’s nature’s way of showing how we all get drenched equally under the sky, regardless of who we are or what we are capable of. To some, the dark clouds are gloomy, but to me, they reveal the nurturing side of nature, as they lovingly wash and cleanse the world, bestowing the precious water that sustains all life.” Anastasia thinks to her self. As She lifts the espresso cup from the kitchen counter and guides it to her lips the scent of freshly brewed espresso fills Ana's lungs, she sips her espresso savours the taste before she opens her laptop, places it on the kitchen island, and sits down on the barstool with her espresso, getting consumed by her work emails. Ana sighs, her eyes tired from staring at the screen. Several hours have passed, and she has finally caught up on all the work she needed to finish before her girls' night. “Uuuhhh! Finally, now I can relax.” Emails answered, finances checked, marketing team briefed, clients updated on last week's data—everything is done. All that's left is to go shopping for a nice outfit to wear tonight. As that thought enters Ana's mind, her phone starts to ring. The screen flashes the name "Claire," Ana's high school best friend. "Hey, girl! Are you all set for the tonight? It's going to be a blast! I have the night planned down to every last second," says Claire in her high-pitched, excited voice. A smile creeps onto Ana's lips as Claire’s voice hits her ears, bringing back a flood of wild memories: cramming the night before a test, going to crazy high school house parties, bunking class, or family trips. Ana and Claire have done it all together. "I'll pick you up at 7:00 p.m. so we can head to Gina’s," Claire continues. Gina’s is the bar Ana and Claire have been regulars at since they turned 21. "Hopefully, I’ll be ready by then," Ana says, cutting off Claire. "Why won’t you be ready by 7:00 p.m.? Don’t tell me you're still not done working," Claire teased over the phone. “No, it’s not that,” Ana sighed, looking at her reflection. “I just don’t have anything to wear tonight.” Claire chuckled. “Ana, you own a marketing firm. You’re the queen of managing campaigns, but you’re stuck on an outfit?” Ana rolled her eyes with a smile. As Claire mentioned her firm it took Ana back a couple of days where she had spent the entire week managing the operations of her medium-sized marketing firm, ‘Vance Marketing’. The company had a waitlist of clients clamouring to work with them, a testament to their excellent reputation. Just yesterday, she had a meeting with her senior team, addressing why they were slow to onboard clients from the waitlist. “The team is more than big enough, and we have all the resources necessary to get every one of the clients on the waitlist onboarded within a week,” Ana had said, her voice calm but firm as she addressed the room. The tension was palpable, but she didn’t raise her voice. Ana was understanding and always polite, but she also knew how to make herself clear. “I need to understand why we’re falling behind. What’s stopping us?” Her senior team exchanged glances, and William, one of her top account managers, spoke up first. “I think we’ve been a bit too focused on perfecting the onboarding process. There’s a lot of back-and-forth with the clients, and we’ve been cautious about overwhelming them with too much information upfront.” Ana had nodded, her expression thoughtful but unwavering. “I appreciate that you’re prioritizing the client experience, William, and that’s exactly the kind of care I want for our clients. But we’re more than capable of doing this faster. I expect results by the end of this week. Since I know we can do it and it’s not an unreasonable expectation given the size of our team and the resources we have to make on-boarding a fast and smooth process.” She paused, locking eyes with William and the rest of the team. “We can’t afford to lose clients because of delays. If we don’t act now, someone else will pick them up, and that’s unacceptable. I’ll personally send emails to everyone on the waitlist, letting them know they’ll be onboarded by the end of next week. We have more than enough time. Let’s make this happen.” William had nodded, and the others murmured their agreement, knowing the gravity of her words. "As that meeting leaves Ana's mind, Claire’s voice suddenly breaks through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present. “Are you even listening, or have you fallen asleep?'" "Still here, just wondering where I need to go to find an outfit for tonight. I’m just not sure," says Ana. “Good thing I’m here for you. I’ll pick you up in an hour. We’ll find you something great, and then we’ll head to ‘Drizzle’ for brunch,” Claire said. Claire Preston is the owner of ‘Drizzle’, a cozy bakery café that had quickly become the go-to spot in town. Claire was a natural when it came to creativity, whether it was designing the café’s menu or choosing the perfect dress. "After refusing help so as not to burden Claire, and with Claire being adamant that it’s no big deal and that she wants to help—since finding outfits is her special talent and it’s an excuse to spend time with her now-busy best friend before they meet their other friends tonight—Ana agrees to accept her help." "Ana sighed. 'Okay, you win. Let’s hit the stores together. See you in a bit.'" An hour later, Claire pulled up outside Ana’s downtown apartment building, and Ana quickly got in, dressed in her neat blazer and slacks—perfect for work, but not exactly exciting for a night out. Claire gave her a quick once-over and grinned. “You look as professional as always, but let’s find you something that screams ‘fun,’” Claire said. They drove to Claire’s favourite boutique downtown, a hidden gem Claire had discovered while expanding ‘Drizzle’s’ presence in the area. The moment they stepped inside, Ana could see why Claire loved the place—everything was effortlessly stylish.