The following days flew by in a haze of paperwork and the ordinary cadence of her new existence. Cecilia was indifferent to the fact that her new job was trivial; her main focus was on staying focused and progressing.
Each morning, she would rise early to take a jog before heading to work. It wasn't a lot, but it provided her with a feeling of mastery over her body, over her existence, when everything felt so disordered. The gentle, steady thump of her sneakers against the sidewalk provided a stable anchor in the chaos surrounding her.
At the office, the days were lengthy yet tolerable. She realized she was falling into a routine—folding laundry, helping customers, restocking shelves. It was tiring, yet it provided her with a vital distraction from all that was happening.
Yet, despit
