Meanwhile, Sylvie and Ryan already got back from lunch hours ago. By the time the clock on Sylvie’s desk crept toward evening, her shoulders ached in a way that only came from sitting too long.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes lingering on the computer screen for a few seconds longer than necessary. The office had begun to thin out. Conversations faded into murmurs, heels clicked less frequently down the corridor. People were starting to round up with their work to leave.
She saved her work, closed the file, and shut down the computer.
That was it for the day.
Sylvie gathered her bag slowly, slipping her phone inside, adjusting the strap on her shoulder as if stalling. Returning to work had felt right this morning, necessary, but now exhaustion settled in her bones.
When she ste
