Olivia’s momentum didn’t slow. If anything, the days that followed felt as though they were running on fast-forward. Dawn found her already upright, the pale morning light streaming through the bedroom curtains before her alarm could dare to ring. By the time Adrian stirred, she had showered, dressed, and poured herself a steaming mug of dark roast, its rich aroma drifting through the apartment like a promise.
She moved through their open-plan kitchen with purpose, tapping rapidly on her phone, her planner splayed open on the counter. She skimmed emails between sips of coffee—bold subject lines flagged “URGENT” in red—and jotted notes on a pad: finalize campaign budget, confirm vendor call at 11, check in with design team. The quiet grief that had shadowed her for weeks felt replaced by a
