Love Was Never Enough

An Ordinary Evening

Elaris's POV

The last client of the day was a girl named Juno.

She was seventeen and had been sitting in Tia's chair since 5:10 p.m., unable to decide whether to get a simple trim or dye her hair a darker shade she couldn't really afford.

I'd already wiped down the front desk twice.

Dora had balanced the till.

Nessa packed away her brushes before slipping her bag over her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Lari."

"See you."

She smiled and left at exactly 5:45.

Mara had gone a few minutes earlier.

She never said goodbye.

She rarely did on Mondays.

"Elaris," Tia called from the styling station. "Can you check if we've got any more 8-volume developer? We're almost out."

"Sure."

I headed for the storage room, my feet aching with every step. It was the familiar kind of exhaustion that settled into your bones after standing all day.

After searching behind a stack of towels, I found the last bottle.

"Found it."

"You're a lifesaver."

I handed it over before returning to the reception desk.

Tia turned back to Juno with a patient smile.

"You don't have to decide because everyone else is dyeing their hair," she told her gently. "Healthy hair always looks better."

Juno studied herself in the mirror for another moment before laughing.

"I think I'll stick with the trim."

"Smart choice," Tia said.

When she came to pay, I smiled at her.

"Your hair will thank you in a month."

She laughed.

"My mum will thank me too. She said if I dyed it, I'd be paying her back."

I rang up the service.

"$32."

She handed me the money before dropping two extra dollars into the tip jar.

"Have a good evening, Miss Elaris."

"You too, Juno."

The door closed behind her at 6:02 p.m.

Silence settled over the salon.

Dora emerged from the office, handbag resting on her shoulder.

"You're locking up?"

"I am."

"Don't stay too late."

"I won't."

"See you tomorrow."

"See you."

A moment later, she was gone.

The only sound left was the low hum of the refrigerator in the staff room.

I checked my phone.

6:05 p.m.

I called Evren.

It rang three times and then switched to voicemail.

"You've reached Evren. Please leave a message."

I frowned.

He always answered on Mondays.

Always.

Unless he was in a meeting.

I hung up and tried again three minutes later.

It entered voicemail again.

At 6:12, I called for the third time.

Still nothing.

My stomach tightened with a worry I couldn't quite explain.

Instead, I opened our chat.

Hey. I just finished work. I've called a few times. Are you okay? I'll be home in about an hour. Love you.

I hit send.

Locking the salon behind me, I started the short walk to the bus stop.

The bus arrived at 6:28.

I found a seat by the window, resting my bag on my lap as the city rolled by.

"Elaris!"

I looked up.

Mrs. Lane from the second floor smiled at me from a few rows ahead, two grocery bags balanced at her feet.

"Good evening."

"Long day?" she asked kindly.

"The usual Monday."

She nodded knowingly.

"My son said he saw you outside the salon last week. Says you're always working."

I laughed softly.

"Someone has to."

At the next stop, Leo climbed aboard.

He couldn't have been older than fourteen, his backpack hanging from one shoulder.

"Hi, Miss Elaris."

"Hi, Leo. How was school?"

"Too much homework."

"I don't miss those days."

He grinned before moving toward the back of the bus.

It was nothing more than ordinary conversation.

The kind you had with people who saw you often enough to remember your name.

I got off at Clover and Market just before seven.

The evening air carried the warm scent of fresh bread from the bakery and clean laundry from the shop next door.

I stopped at the produce stand first.

"Elaris!" Claire called with her usual bright smile. "You're late today."

"We had a client finish late."

She nodded sympathetically.

She picked out three ripe tomatoes and wrapped them in brown paper.

"Three dollars."

I paid before buying onions from the next stall, then stopped by the cold store for a small pack of chicken and a bag of rice.

The groceries came to twenty-four dollars altogether.

As I walked home, I greeted familiar faces along the way.

Mr. Hale waved from his corner shop.

Two girls from my building smiled as they headed out for the evening.

Brookhaven wasn't glamorous, but it felt like a neighborhood.

People remembered each other.

People said hello.

By the time I reached my apartment, it was 7:20.

The silence inside welcomed me.

I placed the grocery bags on the kitchen counter before sitting on the edge of my bed for a moment.

My back ached.

So did my feet.

After a long drink of water, I changed out of my uniform and started dinner.

Rice.

Tomato sauce.

Chicken.

Simple, comfortable and comforting.

By 8:10, dinner was ready.

I carried my plate to the little table by the window before reaching for my phone once more.

This time, he answered.

"Elaris."

The sound of his voice made me breathe easier.

"I've been calling."

"I know."

He sounded tired.

"I'm sorry. My phone's been on silent all afternoon. We've been in meetings since three."

"Is everything okay?"

A brief silence followed.

"No."

I set my spoon down.

"The company's in trouble."

"What happened?"

"We've lost one of our biggest contracts, and investors are starting to panic. Everyone's been in meetings trying to stop things from getting worse."

His voice was calm, but I could hear the exhaustion beneath it.

"My father barely left the boardroom today. Even my mother has been at the office since lunchtime."

"That sounds awful."

"It is."

He sighed quietly.

"I won't be able to come over tonight."

Disappointment flickered through me, but I pushed it aside.

"It's okay."

"I was looking forward to seeing you."

"So was I."

"I'll come tomorrow," he promised. "Even if it's only for an hour."

"I'll be waiting."

His voice softened.

"You sound tired."

"I am."

"Did you eat?"

"I'm eating now."

"Good."

A smile tugged at my lips.

"You should take your own advice."

He laughed.

A quiet, tired laugh.

"I know."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

We stayed on the phone for another ten minutes, talking about ordinary things.

By the time we hung up, he sounded a little less burdened.

I finished my dinner, washed the dishes, and sat on the edge of my bed with my phone in my hand for a while.

I kept expecting another message from him.

None came.

At 10:30, I finally turned off the light.

***********

The radiator woke me again at 6:40 the next morning.

Tuesday.

Another workday.

I got ready, poured myself coffee into the same chipped mug, tied my hair into a low bun, and left the apartment at 7:30.

The bus stop was already crowded.

"Morning," I greeted Mrs. Lane.

"Morning, dear."

When the bus arrived, I climbed aboard and found a place to stand.

The teenage boy beside me was scrolling through the morning news.

A headline caught my eye.

ARDEN GROUP FACES COLLAPSE THREAT

My heart skipped.

Beneath it was a smaller headline.

Major contract at risk. Investors pulling back. Arden group remains silent.

Without thinking, I reached for my own phone.

The story was everywhere.

Photos of the Arden Group headquarters.

Photos of Evren leaving a meeting.

Hundreds of comments.

"Looks like the Arden empire is finally falling."

"About time."

"Wonder what they're going to do now."

I locked my screen.

My chest felt tight.

Evren had told me things were bad.

He just hadn't told me the entire country already knew.

The bus stopped outside Brookhaven Main.

I got off and walked the familiar route to Blush.

I unlocked the front door at 8:12.

Another workday.

Another smile.

Another ordinary morning.

Outside those doors, everyone was talking about the man I was going to marry.