The week passed without noise. No messages. No meetings. No big black cars, no crazy men to sway.
At the office, things evened out. Sarah complained about her boyfriend, and the partners barked about deadlines. I answered calls, filed forms, and didn’t think too hard. It was thankfully boring. At night, Dylan and I ate leftovers and talked about the expensive books he’d have to buy for the next semester. It almost felt like a normal life.
One morning, I pulled up my bank statement, and started adding. Daniel’s payments came under different names—consulting, logistics, advisory. I lined them up.
It was just enough. One full year of Dylan’s tuition. Expensive books, fees, even the stupid campus parking pass.
No new clothes or shoes for me. Frequent pasta meals. But it all added up.
W
