Revenge in stilettos

the streetlight above flickers like it's undecided whether to die or keep holding on. Just like me. I stand for a mome

d refrigerator from one of the neighboring units buzzes faintly. A couple argues in Spanish down the h

I'm sweating slightly, and my wrist aches from carrying the suitcase. I fumble wit

and a bathroom that smells faintly of bleach. There's a beat-up couch pushed against the

ings groan beneath me. I take a long, deep breath. This is it

me. I wasn't expecting anyone

dlord's wife. She's holding a plastic

say, c

a little something. It's not much, but the plant'

speechless. "Thank yo

ter. "Need anything, we

lowing her soft footsteps. I look at the plant.

et. Caleb's face swims in my thoughts-his big brown eyes, th

e, heart pound

ark's voic

say goodnig

past midnight.

want to hear his

ld my breath nervou

sheets, a faint snore, and m

and press the ph

you," I

ds without

offering little comfort. I dig out my laptop, setting it on the ta

rusty at first. My fingers stumble on the keys, but soon, muscle memory takes ove

d for

in lines of code whe

Why is she

ith cautio

. We're making pancakes. He asked if we could do it the way you used to,

in my chest. "He

l sorts of things. He also said you didn

I

, "I'll send a pictur

ne goe

through. Caleb, sitting on the kitchen counter

diant. He l

her picture. Another message. Another reminder th

l local shop, the kind where the cashier knows your name aft

ier asks as I place a f

oved in acros

you. You used to be married to that r

enches. "Yeah

l like it here. We keep to ourselv

," I sa

ept for an old man feeding birds. I sit on a bench and c

in my head scream

my eyes, there

home, a

ng out for me, but every time I run to him, the ground cracks

scream caugh

, and send a message to Ma

rep

reach out to an old colleague from my software days

o talk to me," I admit when

raying you'd reach out. I always knew

ow how to

lef

owly. "You

how her my screen. "Ev

tfolio. We're hiring. And Ju

e a balm. I'm not back. Not

nt coffee. The world moves around me. A kid rides his bike in uneven loop

someo

ook

ck

ff his boss and his handsome face that sits in second place only because Maxwell B

shoul

. I figured you might need somethi

ng nervously, "What

ent me. He would

hy

arianne passed it on as part of the proposal. Sa

re at

re se

sionals who are well known in their roles that already work for t

d surprises me. I

'll like him. He's a grump.

e, heat spread

for the first time in a long

belong to m

....