The rain stopped sometime after midnight.Evelyn noticed because the constant drumming on her window finally went quiet, leaving the city strangely hushed. She’d been painting for hours brush in one hand, phone in the other, music low in her earbuds. Indigo and rose and gold spilling across the canvas like she was trying to exorcise the decision hanging over her.She’d started with anger—harsh strokes, dark edges. Then frustration. Then something softer. Hope, maybe. Or fear disguised as hope.By 2 a.m. the piece was nearly done. Not perfect. But honest.She stepped back. Wiped her hands on her thighs, leaving streaks on her old leggings.The contract sat on the kitchen counter, printed and annotated and staring at her like it had opinions.Lila had left around ten, after three hours of pros/cons, prosecco, and one tearful hug.“You don’t have to save the world, Ev,” she’d said at the door. “Just yourself. And if that means saying yes to the hot billionaire with the penthouse view, th
Last Updated : 2026-01-01 Read more