Year Of Yes Novels & Stories

I stuffed the last piece of clothing into the suitcase and snapped it shut, then I looked around the apartment. Having lived here for five years, my presence was everywhere, from the paintings on the walls to the throw pillows on the couch and the plants on the balcony. Now, those very details felt like a cruel joke. I wheeled my suitcase toward the living room and paused to look at the calendar. New Year’s Day was tomorrow. A fresh start and a brand-new year. Without hesitation, I reached for my phone and reserved a seat on the first high-speed train heading to Cedar Hollow, my hometown.

The word sat heavily in my mind. *]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-6a037f1b-120c-83e9-9911-de51ddc97e41-1" data-turn-id-container="request-6a037f1b-120c-83e9-9911-de51ddc97e41-1" data-testid="conversation-turn-24" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn="assistant"> I closed the file without needing to think twice about what I would do next.

Stacey’s POV: If someone had told me a year ago that I would be sitting at my own kitchen table, going over preparations for a global book signing tour and balancing it with my wedding preparations, I would have laughed. Or maybe cried. Back then, I was drowning in confusion, heartbreak, and half-finished thoughts. Now, the world called me a success.

"Good Morning. Mr. Fobster is unavailable at the moment." "I'm happy to wait," "If you wish." She motioned to the plush couch situated near the floor-to-ceiling windows that illuminated the San Francisco skyline at its brightest. Taking the cue, I headed toward it and sat, trying to calm my nerves by doing the breathing exercise I picked up from watching Jane the virgin. Inhala . . . Exhala . . . Inhala . . . Exhala . . . As minutes dragged by, I repeated the routine and it did seem to be working for me because I didn't feel as tensed as I was when I walked in, but the minute the elevator dinged, everything went from a hundred to one.

SLOANE Let me tell you something about the kind of girl I am. I'm not reckless. I'm not the type who goes looking for trouble or mistakes or things that will keep her up at night with her thighs pressed together and her conscience screaming. I make lists. I think before I speak. I have never in my twenty years of life done something I couldn't explain in the morning. So I need you to understand that what happened was an accident. I need you to understand that before I tell you the rest.

At the end of the year, I was named Employee of the Year at the company's annual dinner. Standing on the stage and looking at the applauding crowd below, it all felt a little surreal. A year ago today, I was still frantically busy with wedding preparations. Now, I was standing here with a brand new life. "Congratulations." A gentle male voice rang out near my ear. I turned my head around; it was the new director of the branch office. Gabriel Bentley handed me a glass of champagne with a warm smile. "Your speech was great." "Thank you." I took the glass and gently clinked it with his.

She kept glancing at me like I might disappear if she looked away too long. The moment we stepped inside her apartment, she turned to face me. “Maya.” I told her everything. Every single word the doctor said. By the time I finished, she was already shaking her head. “No.” Her voice cracked. “No, this doesn’t make sense. You’re twenty-one.” “I noticed,” I said dryly. “This kind of thing doesn’t just happen to people our age.” “Apparently it does.” She paced the room like she was trying to outrun the news.

She asked why I hadn't gotten home yet. I typed and deleted the message again and again for a long time before finally replying: [Something came up. I'll go back after New Year's Day. Don't wait for me.] The next second, she replied. [No rush. We'll celebrate New Year's Day together when you come back this time.] My eyes reddened. So this was how wonderful it felt to have someone waiting to celebrate a holiday with you. [Sure.] I turned and booked the earliest flight available. Although it was clear that I couldn't make it in time for the New Year's holidays, at least I could still go back and see her.

Yes to the schools. Yes to the men I must impress. Yes, when all I wanted to say was no. To have no control over any part of my life. My schedule, my friends, what I eat. It's suffocating, but all I could say was… yes. It's funny. Standing here, behind these double oak doors, in a gown that sparkles like something out of a fairytale, I should feel lucky, I should feel proud… I should feel happy. But all I feel is hollow. Like I am watching someone else's life unfold and I'm just a guest.

Nothing I said mattered. "Dad, if you want to tell me I'm in the wrong, go right ahead. However, if you want me to write off this 400,000 dollars as a gift to Uncle Liam, you don't need to say another word. I made this money by standing in front of a crusher for two long years. "I watched my fingers blister, heal, and blister all over again. It didn't just fall from the sky." Having said my piece, I braced myself for the inevitable torrent of lecture to rain down on me.