CLAIRE
After dinner, I helped Julian clean up the kitchen, both of us moving around each other in comfortable silence.
"I'm going to head to bed," I said finally, drying my hands on a dish towel. "Today was good but I'm exhausted."
"Get some rest," Julian replied, closing the dishwasher. "You earned it."
I walked down the hallway to the guest room, my body tired but my mind still buzzing with thoughts about fabrics and timelines and all the work ahead of me.
I changed into pajamas and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, the routine automatic and soothing. When I looked up at the mirror, I paused.
My reflection stared back at me, hair damp at the edges from washing my face, bare skin showing the exhaustion of the day. I turned slightly, looking at my profile in th
