Vedant
It was not lost on me that the trip was supposed to be a reward. A time for celebration.
Instead, it’s an exercise in restraint.
Every moment that I am in Chiara’s presence, I wonder if this was the time I will ask her. So many times it was on the tip of my tongue. Are you Iris?
But then I look at her and the words distingirate. I can’t bring myself to do it.
And aren’t we supposed to be celebrating after all?
The moment Chiara and I check in, the woman at the front desk looks up from her clipboard and beams. “You’re the winners, right? Congratulations! You’re in room 604. It’s one of our best rooms.”
“Room,” I repeat, frowning. “Not rooms?”
She shakes her head, still smiling. “Oh no, it’s a shared suite. It’s huge.” We must look distressed, because her smile starts to f
