The next morning, Caroline opened the window of her apartment with excitement. The soft winter sunlight filtered into the room, touching the bookshelf, an old photo frame, and a cup of coffee she had just placed on the table. Her ring was still on her ring finger, fitting perfectly, like something that was always meant to be there—even though her heart and mind were still processing the meaning behind it.
She sat down and opened her laptop, ready to finish the layout revision for the gala event. But before she typed anything, a notification popped up in her email.
Subject: One Step Closer - Lighting Confirmation for GalaFrom: Marco SalvatoreTime: 07:23 AM
Caroline,I know we agreed to take this relationship slow. But I also know sometimes we need a moment to remember why we started.
I've updated the gala lighting file. It's in a special folder called "Slow but Steady"—check the shared drive. We can start everything from there. Just like us.
