In the afternoon, Roman received a copy of the minutes. The law was moving forward, slower than I wanted, faster than I was used to.

"There's something I didn't ask you," I said, as I signed receipts. "Why did you keep her around, even after you told her no?"

"Because removing her from an ongoing contract would have meant demolishing part of the project," he replied. "Because there were intertwined teams and clients watching. And because I thought professional distance was enough. I was wrong in that assessment. It won't happen again."

"It's not your fault that someone mistook a 'no' for an invitation to insist," I said.

"But it is my responsibility to cut off all avenues," he replied. "They are already cut off."

***

At the last minute, I received a video call with a name that made my heart race. Eva. My Eva.

"I want to see you!" she said without preamble. "I'll bring you some cheese bread and tell you all about the jungle. There's a story about a storm that almost left us without boa