A few days had passed since my awkward conversation with Axel about our kiss, and I was relieved to see things slowly returning to normal.
I walked into the office that morning, not expecting anything much, but instead found Helena at her desk, organising files with a bright smile on her face.
"Good morning, Helena!" I called out, surprised to see her and by her cheerful demeanour.
She looked up, her eyes sparkling in a way I hadn't seen in weeks. "Good morning, Mrs Layla! How are you today, ma'am?"
I approached her desk, genuinely curious. "I should be asking you that. You look... different. Better than last week. How are you doing?"
Helena set down her pen and smiled warmly. "I'm doing much better, actually. Thank you so much for giving me that break, Ma. I didn't realise how much I needed it until I had the time to step back and handle things properly."
"I'm so glad to hear that," I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "You seem like your old self again."
