There was a running joke within the company that everyone was afraid of me. Either terrified to tell me of a mistake that would cause more work for me or too afraid to disrupt me and waste my time, everyone approached with caution.

It’s funny how the smallest things signal a shift. Lartia burrowing beneath blankets. A breeze creeping through the windows before sunrise because we haven’t taken the air conditioner out yet. The way we’ve both started talking about “the apartment” like it’s something we’re building, not just living in.