She’d allowed herself to sleep in; management had sent out an email last night saying the offices would be closed for the expected blizzard, after the mayor announced no school today and the closure of the subway. She didn’t have much work anyway; all her cases had been reassigned, and she was just cleaning out her office and transferring any case files and relevant knowledge to her colleagues. Colette was picking up the bulk of her work. Colette seemed shocked—and sad—that she was leaving. She’d suggested they meet for lunch every few months.

She felt at a loss because normally she’d have work to do, but now she didn’t. She couldn’t visit friends, except Eve and Pete, because the subways were closed. Eve had just accepted a position as the executive pastry chef at a new restaurant that Chef Burns was opening up in Williamsburg. Eve was excited and abuzz figuring out her first menu. Audrey was thrilled for Eve. Maybe she should see if they wanted to meander later in Central Park and work up an appetite to sample more of Eve’s desserts.

She couldn’t help but think of Jake. Today would have been a perfect day to spend with him. She would get dressed and go to his house. She expected that the lifestyle demands of her new job would be more similar to those of his career. With the next month off, she had time to spend with him, although she was thinking of traveling for a bit—she wanted to visit Australia. But still, she’d be around when she wasn’t traveling. It would be different this time. She hadn’t changed jobs to get him back; but their relationship and break-up had made her realize that the law-firm lifestyle wasn’t what she wanted. She sat down on the bed and bit her lip: did she dare? Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. What if her workload hadn’t been the reason he’d broken up with her? What if it was an excuse? Also, he’d been wrong—he needed to be the one to recognize that.