159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
Elara felt a rush of gratitude toward Julian. He’d always been her champion, even when she didn’t advocate for herself.
She fixed his tie with practiced ease, a habit formed from years of adjusting Damien’s ties before important meetings.
Henry looked uncomfortable again. “Of course. But a positive attitude goes a long way. Ms. Dubois certainly has that in abundance.”
Henry nodded enthusiastically. “She’s heading up a major initiative for Mr. Thorne. Very hush–hush, but I hear it’s revolutionary. The team practically lives here now.” Elara nodded. “Sounds good. I could use a refresher on client presentations.”
“Henry already sent over their technical requirements,” he noted. “Seems your presence made quite an impression.”
Julian nodded, respecting her wish. They drove in companionable silence until they reached YodaVision’s parking garage.
“Not to diminish Ms. Dubois‘ efforts,” Henry added hastily. “She brings a certain… enthusiasm to everything. And with Mr. Thorne’s backing, I’m sure she’ll succeed.”
there
The image brought a genuine smile to Elara’s face. Despite everything, there were still bright spots in her life. Her daughter. Her work at YodaVision. Friends like Julian who valued her for herself, not as an accessory or an inconvenience.
They said their goodbyes, and soon Elara and Julian were walking back to their car.
“Class of 2007,” Elara nodded, feeling a wave of nostalgia as they approached the familiar brick buildings. “I was editor of the school paper”
“You’ll be fine,” Julian assured her. “It’s like riding a bike.”
Elara nodded, touched by his concern. “I’ll remember that.”
“Thank you,” Elara replied simply.
“I’ll take Cora to school next week,” Elara said, wiping Coco’s milk–stained chin with a napkin.
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
Elara’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around her purse strap. “Is that so?”
They followed Henry to a modern café area where a barista operated a gleaming machine.
“Of course,” Henry nodded, looking slightly flustered. “Please, follow me to the
conference room.”
As she prepared to leave, her phone buzzed with a message from Eleanor, asking if she’d be home for dinner. Elara replied affirmatively, then slipped her phone into her
purse.
Back at her desk, she gathered her things while Julian checked his messages.
Elara set her cup down gently. “Positivity is important,” she agreed, her voice soft but clear. “So is experience.”
“Anytime.” Julian unlocked the car. “And for what it’s worth, I’ve seen Vivienne’s preliminary work on this secret project. It’s ambitious but flawed. She’s missing fundamental considerations about scalability.”
“Just about,” he replied, struggling with his tie.
“You remembered,” Elara smiled, taking a grateful sip.
The morning passed in a blur of code reviews and strategy meetings. Despite her assurances to Julian, Elara felt her energy flagging by noon. She took her medication discreetly, washing it down with water when no one was looking.
“Excellent,” Julian replied, closing his laptop. “We’ll prepare the contracts.”
“It does,” Julian insisted, starting the engine. “When it falls short, everyone will remember what real competence looks like.”
“Well, I should get back upstairs. My team will be waiting for feedback on your proposal.”
“Still.” Elara squeezed his arm gratefully. “Thank you.”
“Welcome back,” he said, handing her a cup. “Oat milk latte, extra shot.”
“The best coffee in the building,” Henry boasted. “Ms. Dubois insisted on it for her team. They’ve been working overtime on a new project.”
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
“Thanks for the ride,” Ethan said, pulling her from her reverie. He grabbed his backpack from the backseat. “See you later!”
As the elevator doors closed, she leaned against the wall, finally allowing herself to acknowledge the bone–deep fatigue she’d been fighting all day. Her phone buzzed again–another message from Eleanor, this time with a photo of Coco painting at the kitchen table.
Henry looked uncomfortable. “Well, she’s very dedicated. Mr. Thorne has assigned some of his best people to support her.”
Julian studied her face with concern. “You look pale. Are you sure you’re ready to be
back?”
Eleanor, sitting across the breakfast table, looked up from her newspaper. “That’s lovely, dear. And who’s driving Ethan to school today?”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in Elara’s car, driving toward Westfield Academy. Ethan fidgeted with the radio until settling on a pop station.
Outside, Elara waited for her car, watching the sun sink behind the cityscape. Henry’s words echoed in her mind: “With Mr. Thorne’s backing, I’m sure she’ll succeed.”
“If you say so,” Julian replied, clearly unconvinced. “But promise you’ll tell me if you need a break. The AI modeling can wait another day.”
“Did you know my mom went to Westfield too?” Elara asked, glancing at him briefly.
They rode the elevator to the top floor, where Julian’s office overlooked the city skyline. The space hummed with activity as developers and engineers worked at their
stations.
“Yay!” Coco bounced in her seat. “Can we get donuts on the way?”
Elara stared out the window, watching the city blur past. “Let’s not talk about Vivienne anymore.”
They accepted their coffees and sat at a small table near the window. Elara sipped her drink in silence, letting Julian steer the conversation.
Henry escorted them to the lobby, then paused. “Would you like some coffee before you go? Our café just got a new espresso machine. Courtesy of Thorne Industries, actually.”
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
“I’ve scheduled a meeting with InnovaTech this afternoon,” Julian said as they settled into his office. “I thought you might want to join. They’re interested in implementing our facial recognition software.”
Ethan looked surprised. “Really? I didn’t know that.”
“We’ll see,” Elara smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear.
“I’ll be fine,” Elara assured him, though she wasn’t entirely convinced herself.
Elara smoothed a hand over her perfectly styled hair. “I’m fine. Just a lingering fever, but the doctor cleared me.”
At two o’clock, Julian appeared at her workspace. “Ready to head to InnovaTech?” “Thanks, Elara,” Ethan said with genuine gratitude. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“When is this mystery project supposed to launch?” Julian asked casually.
InnovaTech’s headquarters was a fifteen–minute drive across town. Julian filled the time with updates about the company, careful to avoid mentioning anything related to Damien or Vivienne. Elara appreciated his discretion.
“No way,” Ethan laughed. “That’s cool.”
She watched him merge into the stream of students, then pulled away, the familiar
ache in her chest intensifying. Young and full of hope she’d been back then,
dreaming of a future that looked nothing like her reality.
“This is exactly what we’ve been looking for,” he said, reviewing the proposal. “Let me “This is exactly what we’ve been looking for; have my team look over the details, but I think we’re ready to move forward.”
Julian raised an eyebrow. “Ambitious undertaking for someone relatively new to the industry.”
Julian nodded. “Take tomorrow morning off if you need it. We’re ahead of schedule on the InnovaTech proposal.”
Elara felt her stomach tighten at the mention of her husband’s company, but kept her expression neutral. “Coffee sounds lovely.”
Henry looked at Elara with newfound respect. “I didn’t realize you were behind that project, Ms. Vance. Very impressive.”
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
Perhaps that was true. Perhaps Vivienne would succeed, buoyed by Damien’s support
and resources. But for the
as she once had.
time in years, Elara found she didn’t care quite as much
Elara wanted to argue but felt too drained. “Maybe you’re right.”
They were greeted at reception by Henry Walsh, InnovaTech’s Head of Innovation.
“You should go home,” Julian said as they rode the elevator back up. “You’ve done enough for your first day back.”
“You didn’t have to defend me back
“Elara said once they were out of earshot.
The presentation went smoothly, with Julian handling the technical aspects while Elara addressed implementation questions. By the end, Henry looked impressed.
Juliàn chuckled. “Confidence isn’t always linked to capability. When Elara managed the neural network project at Thorne Industries, she delivered three weeks ahead of schedule and under budget. That’s still the gold standard there.”
“The place hasn’t changed at all,” Elara murmured, more to herself than Ethan.
Elara stood, smoothing down her navy pencil skirt. “Ready to go, Ethan?”
The sprawling campus came into view, its manicured lawns and ivy–covered buildings looking exactly as Elara remembered. Students in identical uniforms streamed through the wrought–iron gates.
Elara gathered her tablet and notes. “Ready.”
“Morning, everyone,” he greeted, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.
“Ms. Vance, professionally,” Elara corrected politely. “I’ve rejoined YodaVision recently.”
Elara shook her head. “I’ll call a car. You have that conference call with Singapore in twenty minutes.”
Elara smiled weakly. “I doubt that.”
“Have a good day,” Elara called after him.
She was building something of her own now–reclaiming pieces of herself long forgotten. And unlike Vivienne’s mysterious project, Elara’s success would be hers alone.
159 Old School Ties and New Project Buzz
At the elevator, Julian placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Rome wasn’t built,
a day, and neither is a new life.”
“Julian, good to see you,” Henry said warmly, shaking his hand. He turned to Elara with
here.” a surprised smile. “And Mrs. Thorne! I didn’t expect to see you
An awkward silence fell over the table. Henry checked his watch, clearly eager to change the subject.
Coco beamed up at her. “Really? You promise?”
“I am,” Elara replied, checking her watch.
As if on cue, Ethan Thorne, Damien’s fifteen–year–old cousin, strolled into the kitchen. His school uniform was impeccably pressed, but his tie hung loose around his neck. Elarà approached him, gently batting his hands away. “Here, let me.”
Twenty minutes later, Elara arrived at YodaVision headquarters, a sleek glass building in the heart of the city. Julian was waiting for her at the entrance, two paper cups in
hand.
“Success requires more than enthusiasm and connections,” Julian remarked.
Henry glanced around before answering, as if checking for eavesdroppers. “Year–end, I believe. Tight timeline, but Ms. Dubois seems confident.”
“Need a ride home?” Julian asked.
Elara nodded. “I promise.”
As she pulled up to the drop–off area, memories flooded back. The library where she’d spent countless lunch periods. The oak tree where she’d first seen Damien, three years her senior and impossibly handsome in his soccer uniform.
“I’m sure he has,” Julian replied dryly.
Elara slid into the passenger seat, suddenly exhausted. “It doesn’t matter.”
Julian shrugged. “I wasn’t defending you. Just stating facts.”
