They always come back when you stop answering. Not all of them. Just the ones who were used to you saying yes.

It started on a Tuesday. I suddenly received an email from the freelance address I thought I’d closed.

Subject line: You left something unfinished.

No name. But I knew the cadence. My hands shook as I clicked on it. Not from fear. But from anger and frustration. I thought I'd finally closed that chapter of my life.

The email read:

"M, we had an agreement. The rules don’t expire just because you’re gone. Come back and finish what you started. One last time."

I read it twice. Anger...