I received a call from Noel, saying he needed to be away on business for a few days.

“How many days?” I paused my brush, striving to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

There was a brief silence on the other end. “About a week.”

“Alright, make sure to get some rest.”

I got up and picked up another phone, opening the girl’s social media. Her latest update was from just a minute ago.

“Finally getting to travel with him.”

The post was accompanied by an excited heart emoji.

I sat on the floor, feeling completely numb to the passage of time.

I bought this phone the day after...