~ Lydia

I walked back into the office exactly thirty-two minutes later. He was still there, sitting like a child in timeout, elbows on his knees, head dropped, twiddling his thumbs as if the world had ended.

“Stephano Maddens,” I announced, tossing my bag on his desk with all the drama of a movie reveal, “congratulations, you’re getting married.”

He lifted his head slowly, like someone waking from a bad dream. For a second, I thought he hadn’t heard me. And then, he exploded.

He shot out of his chair, laughter bursting out of him like a fire hydrant. He actually doubled over, clutching his stomach, wheezing.

“Oh my God…”...