Chapter 34 #2
She rested her palm over my chest, rising and falling with the steady cadence of my heartbeat.
Held fast in my grip, surrounded by a hard-won peace, we finally let the exhaustion ease into a profound, healing sleep.
SOFIA
Moving back in with Jude was a re-learning curve.
We had to figure out our rhythm as a couple again, finding our groove in the mundane: sharing the shower, throwing together dinner, and working out.
Evenings were our downtime.
We spent hours crashed on the deep living room sofa under one blanket, half-watching TV, talking shit, and letting the stress of the day fade out.
Sex between us changed, too.
It stopped being tentative and became more real, raw, and grounded.
I was always confident with my body, but Jude helped me understand more of myself, sexually.
I lost all shyness with him, and we talked about everything sensual and tried new experiences, positions, and even used toys.
Most of all, our intimacy was off the charts; we massaged one another, which he found relaxing.
Hell, we couldn’t stop touching each other.
He was my husband, but at the core, he was my best friend.
I’d never felt so seen, cared for, and loved in my life.
I was filled with a fresh sense of purpose, even at work.
I quit the depot, and my return to the The Sanctuary was epic.
The second I walked into the office, the crew lost it, shouting and making enough noise to wake the dead.
Misty tackled me, her arms wrapping around me so hard I stumbled back.
‘Hey, easy!’ I laughed, shoving her shoulder. ‘I only left for a few weeks; I wasn’t marooned on a desert island.’
‘Thank heavens you’re back,’ she muttered into my hair, squeezing tight. ‘This place was falling apart without you.’
‘Good thing I’m here to clean up your mess then,’ I shot back.
I dove straight in, recharged by the familiarity of The Sanctuary’s walls, grateful to be back serving the community.
Over the next few workdays, I threw myself into the job with a clear head and a happy heart.
Being back with Jude made every part of my life feel steady again, and I finally had the energy to give my work everything I had.
However, it soon became apparent that The Sanctuary was overwhelmed.
Our multilingual community help app was attracting a lot more clients than we could manage.
‘We need to recruit a few more support team members,’ Misty groused to me one late evening as we tried to finalize paperwork, her eyes bleary and red-eyed as she gazed at her laptop screen.
‘I’ll put the word out,’ I told her, my voice just as exhausted.
‘If you find good people, you’ve carte blanche to hand them application forms,’ Misty added with a sigh.
At the end of that week, on my day off, I met up with Camilla, Maria and Sarah at the diner down the street from the depot.
We squeezed into a corner booth and caught up over hot coffees.
‘Look at you, glowing like a million bucks,’ Camilla teased, bumping her shoulder against mine. ‘We miss your face on the night shift, Sof, but we’re so damn happy for you and Jude.’
‘Grazie, Cami,’ I said, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. ‘He’s amazing, and we’re doing well. Enough about me, how are things at the depot? Really?’
Sarah sighed, tracing a circle in the condensation on her water glass.
‘Same old grind. Double shifts, garbage pay, and Miller keeps riding our backs. It’s draining the life out of us.’
I gazed at the three women who had held me up when I was struggling.
They deserved so much better than surviving on crumbs.
‘Then quit,’ I announced.
Maria let out a laugh.
‘Right, and pay rent with what, good vibes?’
‘I talked to Misty yesterday,’ I said, leaning over the table. ‘The Sanctuary is expanding the support team. We need help with paperwork, connecting vulnerable people with food, clothing, and safe housing.’
‘For real?’ Sarah asked
‘The jobs are yours if you apply for them, and given your experience, you should get in. The pay is also double what you’re making.’
Maria’s mouth fell open. ‘Are you serious, Sof?’
‘Dead serious. Apply, and you might be able to start as soon as next Monday.’
Camilla’s eyes filled with tears as she grabbed my hand across the table. ‘You’re a lifesaver, you know that?’
‘You had my back, and now I have yours, always,’ I told her.
I left them on top of the world.
When I shared the news the following Monday with Misty that we had three possible recruits, she eyed me over the edge of her coffee cup.
‘You’re a gun, Sofia; we’re growing fast, and the leadership you’re showing is exemplary.’
Misty set her cup down as she leaned forward to gaze straight into my eyes.
‘Sofia, I’m promoting you to community manager with a solid pay raise,’ Misty announced. ‘You’ll be heading up the whole support team starting next week.’
I froze, my fingers tightening against the ceramic mug as my eyes misted over with genuine, overwhelming emotion.
A real chance, I thought as a quiet tear tracked down my cheek.
I let out a shaky breath, pressing a palm flat over my chest to calm the sudden, violent hammering of my heart.
‘Are you serious, Misty?’
‘Dead serious, gorgeous,’ Misty smiled, reaching across the table to pat my forearm. ‘You’re qualified, you’ve come up with great ideas to bring more funding to the organization, and you’re attracting new blood into the team. Which is ace in my world.’