The next morning, Eleanor sat at her desk, staring blankly at her laptop screen. The guilt from Sarah's sudden departure weighed heavily on her mind. She tried to focus on her quarterly reports, but every thought drifted back to Leo. Was she absent too much? Did her late nights at the office make the house feel chaotic? Julian had spent the entire morning reassuring her, but the knot in her stomach would not go away. She felt completely responsible for the mess their home life had become.
When Julian called her at lunch, his voice was filled with easy warmth. "Don't worry about the search, El," he said gently through the speaker. "I called a top agency today. I'll handle all the interviews this time so you don't have more on your plate." Eleanor let out a long breath, feeling tears prick her eyes. "Thank you, Julian. I feel terrible leaving it all to you." "Nonsense," he replied softly. "I just want to shield you from all this stress."
Eleanor leaned back in her chair, overwhelmed by gratitude. Julian was always there to pick up the pieces when she stumbled. He stayed so patient with her, even while managing his own demanding workload. She promised herself that she would try harder to be present at home. If Julian could carry so much of the burden without complaining, the least she could do was fix her own chaotic energy. She just needed to be better for both of them.