Chapter 8 - THE ARCHITECT WHO BUILT HER OWN ESCAPE
Kira rented a small apartment in Brooklyn.
It had tall windows.
Old wooden floors.
And a view of the East River.
It wasn't luxurious.
But it was hers.
She returned to work three days after the wedding.
Her colleagues were kind enough not to ask questions.
Her supervisor, Daniel Mercer, called her into his office.
“Kira, I have something for you.”
She sat.
He placed a project folder on the desk.
“A redevelopment project in Hudson Valley.”
She opened it.
An abandoned industrial site.
Several historic buildings.
A proposal to convert the property into a public arts center and community park.
Kira stared.
“This is beautiful.”
Daniel smiled.
“We need a lead architect.”
She looked up.
“Me?”
He nodded.
“You've earned it.”
Kira's eyes filled.
For three years, she'd adjusted her schedule around Blake.
His meetings.
His family.
Riley's emergencies.
She'd turned down opportunities because they required travel.
Now she looked at the plans.
And felt something she hadn't felt in months.
Excitement.
“Yes,” she said.
Daniel smiled.
“Good.”
Kira looked down at the drawings.
May you like
For the first time since her wedding, she wasn't thinking about what she'd lost.
She was thinking about what she could build.
