Omega In The Office - Aria Grace Page 0,35

few months?

Shit.

I check my email, and that gives me a bit of a distraction. There are a few business messages to attend to.

Nothing too important.

Several of the new tenants are having issues setting up their automatic payments through the website. Candor was up all night fixing it, and from the emails I’m getting now, it looks like whatever he did solved the problem.

Looking back, I realize I nearly drove us into the ground with my desire to do everything by myself. If it wasn’t for Candor and Leon, we wouldn’t even have a place to live right now, let alone a thriving business.

Honestly, they’re my saviors.

All that time, I thought I was the one who had to protect them, provide for them, care for them. In reality, I’m the one who needed looking after.

We’ve all grown a lot over the last few months, and that growth has only deepened our relationship.

After Candor’s work on our online presence, applications for unit rentals came flooding in. We went from struggling to bring in renters to turning people down left and right.

It’s a good problem to have, to be honest.

We still haven’t paid down all our debts, but our bank accounts are no longer in the negative. With the income we’re getting now, we should start turning a profit sometime next year. Most businesses that don’t fail right out of the gate still take a couple years before they’re profitable. So, I’m actually pretty happy with the way things are working out right now.

And now that the daily operations are fairly low-maintenance, I’ve started shopping around for other business opportunities in the area. This time, however, I’m not jumping into unknown situations without a plan.

I’ve learned my lesson.

Besides, now that the situation has stabilized, there’s no reason to rush.

Eventually, when the time is right, I’ll be able to create more revenue streams. Until then, I’ll just lay the groundwork. I’ve already secured a few new business relationships that might prove fruitful in the future.

No matter what course I decide to pursue, Leon and Candor will be there with me. I can lean on them and trust their advice.

They’re the only people in the world who are as invested in our future as I am. I can’t believe I was so blind to that before.

I just wish I could be with them right now.

I’m too anxious to sit still, and I don’t want to pace around the waiting room. Not with all these people who are probably already suspicious of me.

Fighting the urge to swear in frustration, I jump to my feet and pretend I’ve just gotten a phone call. Mumbling half of a made-up conversation into my cell phone, I quickly make my escape out into the parking lot.

The cool air hits my skin as I step outside. We’re already halfway through December and Christmas is just around the corner. Holiday decorations are everywhere. We even have a tree set up in the courtyard back home.

We planned an evening party and invited all the tenants to come out and help decorate it. Then everyone sang carols and drank cider and hot chocolate. It was actually a lot of fun, and I think we might have broken the ice for a few of the singles.

Now that I’m outside, I can actually breathe. I can’t risk letting my guard down though. Every time I turn around, I’m worried someone is going to ask me why I’m here. Despite rehearsing half a dozen answers, I still haven’t come up with one that sounds right.

I sprint across the asphalt and quickly secure myself inside the car.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I feel better now that I’m safely hidden away from prying eyes. Although, I hate that I can’t be in there with them. What if something’s wrong and I’m not with them? I know they’re capable of taking care of themselves, but as they constantly remind me, we’re a team.

We go through tough things together. I should be with them.

My thoughts swing abruptly back in the other direction as I try to calm myself. The likelihood of anything being wrong is low. We’ve been doing everything the doctor said. Leon’s been really careful. There’s no reason to think anything’s wrong.

Which means…

Right now, Leon and Candor are getting to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the very first time.

Without me.

I really should have brought a book or something. Having nothing to do is bad for my mental health. Then again, with how anxious I am right now, I