Date: Friday 14, 2025

  This week started off relatively normal—if normal means juggling a dozen tasks at work, racing against a looming deadline, and dodging Leo’s endless teasing. But somewhere between Monday’s team meeting and today’s lunch break, the universe decided to throw me a curveball. Spoiler: it involved Valentine’s Day. Of course.

  Monday Morning Reality Check

  The week began with the usual Monday morning stand-up, where Hannah rattled off our priorities and reminded us that we were falling behind on a key deliverable.

  “We need to get this wrapped up by Friday,” she said, scrolling through her notes. “The client is expecting updates in next week’s follow-up, and if we can’t keep momentum, we risk them reconsidering the engagement.”

  That got my attention. The client was fickle, and TechJolt needed this deal to land. No pressure.

  “We’ll need everyone on deck for this,” Hannah continued. “Ada, you’re leading the testing phase, right?”

  I nodded, trying to look more confident than I felt. “Right.”

  Leo leaned over and whispered, “Don’t worry. If you mess up, we’ll just blame Eric.”

  Eric, who was sitting across from us, gave Leo a flat look. “I can hear you, you know.”

  “Good,” Leo said, grinning.

  I sighed. It was too early for this.

  The Moment I Stood My Ground

  By midweek, I found myself deep in a workflow discussion with Ethan. We were reviewing test cases when I noticed something in his logic that didn’t sit right.

  “This edge case,” I pointed out, “the way you have it set up—it assumes the error is always user input. But what if it’s a system issue?”

  Ethan didn’t look up from his laptop. “It’s not. Logs show most failures come from user errors.”

  “Most failures,” I repeated. “But not all.”

  He hesitated. It was a fraction of a second, but I caught it. He was about to do that thing he always did: change the topic, brush it off, or distract me with something else.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Look, I get it,” I said, keeping my tone polite. “You’ve been doing this longer, and you’re probably right. But if you disagree, can you just tell me instead of working around me?”

  Ethan finally glanced up. For a second, he just studied me, as if reassessing something. Then, after a beat, he nodded. “You might have a point. Let’s test for both.”

  I wasn’t expecting that. No pushback, no dismissal—just a quiet concession.

  Ethan had always been calm, methodical, unreadable. But now, there was something else. Something thoughtful.

  I shook it off and got back to work.

  The Valentine’s Day Takeover

  By Thursday morning, the office was in full Valentine’s Day mode.

  Someone (read: Samantha) had turned the break room into a rom-com set, complete with pink streamers, heart-shaped balloons, and a sign that read, “TechJolt Loves You!”

  The break room is usually neutral territory—shared space for all departments—but Samantha had claimed it for her ongoing mission to make the workplace “fun.”

  As the latest recruit of the company’s social club, she’s always organizing events, decorating for holidays, and finding ways to pull us out of our work bubbles.

  “Wow,” I said, staring at the setup. “You really went for it.”

  “It’s Valentine’s Day!” Samantha said. “We’re spreading love and positivity.”

  She handed me a stack of small, brightly colored cards. “Write something nice and anonymous. It’s for the Valentine exchange.”

  “Do we have to?” Ethan asked, looking vaguely annoyed.

  “Yes,” Samantha said firmly. “It’s good for morale.”

  Leo smirked. “I’ll make sure to write something extra special for you, Ethan.”

  “Can’t wait,” Ethan deadpanned.

  A Card That Stands Out

  At the end of the day, Samantha handed out the Valentines.

  Most were silly and harmless:

  “You’re the glue that holds this team together—if the glue occasionally causes chaos. Thanks for the laughs!” (That one was probably from Leo.)

  “Great job on the client presentation last week! You crushed it.” (Likely Hannah)

  But one card stopped me mid-read.

  “You see things people don’t, and you never let yourself give up. Hold onto that.”

  I stared at it, rereading the words like they might reveal some kind of hidden clue.

  It wasn’t overly sentimental or romantic. Just… personal. Specific.

  Samantha caught me staring and leaned over with a grin. “See? Valentine’s Day can be fun!”

  I rolled my eyes, but the words stuck with me.

  Coming Home to Quiet Chaos

  When I got home, my cat Mochi greeted me with her usual flair—by knocking a pen off the table and looking deeply unimpressed with my existence.

  “Good to see you too,” I said, scratching her behind the ears.

  She purred reluctantly, like she was letting me know she was in charge here.

  My apartment is small but cozy, with just enough space for a couch, a desk, and a bed I sometimes remember to make.

  The walls are lined with shelves that are part books, part plants, and part random knickknacks I can’t bring myself to throw away.

  I reheated some leftovers and curled up on the couch with Mochi, who had decided I was worthy of being her human pillow for the evening.

  As I ate, I thought about the day—about the card, Samantha’s relentless enthusiasm, and how much my life has changed in just a few weeks.

  Late-Night Thoughts

  I set the card on my nightstand, meaning to forget about it, but somewhere between brushing my teeth and climbing into bed, I picked it up again.

  I wasn’t sure why it stuck with me.

  It wasn’t just the words—it was the way they felt like an observation rather than a generic compliment.

  A statement, not an expectation.

  For a second, I wondered if I was overanalyzing. Maybe it was just someone being nice.

  Maybe.

  But I reread it one last time before turning off the light.

  Until next time,Ada W.