The Weight of Belonging

Clara

I leaned back against the chair and lifted a hand to my neck, rubbing slowly as I tried to ease the dull ache that had settled there after an entire day of meetings, documents, and conversations that never seemed to end.

My body felt heady.

Across the desk, my secretary looked up at me and smiled gently, her expression warm and understanding.

“You must be tired,” she said softly. “You’ve b