PART 11
On a Friday afternoon,
while Ethan was napping peacefully in his stroller,
Ryan and Emma decided to walk through the local farmer's market.
The air was crisp,
filled with the smell of fresh apples,
cinnamon,
and roasted coffee beans.
As they paused by a flower stall,
a loud,
boisterous voice called out Ryan's name from behind them.
Ryan turned and felt his stomach tighten as he recognized Julian,
an old business partner from his days in Aspen.
Julian was dressed in a tailored suit,
looking entirely out of place among the casual market shoppers.
"Ryan,
my man,
I thought you died and went to heaven,"
Julian laughed,
shaking Ryan's hand aggressively.
"We heard you quit the firm,
moved to the suburbs,
and vanished off the face of the earth."
Julian's eyes shifted to Emma,
giving her a polite but dismissive nod,
then looked back at Ryan with pity.
"You were on track to become senior partner by thirty-five,
what happened to you,
man?"
Ryan felt the old pressure,
the temptation to defend his pride,
to boast about his wealth or his intellect.
But he looked at Emma,
who was watching him quietly,
waiting to see if the old Ryan would resurface.
Ryan smiled naturally,
placing a protective hand on the stroller where Ethan slept.
"I found something much more lucrative,
Julian,
something that pays in things money can't buy."
Julian scoffed,
clearly not understanding,
assuming Ryan had simply lost his competitive edge.
"Whatever you say,
boss,
but if you ever want to get back into the real game,
give me a call."
As Julian walked away,
shaking his head,
Ryan turned back to Emma,
his expression entirely unbothered.
"Are you okay?"
Emma asked,
searching his face for any regret.
"I have never been better,"
Ryan answered honestly,
May you like
picking a bunch of yellow sunflowers,
"Let's get these for your new studio."
