Page 49 of A Christmas Adventure

"I know, but don't worry. Her boss made her a counter-offer, increasing her salary and making her section head if she stays."

Her mother can't help but smile with pride, but it doesn't last long because seeing Olga suffer isn't pleasant for her.

"Did she accept?"

"She says she's thinking about it," Olga shrugs and leaves the churro she was about to dip in the chocolate on the plate.

"And you're terrified of what she'll decide," Maite concludes.

"I'm really happy for her, Maite, truly," she says with a sigh, and her friend knows she's sincere, "but if she accepts, I can't continue with what we have. I don't want to," she admits, feeling a ball of anxiety rise in her chest. "It's barely been two days since she left, and you have no idea how much I miss her. I don't want this to go any further. I won't be able to bear it, nor do I want to settle for seeing Violeta on weekends."

"What if you go there?" her neighbor proposes, aware of the blow Olga's loss will be for Violeta.

"And what would I do there? I just bought the house, Maite, and finding work isn't that easy. Besides, I like my life here. I know I'm selfish, but I can't spend my days counting the hours until I see her or getting stressed when she arrives because I know our time is limited. That's not the concept of love I have, Maite."

"I understand you," she says and affectionately takes her hand across the table, "I wouldn't want a relationship like that either," she admits with a sigh.

"So what do I do now?" Olga asks, downcast.

"You know I'm not going to interfere, and I told you that unless you do something really bad, you can always count on my friendship, Olga. The only thing I'm going to ask you is not to tell her what you think yet. Let her make a decision on her own, because if you tell her that if she accepts the position she loses you, we both know she'll reject it."

"Don't worry, I would never do that. I don't want her to make such a decision because of me and then blame me for it if things don't work out between us."

Maite smiles, pleased, and squeezes her hand again.

"In any case, Olga, if your relationship ends up breaking because she stays, you know you'll see her again. Violeta will come around here, and probably more frequently just to see you."

"I know, and it will be hard. Who knows, maybe over time I'll swallow my words and settle for seeing her a couple of days a week."

"Well, don't rush yourself either, Olga. Let's let Violeta do what she thinks is right, and based on that, you decide what you need to feel better."

Olga makes a face and smiles gratefully for her support, although she's very clear about it. She doesn't believe in long-distance relationships, at least not for long.

Chapter 28

It's Friday, and Violeta sits in the middle of a department-wide meeting. Hernán presents upcoming projects and discusses who should handle each one. He occasionally shoots questioning glances at Violeta, who hasn't given him an answer yet, making him a bit nervous. But she doesn't even notice, completely lost in her thoughts.

"Violeta, focus," Teresa whispers after giving her an elbow nudge.

She looks at her friend for a moment, but not even her reprimand can redirect her attention. Violeta feels a strange sensation in her chest that grows heavier and more uncomfortable each day. She had hoped her boss's tempting offer would rekindle the enthusiasm she felt when she first joined the company, but as days pass, Violeta feels the same as before she left for Huesca - empty when it comes to work. None of the projects Hernán mentioned motivate her, and her only theory is that the offer came too late, when she's so burned out that it's impossible to recover anything from the ashes.

Thinking about the company depresses her, and the only way she can ease this mood is by thinking about the bakery, remembering its sweet scents and warm air, the chats with customers, and the tranquility of the place.

Today she woke up excited because she's leaving for the village in the afternoon, and the mere thought of hugging Olga again makes her shiver every time it crosses her mind. She misses her in an almost sickening way, and their daily hour-long phone calls at night don't seem enough to fulfill her need for her.

"You could supervise all the projects, Violeta," Hernán says, addressing her directly.

Violeta doesn't know what he's talking about and doesn't try to hide it. She simply remains silent, facing an increasingly bewildered boss who keeps talking to maintain the meeting's flow.

"What's wrong with you? You're so spaced out," Teresa hisses, leaning close to her.

"I just don't know what I'm doing here."

Violeta shakes her head and sighs with distress. The anxiety will be the end of her. She knows she can't keep dragging this out and needs to give Hernán an answer as soon as possible. Her boss has gone from being a real jerk to the most patient man in all of Madrid.

"To be honest, I don't know what you're doing either."

They look at each other and laugh. Violeta rubs her eyes with her fingers and takes another deep breath, feeling it's getting harder each time.