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Apparently, inspiration had struck.

Of course it had.

Sighing, I put my phone down and clicked Join Meeting. The client’s camera came on immediately.

“Hi, Sloane! Thanks again for doing this on a Saturday.”

“No problem.”

That wasn’t entirely true. I tried not to work weekends. Freelancing had taught me that if I didn’t draw boundaries, clients would think I was available twenty-four hours a day and begin scheduling branding consultations during dental appointments.

Still…

Sometimes accommodating people meant they came back. Returning clients paid rent. And rent, unfortunately, remained one of my least favorite recurring expenses.

“So,” the client said, sharing her screen, “I was thinking about the logo…”

My phone buzzed again and again.

I ignored it.

“I just wonder if maybe we could make it feel more sophisticated but also more whimsical.”

Buzz.

“More premium.”

Buzz.

“Less expensive.”

Buzz.

“Maybe add another color? Magenta, perhaps?”

My gaze drifted toward the phone. The screen lit up every few seconds.

Eventually, I put it on silent and tucked it under a notebook. Out of sight. Out of mind.

Mostly.

“What do you think?”

I smiled professionally. “We can absolutely explore some options.”

The meeting went on for forty-two minutes. By the time we finished discussing fonts that looked “approachable but aspirational,” my brain had packed a suitcase and left.

I closed the call, stretched my shoulders, and grabbed my phone.

Right. Leave the weird family chat.

I opened it and read the latest messages.

Trevor: grandma this app has like seventeen buttons

Grandma Ruth: THEN DON’T PUSH THE WRONG ONES.

I smiled despite myself and began scrolling.