WHEN YOU LOVE

FUERZA

Smile and pretend to enjoy it.

No, try to enjoy it, TRY!

Sana repeated the latter and hoped this would become her reality. Instead, her intestines knotted a little more.

As usual, things began as soon as the plane landed. Sana barely had time to drop off her luggage before seeing herself clapping at the opening speech of the three-day conference. All eyes were on the sandy scenery behind the orator as everyone dreamed of the sea sex and sun part of the day to come sooner.

Sana only had one thing in mind, and that was the trickling feeling in her panties, meaning her tampon had reached its limit. She looked on both sides of her. She didn't see herself standing up in the middle of the conference, nor did she imagine herself saying a plethora of excuses to leave her seat row.

Sana resigned and prayed the Niagara Falls in her knickers would freeze. She should have listened to Lee, who suggested she buy menstrual panties, but she was too old school. One couldn't dust off twenty-one years of sanitary towels used in a jiffy.

"Gosh, she talks a lot," Keela whispered.

Sana sighed internally. She had Keela on her right and Gemma on her left. Her former best friend and the office mascot seemed to want to fight for the bestie spot, and Sana, in between, felt trapped. The incoming message which buzzed in her pocket added a little more pressure.

Hi Sana, I hope you are enjoying your conference. Could you call me back once you're back in London?

Your one and only, Holly!

A possessive man and possessive friends, Sana had never been as demanded. She thought of her life before Lee and of her thinner silhouette. Trying to maintain her figure skimmed her humor, friendships, and love of life in her Winston days.

Who said a big girl couldn't have fun?

Of course, it wasn't just a rollercoaster ride on the good side, but globally, Sana was happier than ever.

Sana was about to reply to Holly when she felt Keela leaning over to look. She screenlocked her phone and put it back in her pocket.

The conference ran full speed. Sana arranged her posture and awaited the break. She was the first one up with periods on her mind. She rushed to change, and it was with a lot of relief that she washed her hands while watching her colleagues queue. The conference was the only moment when everyone caught up. Thus, the washroom became a free hug area. Sana had to contour and avoid the opening arms and body waddles of the embraces she crossed to get out.

"Sana."

"Oh my, Bea babe," of course, her former assistant came to represent her store as a store manager. Suddenly, Sana joined the Care Bears crew, engulfing Bea in a humongous hug.

"Gosh, I was going bonkers. I kept asking everyone if they had seen you. Where are you seated?"

Sana released her Bea, "I'm at the back with Keela."

"Oh, how is she?" Bea asked. She knew Keela from her visits to see Sana in the Paris store.

"She's doing great. You'll see her in a bit," Sana replied.

They returned to the lounge to grab a few snacks before returning to their seat.

"This always makes me laugh. You have one fruit basket and tables galore of junk food," Sana said, looking at the sweets before her.

"They're using the sugar to keep us awake. They know full well we'd be snoring bagpipes otherwise."

Sana greeted a few more people and returned to her seat. She found the second half of the conference redundant. She felt the conference had been on repeat for the last four years. Sana already missed Lee, Dylan, and even the God-forsaken cat.