Love, Monaco

00.29

I'm sitting in a work meeting a week later, me and my colleagues seated around the table in the boardroom ready to discuss the next project we'll be handling. Nothing seems to process in my head as details are outlined and deadlines are brought forward. Terri, who is sitting next to me occasionally nudges me to bring me back to the present but my mind keeps moving to the past, still stuck on the conversation I had with Charles a few days earlier.

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I'm sitting on my bed with a sketchbook on my lap, but before I can put pencil to paper my phone rings. A smile comes to my face when I see Charles' name on my screen immediately accepting the call. "Hey Char" I say happily while doodling with my free hand, "salut mon amour" he replies making me smile, "comment ça va?" I ask, the silence that follows makes me stop drawing before sitting up straighter, "Char" I add concerned. "Tout vas bien Del" he exclaims, I don't quite believe his answer but I let it go for the time being, "si t'est certain", "oui je suis certain" I bite my lip and nod even if he can't see me. "Qu'est-ce que tu fais?" he asks breaking the silence, "je déssine" I reply with a smile, "ooo envoie des photos?" He exclaims making me giggle, "bien sure" I mumble.

"Pour qu'on peux les mettre dans l'apartment" the Monégasque's statement that implies our apartment makes me drop my pencil, "quoi?" he sucks in a breath, "je voulais te demander différenment" he begins before going silent, "Char" I say quietly to urge him to continue, "emménager avec moi? tu as déjà laisser des choses ici avec moi". The proposal has me speechless while staring at my wall with wide eyes. "Della?" he asks after a few seconds, making me snap out of the shocked state, "I...isn't it...wow...can I think about it Char?" I somehow get out as millions of thoughts go through my head. "D'accord ma chérie" he tells me but I can tell I didn't give him the answer he wanted, "je t'aime okay?" I add to reassure the Ferrari driver, "je t'aime beaucoup" he says making me smile before I hang up.

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"DELLA" I blink a few times coming back to the present where the room full of my colleagues are staring at me. I blush before clearing my throat, "sorry, what was the question?" I ask acting like I was mentally present the whole meeting. After the question about the graphics is asked a second time I move the potentially life changing proposal to the back of my mind temporarily knowing that I need to stay in the current moment. The rest of the meeting flies by with paperwork given to every staff member that is involved in the newest project.

As I'm walking back to my cubicle Terri sneaks up next to me, bumping my arm gently, "where were you at the beginning there?" She asks concerned, "nowhere" I immediately reply not wanting to worry her. She lifts an eyebrow telling me she doesn't believe a word I'm saying so I sigh. "He asked me to move in with him" I explain to the raven haired woman, "that's great!" she says with a smile, I shrug, "isn't it kinda soon to be moving in together?" Terri scoffs, "all of the stupid expectations society places on relationships are crap, there is no timeline for any of this kind of stuff" I bite my lip still not sure because of how big this step is for us.

"Della look at me" I do as she requests moving my gaze to hers, she places her hands on my shoulders, "do you love him?" I nod, "do you trust him?" I nod again. She smiles at me, "then I don't see why you're freaking out about this, you already know what you want in your heart so just do it" I bite my lip anxiously as we arrive at my cubicle, "but I love this job, I don't think I'll be able to find anything like it in Monaco" Terri shrugs, "talk to our boss, he likes your work, maybe you won't need to find anything else" I watch her go towards her own desk as I sit down on my chair trying to gather my thoughts to make sense of the possibilities. After a few minutes of attempting to start on some work I groan and leave my cubicle to go find my boss to bring up the potential of doing remote work.

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At the end of the work day I leave with my belongings a huge smile on my face. Once i'm in my car I immediately text my friends with an update.

Del-ah
Sit down ladies I have a lot to tell you

emie
Sitting now spill

ren
Ditto

Del-ah
So I talked to my boss today, and he said that remote work is possible

emie
Does this mean?

ren
Are you gonna?

Del-ah
Yeah
I know it's kinda crazy

ren
But you love him and he loves you so some craziness is expected

emie
lets not kid ourselves we've been waiting for you guys to move in together, we can all see how perfect you are for each other

Del-ah
I have to go and re-organize my life, text you guys later

I put my phone down in the cup holder with a smile. I start the car and leave the parking lot before going home. My focus being to figure out a way to tell my parents that I'm going to be moving to Europe with a guy that they've only met once.

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Translations:

Tout vas bien Del - everything is going great Del

si t'est certain - if you're sure

Qu'est-ce que tu fais - what are you doing

je déssine - i'm drawing

envoie des photos - send photos

Pour qu'on peux les mettre dans l'apartment - so that we can put it in the apartment

je voulais te demander différenment - I wanted to ask you in a different way

emménager avec moi? tu as déjà laisser des choses ici avec moi - move in with me? you've already left some of your things here with me