The Spaces Between Us

Between Two Worlds

When office resumed, Rhea slipped the engagement ring off her finger and tucked it carefully into her purse. There was no way she could risk anyone seeing it—not yet, not before the right time.

Tina, though, had always been sharp. She caught Rhea by the hand in the corridor and gave her a long, knowing smile.

"You're glowing," she teased, her voice soft but pointed. Then, as if continuing seamlessly, she added, "I hope you've started packing for your new position."

"It's still two and a half months until this project ends, Tina," Rhea replied, trying to sound practical, though her pulse quickened.

Tina's smile only deepened. "We've achieved great results. The project will close in a month, Rhea—I just sent you the update. HR is processing everything as we speak. Another big project is ramping up, so I'll be moving to that by mid-February."

Rhea blinked, her heart stumbling into her throat. "So... we'll be done by the first week of February?" she asked, unable to mask the delight in her voice. The thought that she could shift earlier—that she could be with Leo sooner—filled her with a surge of joy so sharp it almost hurt.

"Yes," Tina nodded. "I think Jack will discuss this today on the call."

"Doug is also leaving the company," Tina added, her voice dipping with sadness. "He got a better job in a different country."

But Rhea barely registered the words. She was lost in her own reverie, already seeing herself in Stockholm, beside Leo, in February.

Her daydreaming was cut short when Tina snapped her fingers playfully in front of her face. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Sorry, Tina," Rhea flushed. "I was... thinking about too many things at once."

"I just hope I get an invitation to your wedding when it happens," Tina said with a sly smile, her eyes glinting.

"I promise you will," Rhea replied quietly, her words carefully measured, but her heart racing.

That afternoon, when Jack confirmed the accelerated timelines on the call, Rhea's happiness was impossible to hide. Later that night, Leo called, his voice brimming with excitement. "Amore, you can come here mid-February!"

She jumped in her room like a child, unable to contain her joy.

When she finally steadied herself, another realization struck her. "Leo... I need to tell my parents about the engagement."

"Do you want me to come there?" he asked without hesitation.

"When I leave for Stockholm, can you come here? I can introduce you to them then, and you can help me move too?"

"Of course, Amore," Leo replied instantly.

So that became the plan. Over the weekend, Rhea would tell her parents everything—about Leo, the engagement, and her plans to leave for Stockholm earlier. Leo booked his flight to India for the 21st of February, with two one-way tickets to Stockholm on the 24th.

He knew Rhea was placing her entire trust in him—leaving her world, her country, her family, to build a life with him. And he vowed, silently but fiercely, that he would never let that trust break.

Rhea felt the same weight of the decision. She was taking another leap of faith, entrusting her heart to someone once again. She had been burned before; she wasn't sure if she'd survive such a shattering again. But this time, something inside her told her it was different.

On Sunday, during a slightly clumsy family video call, Rhea finally introduced Leo as her fiancé. She held up her hand to show them the ring, her voice trembling but sure. Leo spoke confidently, introducing himself, telling them about his family, the business, the lineage he came from.