Bonds

Chapter 67

-Maya’s POV-

The cacophony of construction filled the air – hammering, sawing, drill whines echoing through the uast putted space. Amidst the chaos, I

stood frozen, a lone island of calm in a sea of activity.

People scurried around me like busy ants–construction workers in hard hats, electricians wrestling with wires, a team of painters meticulously applying a coat of crisp white to the exposed brick wall. I barely registered their presence, my mind lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

“Amaya?” Ms. Edwards‘ sharp voice cut through my fog. She stood beside me, her clipboard clutched in one hand, the other resting on her hip. “Come on, earth to Amaya. Let’s see what you think of this.”

I blinked, forcing myself back to reality. This was it. The moment of truth. After weeks of planning, mood boards, late nights spent poring over blueprints and fabric swatches, the redesign was finally taking shape. A nervous flutter rose in my stomach.

“Right, sorry,” I mumbled, forcing a smile. “Sure, what is it?”

She gestured towards the center of the room, where a team of workers were assembling a massive structure. It looked like a giant metal frame, but the details were still shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulin.

“That.” She announced with a flourish, “is the centerpiece of our open floor plan – the collaboration hub.”

“Collaboration hub?” I repeated, peering at the skeletal structure. “Explain?”

Her smile widened. “Ah, yes! The heart of this new design. It’s a multi–level platform, essentially. We’ll have different sections dedicated to different types of collaboration – brainstorming zones, breakout areas for smaller meetings, even a quiet zone with soundproofed pods for

focused work.”

My eyebrows shot up. “That’s actually a great idea,” I admitted. “I remember suggesting dedicated quiet zones during the initial meeting with

Mr. Thorne.”

A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. “Indeed you did,” she conceded. “And a great idea it was. Mr. Thome was quite impressed with

your suggestion, you know.”

flushed a faint pink. “Really?” I

He even said something about appreciating

focused work

my idea. Back then we each did our own thing so

“She continued, her voice cutting through my reverie, “let’s take a closer look at the different levels. Up here, on

a platform was taking shape. I could picture it –

me towards another section of the frame, “we have

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Chapter 67

maybe even a ping pong table for some

ping pong table? That was unexpected, but I liked the idea. A touch

creativity.

the structure, “we have the quiet zone. Soundproofed pods, comfortable ergonomic chairs, perfect for those times when someone

ventilation systems. It wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was about

all fantastic,” I enthused, genuinely impressed with the level of detail and thought that had gone into the design. “The mix of open space and dedicated

You have a real eye for design and a great understanding of how to create spaces that work

praise. It felt good to be appreciated then. faint cough cut through our conversation, and I turned to see a young man standing awkwardly a

need to know where to run

screen.

H

began studying them with a practiced eye. “The projector will be mounted on the ceiling, right here,” she pointed

needs to run…”

I took the opportunity

cubicle walls had been replaced with sleek glass partitions, allowing for visual connection while maintaining a sense

of workers was busy constructing a small kitchenette. Modern stainless steel appliances gleamed under the harsh lights, and a row of sleek

to feel real, this vision we’d meticulously crafted on paper,

spaces.

hit me. I thought back to a time when this was what I wanted to do for him. Alex had always been impersonal when it

be done. We needed to finalize furniture selections, choose color palettes for the

Amaya,” she

Ms. Edwards, I’m impressed. It’s exactly how I envisioned it. Maybe