June arrived with longer evenings and the low, constant hum of a collection entering its final stretch.
The studio had taken on the particular intensity that came when every detail still open had to be closed.
Ethan's workstation was a controlled storm of prototypes, stone trays, and annotated sketches.
The centrepiece necklace the one that had fought him for weeks now lay finished in its velvet case, waiting for the final approval meeting. He still checked it three times a day, as if the metal might change its mind overnight.
Gabriel's calendar had become a dense grid of partner calls, press previews, and logistics.
They saw each other in passing more than in proper conversations: a shared lift ride, a brief alignment in the corridor, the quiet press of a hand at the small of Ethan's back when no one was looking too closely.
They made up for it at home.
