A wave of exhaustion washed over me as I sat at my desk. The low hum of the computer screen was the only sound in the office, a stark contrast to the tumultuous thoughts swirling in my head. 

I stared at the report, but the words blurred into a meaningless jumble. My mind was on my mother, her calls a steady stream of notifications I couldn't bring myself to answer. How do you explain this? How do you lie about leaving your entire life behind for a man you barely know, a man whose very ...