maps of her design...Xavier.

"...Xavier."

She stumbled home, not from a party, but from work. She had made her deadline. Being back in the States hadn't slowed down the pace of work as she expected. Although there was so much to do in Paris, it seemed to be a slower world. Maybe all the after hour dinners with friends made life balanced. 

As she poured herself a glass of wine, she traveled back to the previous year. The friends she made did an amazing job at ridding her of the home sickness she had developed. But now she felt out of place in the States. Clemancy, Stephan, Xavier... the thought of Xavier was bittersweet. An amazing man, but he wasn't Julian. 

The fact that Xavier wished to be with Elise made matters weird. Maybe it was because she met him while her heart belonged to someone else, she would never know otherwise. He was so good to her. The final night in Paris, his letter said it all. Yet, it remained an unanswered letter. 

Being friends with Julian was something precious to her, maybe too precious to ruin by letting her true feelings emerge. Once again, Xavier came to mind, she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen.