The Traces Left Behind
Evan was still staring at the business card in his hand.
"Nadira K. Amirah – Landscape Consultant & Garden Designer."
Simple. Professional. But somehow, Nadira left a different impression than most people he'd met.
Not because she was stern. Not because she was strict about her plants.
There was something else—something about her that pulled Evan's attention. And for the first time in weeks, his mind was momentarily freed from the unease about his fractured identity.
He took a deep breath and glanced at the small garden he had unintentionally ruined that morning.
Maybe fixing it could be a reason to see Nadira again.
—*
The next morning, Evan tapped the business card on his desk, deep in thought.
"Damn," he muttered. "I don't even know how to ask for help without sounding weird."
Reza, sitting across from him, glanced up. "You've got a crush on Nadira, don't you?"
Evan scoffed. "It's not that simple."
Reza chuckled. "Then why have you been staring at her business card for the past ten minutes?"
Evan ignored the remark and finally typed out a message.
Evan:Good morning. This is Evan—I accidentally damaged some of the plants yesterday. Could we talk for a moment about restoring the office garden?
Message sent. He waited a few minutes before a reply came in.
Nadira:Oh, the guy who almost destroyed my hard work? Trying to redeem yourself?
Evan frowned. He could almost picture her folding her arms and frowning as she typed that.
Evan:Yeah, something like that. Can we arrange a meeting?
There was a pause. Nadira didn't respond right away, and Evan grew a little nervous.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Nadira:I'm on an off-site project today, but I can swing by the office this afternoon. Don't touch the plants until I get there.
Evan gave a small smile. He was looking forward to that meeting more than he cared to admit.
—*
That afternoon, Nadira showed up in her work attire—cargo pants, a half-sleeve button-up shirt with traces of soil on the fabric, and a wide-brimmed hat she had now removed.
"Where's the garden?" she asked without preamble.
Evan pointed toward the small garden in the office courtyard. Nadira walked over, crouched down, and examined the damaged plants with the seriousness of a surgeon diagnosing a patient.
"You know, it'll take weeks for this to grow back," she said at last.
Evan scratched the back of his neck. "That's why I called an expert."
Nadira glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. "So you want me to fix it? Or do you have something else in mind?"
Evan hesitated. This was a good opportunity.
"Honestly, I was also thinking of improving the whole garden design," he said. "Maybe we could talk about a more thoughtful layout?"
Nadira narrowed her eyes, studying him. "Are you serious, or is this just an excuse to see me again?"
Evan paused, then smiled. "Why not both?"
For the first time since they met, Nadira gave a short laugh.
"Okay, Evan. I'll send you a design proposal next week. But if you mess up the plants again, I'm charging you straight from your paycheck."
Evan raised both hands in mock surrender. "Deal. I promise to be more careful."
That evening, they spent time discussing ideas for the office garden—and without realizing it, something began to take root between them.
Something more than just the plants needing repair.
—
A Step Too Fast
Their discussion flowed easily. Evan sat on a bench in the small garden, while Nadira stood, sketching occasionally in her notebook.
"I'm thinking of a garden that's not just aesthetic, but functional," Nadira said, showing a few designs from her portfolio. "For example, we could add a relaxing area with some benches. Maybe some small trees for shade—"
"Agreed," Evan cut in, enthusiastic. "We could use durable materials too. I think a walking path would be great—"
"Evan!"
A sharp voice interrupted. Evan turned and saw Johan approaching, his expression tight with irritation.
"So this is where you've been," Johan said, clearly annoyed. "I've been looking for you."
"Sorry, Mr. Johan," Evan replied instinctively, still not used to addressing the man with such formality.
Johan crossed his arms. "What exactly are you working on? I heard something about a garden project?"
Evan nodded, unsure what the issue was. "Yeah, I thought—"
"You thought you could just move ahead?" Johan snapped. "Since when do you have the authority to initiate a project like this without your superior's approval?"
Evan's face stiffened. He had forgotten—forgotten that in everyone's eyes, he was still just a regular employee. Not someone who could make decisions like this.
"Listen," Johan said, his voice lowering but still firm, "If you want to propose a garden project, there's a process. Submit a proposal to me first. I'll take it to management. We'll see if the budget allows. Once it's approved, we talk vendors, contracts, and so on."
Evan swallowed hard. Nadira stood silently beside him, not wanting to intrude on the internal matter.
"I understand, Mr. Johan," Evan said finally, adjusting to his current role. "I'll prepare a formal proposal before moving forward."
Johan nodded. "Good. Don't make hasty decisions again."
Once Johan walked away, Evan closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. Damn it. He'd gotten carried away and forgotten how different things were now.
Nadira raised an eyebrow. "So… who are you, exactly, in this company?"
Evan gave a half-smile. "Just a regular employee."
She looked at him for a moment, then shook her head. "Strange. You sound like someone used to making big decisions."
Evan gave a small chuckle. "Maybe I used to be."
"Well," Nadira said, packing up her notebook, "if you want to continue this, let me know once your proposal's approved. I don't want to get dragged into your office politics."
"I promise," Evan said.
As Nadira walked away, Evan looked back at the garden he had thought would be a simple fix. Reality was settling in again—this world no longer belonged to the version of him who had once held power.
Every step he took now had to be earned from the ground up.
—
Rewriting His Steps
Evan sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen, mind tangled with thoughts.
He had to submit a formal proposal for the garden project—something that used to be second nature now felt like an administrative burden.
He began typing, outlining the garden concept, its benefits to the work environment, and an estimated budget. But when he got to the line labeled "Proposed by", his fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Normally, he'd just sign it off and hand it directly to finance. Now?
Damn it.
A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Before he could respond, Reza peeked in.
"I heard you're planning a garden project?" he asked as he stepped inside.
Evan glanced at him. "Yeah, just an idea. This office could use more green space."
Reza gave a low chuckle. "You talked to Johan yet?"
Evan sighed. "I'm working on the proposal now."
Reza sat across from him, eyeing the screen. "Once it's done, let me take a look. I'll help revise it if needed. You know how Johan is with budget details—total perfectionist."
Evan blinked, a little surprised by Reza's willingness to help.
He used to handle this kind of thing on his own. But now, he had to play by the rules.
"Noted," he said simply.
Reza leaned back casually. "By the way… how do you know Nadira?"
Evan turned toward him. "You know her?"
"Of course. Nadira's been in the landscaping game for years. I worked with her once when we built the parking lot greenery."
Evan nodded slowly. That explained her confidence.
"You into her?" Reza teased, a smirk forming.
Evan sighed. "It's just work, Reza. Don't start."
Reza chuckled. "Relax, man. I'm just saying—Nadira's not just any woman. If she's interested in working with you, there's probably something she sees in you."
Evan frowned. "What do you mean?"