Sincerely, Lenrisa

19: Burnout

Leonor sighed as she looked at the computer in front of her. "I think I need a break," she said to her girlfriend, Theresia, who was lying on the bed, reading a book.

"From work?" Theresia said, looking up at Leonor with a sympathetic expression on her face.

Leonor nodded. "I feel like I'm burning out. I've been working on this project for weeks now and I just can't seem to make any progress."

Theresia put her book down and sat up on the bed. "Why don't you take a walk?" she suggested. "Clear your head. Maybe that will help."

"That's a good idea," Leonor said, a small smile forming on her lips. "Will you come with me?"

Theresia nodded, standing up from the bed. "Of course."

The couple took a walk in the park, hand-in-hand. Despite her initial reluctance, Leonor found herself relaxing and enjoying the fresh air.

"I can't believe it's been almost a year since we met," Theresia said, breaking the silence. "Time really flies, doesn't it?"

Leonor smiled, squeezing Theresia's hand. "Yeah, it does. I'm so glad we found each other."

"Me too," Theresia said, leaning in to give Leonor a kiss on the cheek. "You make my life so much better."

Leonor blushed, feeling her heart swell with love for Theresia. "You make my life better too," she said, before kissing Theresia on the lips.

As they continued to walk, Leonor's mind began to wander back to work. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was stuck in a rut, that she wasn't living up to her potential.

"I don't know what to do," Leonor said, interrupting the comfortable silence. "I feel like I'm failing at everything."

Theresia stopped walking, turning to face Leonor. "You're not failing," she said firmly. "You're under a lot of stress, that's all. Maybe you just need to take a step back and reevaluate things."

Leonor nodded, feeling grateful for Theresia's support. "You're right. Maybe I need to take a few days off and clear my head."

"Absolutely," Theresia said, wrapping her arms around Leonor's waist. "I'll be here for you every step of the way."

Over the next few days, Leonor took Theresia's advice and took some time off from work. She spent her days relaxing, going to yoga classes, and spending time with Theresia.

But no matter how much she tried to relax, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that something was wrong.

One evening, as the couple sat in their living room watching TV, Leonor finally found the courage to voice her fears. "Theresia," she said, turning to her girlfriend. "Do you ever feel like something's missing?"

Theresia frowned, looking at Leonor curiously. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know," Leonor said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "I feel like I'm just going through the motions, but I'm not really living. Like something's holding me back."

Theresia put a comforting hand on Leonor's shoulder. "Leonor, what's going on? You know you can talk to me."

Leonor shook her head, feeling frustrated that she couldn't put her thoughts into words. "I don't know. I just feel like I'm not living up to my potential. Like I'm meant to do something more, but I don't know what."

Theresia gave Leonor a sympathetic look. "Well, maybe it's time to explore some new opportunities. You can't stay stuck in a job that's not fulfilling you."

Leonor nodded, feeling grateful for Theresia's encouragement. "You're right. I just need to figure out what I want and go after it."

Over the next few weeks, Leonor threw herself into her job search. With Theresia's support, she applied for new positions, went on interviews, and put her all into finding a job that would make her feel fulfilled.

But despite her best efforts, Leonor still felt like something was off. She and Theresia started to argue more often, and the stress of the job search was taking a toll on both of them.

One evening, as they were getting ready for bed, Theresia finally voiced her fears. "Leonor, are you sure you're happy with me? We haven't been getting along lately, and I just want to make sure everything's okay."

Leonor felt her stomach drop. She had been so focused on finding a new job that she hadn't realized how much her relationship with Theresia had suffered. "Of course I am," she said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "I love you so much."

Theresia gave her a small smile. "I love you too," she said, before kissing Leonor softly on the lips.

But despite their words, Leonor knew that something had changed between them. She felt a deep sense of sadness, as if she had lost something important.

Over the next few days, Leonor couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She felt like she was stuck, unable to move forward in her life. Despite her best efforts to get back on track, she felt like she was running in place.

One evening, as they were getting ready for bed, Theresia finally broached the subject. "Leonor, I think we need to take a break."

Leonor felt like someone had punched her in the gut. "What? Why?" she asked, feeling her eyes fill with tears.

Theresia looked down at the ground, her voice soft. "We've been fighting so much lately. I think we both need some time to figure out what we want."

Leonor felt like the world was falling apart around her. She had thought that she and Theresia were meant to be together forever, that nothing could ever tear them apart.

But now, faced with the reality of a break-up, she felt like everything she had believed was a lie.

Over the next few weeks, Leonor struggled to come to terms with the end of her relationship. She threw herself into her work, hoping that it would help her forget her pain.

But even though she was successful in finding a new job, she knew that she would never forget the pain of losing Theresia. She had burned out, both professionally and personally, and now she was left with nothing but the ashes of her former life.

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Happy Independence Day, Everyone! 🇵🇭