I finally did it. After 3 months of hard work, my project was finally coming to an end. All that was left was a couple of weeks to tie up loose ends and I was finished. The week before, my coworker, Mark, had casually mentioned going out to celebrate and when he saw my face light up, it was decided. So, all day we chatted about what we should do after work. He was from the area so I relied on him to decide where we would go. A couple months ago he had dragged me out to have dinner and drinks, saving me from a frozen meal or takeout alone in my hotel room, only to find out I can just about keep up with him shot for shot. It had become almost a weekly occurrence ever since.
I told my husband that I would be staying in town one extra night this week to go out to have some fun and still be safe. He had been very understanding as each week in this job I would stay in a hotel close to work instead of driving home late at night. Neither of us would admit it but it was a relief and an excuse for both of us to ignore the issues we were having. But tonight? Tonight, would be a night to celebrate a job well done.