The Project in Waiting

In the past, Elias Hart used to look forward to being given a new project to work on. Even if he was already working on more than one at a time, getting something new, something fresh, would fill him with excitement and give him such an appetite for creation that it even helped him finish his other projects faster.

Now, things weren’t like that at all.
He just wasn’t as young anymore.
Not that he was old!
He’d been married for ten years, but he had married young.
He and his wife, Peachy, had their children early too — Heidi, Grace, and little Tom.

They were happy.
Also, utterly exhausted.

Raising children wasn’t easy — they didn’t raise themselves! The economic downturn and inflation made things harder still. Just when Elias thought he’d finally be able to work a little more relaxed and spend more time with his family, expenses and work demands only kept growing.

Peachy had recently decided she needed to contribute to the household income, so she got a job too — by sheer coincidence, as a receptionist at the same company as her husband.

It was an architectural firm.
Elias Hart was a very talented architect, but over time he’d burned out, both inside and outside work. He was stuck in a creative block he just couldn’t shake. And, because of his personality, he’d never dared demand what he truly deserved based on his contribution to the company. He hadn’t climbed the ranks as far as he should have.

“This is an opportunity for you, Elias,” said Sophie. “I know you’ve already got two other open projects, but this one is important. The deadline is tight, and upper management asked for you specifically because, and I quote, ‘Only you can create something so original in such a short time.’”

“Where have I heard that before, Sophie?” Elias looked at her, hesitating. “If they really said that, then either they’re mocking me… or they’re just used to me doing big, demanding projects for less pay than my peers.”

Sophie blinked — he’d never spoken so bluntly to her before.

“Look, I’m sorry…” Elias went on. “I wouldn’t say this if we didn’t know each other so well. But I’m starting to realize I’m not just shortchanging myself — I’m shortchanging my family. My kids.” He looked at her with more confidence than she’d ever seen in him.

The truth was, until “yesterday,” he’d felt like he had all the time in the world. But lately, with the weight of family responsibilities, he understood how precious — and scarce — his time really was. And no one ever knew how much time they had left, right?

“…Alright,” Sophie said after a long pause. “I’ll talk to them. If this project truly matches both your skill and their expectations, I’ll make sure you get, if not a promotion, then the raise you deserve.” She smiled like she’d struck a fair deal. “Honestly, this project is unusual. Personally, I think if you can’t deliver exactly what the client asked for, the company might lose it altogether.”

“I’ll see what I can do… but if this ends the same way all the others have, then you should know it’ll be my last with this firm.” He just couldn’t hold the tension in anymore.

“It won’t be,” Sophie assured him. “How’s Peachy?”

“Haha, nice. I’ll pass your greetings down to the reception desk.”

“Oh, no — I didn’t see her when I came in, that’s why I asked.”

“You didn’t?”

“No. Didn’t you come together?”

“Not today… I had to come in an hour earlier…” He seemed a little concerned.

“I’m sure I just missed her,” Sophie waved it off. “I’ll say hi on my way out.”

Elias got up. “Alright, talk later.”
Sophie waved as she picked up a ringing phone.

He closed the glass door behind him and walked quickly down the hall, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Hey.”
“Where are you?”

A few minutes later, he was back at his workstation — still no reply from Peachy.

He tried to clear some space on his work table, moving aside documents and blueprints from his other two projects, and pulled a fresh sheet in front of him. Pencil in hand, he stared into the void.

The truth was, he wouldn’t dare mention the “block” — as he called it — to Sophie. No ideas were coming.

He left the project aside for a moment and checked his phone again — still nothing.

Pulling his laptop closer, he opened the brief for the new project and began to read it aloud slowly, as if that might help spark inspiration.

The City for the Lost Dreams
“Design a massive cultural & innovation center meant to inspire creativity for decades to come. A cultural hub. An innovative common ground that revives abandoned ideas from the past and turns them into living art, tech, and architecture for the future.”

For a moment, something stirred in his mind — a vivid image that didn’t feel like his own thought.
A sunlit plaza, ringed with white curved spires. A breeze carrying children’s laughter through an archway that opened into…
It was gone in an instant, leaving the blank page before him.
He rubbed his eyes. Probably something he’d seen in an old magazine spread. Or a dream.

His eyes were bloodshot now — a small vein had burst in one. He put in some eyedrops, then checked his phone again.

Still unread.

It hadn’t been that long… but his mind was on her, and he rose from his chair.

“Not like I’m making much progress here anyway…”