The contrast between the two men sharpened in her mind. Louis was the distant, fiery nebula, beautiful and awe-inspiring, but dangerous to approach, prone to sudden collapses and shrouded in mystery. 

Dennis was the steady, dependable star, always there, always shining, offering warmth and guidance.

Her heart, which had been so captivated by the promise of Louis’s genius and the intoxicating challenge of bridging his emotional chasm, now felt a gentle tug towards the uncomplicated comfort Dennis offered. 

He wasn’t a challenge; he was a haven. He wasn’t a puzzle; he was a solution.

“We’ll get through this, Cheryl,” Dennis said, closing his laptop after setting up the cloud backup. “And your installation will be magnificent. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

He smiled, and Cheryl felt a profound sense of peace settle over her. She had been so focused on reaching for the distant, brilliant light of Louis, but perhaps true happiness lay closer, in the steady, unwavering glow of a constellation that had always been there, quietly supporting her. 

The thought was both comforting and unsettling, a new dilemma emerging from the ashes of her frustration. Her pursuit of Louis, once an undeniable imperative, now seemed fraught with a different kind of uncertainty.