Spring is near.

Waking up to the sound of rain pitter pattering on her bedroom's window, Riona reluctantly opened her sleepy eyes and checked her phone on the bedside table.

11:14 a.m.

Sighing, she laid back on her fluffy pillow and covered her eyes with her right arm.

"I need to go job hunting, look for my own place to stay, move out of Laura's home, then... Oh My Goodness! I didn't call mom!" She quickly sat up and dialled her mother's phone number. Two rings and her call was answered.

"She's still alive." Claudia sarcastically remarked.

"Sorry mom."

Claudia and her daughter agreed to contact each other weekly on Fridays to check up on each other's progress.

"Mmmmhmm... Laura called me earlier and told me about some job opportunities that could interest you." Claudia and Laura were best of friends since their college days.

"Oh. She hasn't mentioned anything to me."

"Yet. Don't tell her I told you about it first."

"Promise."

"There are a variety of options for you sweetheart, you just have to choose what you are comfortable with."

"Okay..." she heard some shuffling at the end of the line.

"One, you get to work in the ER with her and under her supervision at New York General hospital. I think this would be great and you'd be like one of those nurses you watch on your laptop all the time."

Nope. Not gonna happen. Too much pressure.

"Two, temporarily teach at New York University in Manhattan on behavioural science."

Hell no.

"Last but not the least, I think she said that when it comes to this one, you could be sent anywhere in the country for your services? I didn't fully understand that. She'll just tell you about it... But I do recall her mentioning that your pay would be fixed at a rate of $16 per hour... She'll just explain it better to you honey."

Lets say, bill in twelve hours a day every day a week, that would be sixteen by twelve by seven by four which is around $5,300 monthly. Not bad... Not bad at all.

"Hello..."

"Yes mom? It sounds interesting. I'll think about it."

"Okay. Levy says hi."

"Hi Levy!" Riona gushed at her small brother's voice.

"Hiii. You bring me chilly crisps?" the little boy asked.

Levy got used to Riona always getting him flavored potato chips whenever she went back home from school or from shopping. Whenever she forgot to buy some for him, he would throw a fit and not talk to her for as long as he could. Which wasn't very long, just a few hours.

"Yes Levy. When I come home, I'll buy you two bags of tomato flavored crisps."

"Yaaay!"

Riona giggled at her brother's excitement then heard some shuffling.

"Keep me updated, okay?" Claudia requested her.

"Will do mom."

Claudia hung up and Riona felt a little too much sentimental. She missed them so much even though she had arrived in New York two weeks ago. Riona got up from her warm bed and went to the bathroom to do her morning hygiene. She brushed her curly, coffee brown hair and tied it up in a messy bun, applied some blueberry scented ChapStick on her lips and walked out of her room.

"Yo Ree." She heard Luka call her.

"Yeah?" Riona got to the kitchen and found Luka gulping down bacon strips Laura had made for breakfast.

"Are you going to eat your bacon or not?"

Chuckling to herself, Riona took a clean glass from the kitchen cabinet and poured herself some passion juice she found on the counter. She swore she heard Luka mumble something along the lines of, "Hope she's allergic to them bacons."

She subtly smiled at him. "Morning Luka."

"Morning."

Riona winked at him and said, "Sorry to disappoint buddy, but I'm not allergic to bacon."

"Morning Laura."

"Morning Riona. How was your night?" Laura flipped some pancakes on her frying pan.

"I slept well. When did you come back?" She bit into one of the strips.

"Around seven in the morning."

"Wow."

"Comes with the job Riona. Speaking of..." She placed the pancakes on her favorite ceramic plate and served them while she continued to talk to Riona.

"I need a tiny favor from you." She swatted Luka's hand from the bacon strips he wanted to steal.

"Oww! Mom."

"There is this important meeting I have to attend, it's scheduled for next week Wednesday which, unfortunately, clashes with my teaching class at NYU. I was wondering if you could fill in for me as my temporary substitute?... Nothing difficult. Just a topic on Behavioural science." Laura requested her.

Riona was at a loss of words. The last time she stood in front of students was during her last year of Nursing school. It was part of the major exam, critical and important for guaranteeing graduating. The students, including herself, were sent to different medical colleges in the country for a couple of weeks to teach younger students on midwifery, communication skills, among other topics. The students' scores and review would determine where one passed, or failed.

She was not fond of public speaking. Worst of all, her anxiety level peaked whenever she had to talk, explain or demonstrate anything to a large group of people. No one apart from her doctor knew of her condition. Not even her mother.

"Uhhh... Sure." She reluctantly agreed to it with a forced smile plastered on her face.

"Great! I'll just inform their class representatives." Laura walked out of her open planned kitchen to make a call.

Luka helped himself with a stack of pancakes and an additional three bacon strips from his mother's plate while Riona poured herself a cup of coffee. She had already finished her glass of juice. She found Luka munching on the bacon as she sat with her plate of three pancakes coated with maple juice.

"You sure love bacon." Riona observed.

He replied with a full mouth. "Mhmm. Besht things evah."

She silently ate her meal with her mind pestering her about what she just agreed to.

"Why, why, why! Why did I agree to that! ... Ugh! I must be crazy... No. I'm just too nice and it makes me sick. Literally." She mentally observed. Riona took a sip of her creamy coffee and cut into her pancakes.

She shrugged and continued with the mental conversation with herself. "But, it's the least I can do for her since she's been nice to me and let me stay in her house."

"Why frown while eating?" Luka asked while taking his coffee.

"Nothing."

"Soo... Are you gonna eat those?" He pointed to the two remaining bacon strips on her plate and Riona immediately forked and ate them without giving an answer.

"You could've just said yes." Luka chuckled.

She placed her dishes in the dishwasher as Luka left the kitchen together with the ones Luka used and the ones Laura used to make breakfast. Once done with the washing and cleaning, she got back to her room and took a shower.

Later in the afternoon, Riona decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. The rain had stopped but the chilly breeze was still there. She decided on wearing her trench coat over her T-shirt and yoga pants with her black Martin boots.

"I'll just leave her a note by the refrigerator." She mumbled to herself.

Luka had gone for a photoshoot earlier and Laura was asleep in her room. Riona left the sticky note telling Laura of her walk and stepped outside. The grass was wonderland-green as if some magical jujitsu chop had banished the raindrops. The tufty pillow-shaped clouds slowly glided across the sky and Kelley took in a deep breath of fresh air, relishing the feel of it in her lungs.

Spring was near.