Chapter Four

The streets of Colorado were busy as usual. The buzz of the newly opened hospital spreading like wildfire through the streets.

Every business was open.

Everyone was happy, except Sharlene Cunning-ham, who had woken up fifteen minutes after her alarm. Running out of the bedsheets, she had tangled around her feet like a snake during her restless sleep; she padded down the staircase with her newly bought bunny slippers and rushed into the kitchen.

"What to make? What to make?"

Mumbling as she opened the pantry filled with foodstuff, Sharlene dismissed the tins that would take forever to prepare and rushed to grab an egg from the egg tray in the fridge. She had also taken a small chocolate bar. Unwrapping the sugary goodness, Sharlene shoved it in her mouth. Setting out a plate, she grabbed the cold bread on the fridge and popped two in the toaster. Like her tail was on fire, she quickly lit the stove and placed a small frying pan on top of it. Quickly, she added oil and broke the egg, but her phone rang at the last minute before she could add it to the frying pan.

In the pocket of her pajama pants, it vibrated. Sharlene lowered the fire underneath the frying pan and fished the phone from it.

When she saw the name flashing on the screen, she groaned.

"Why now?"

Sharlene's mornings were always hectic, especially on a Monday, which she dredged like a fish out of water. Waking at 6:00 every morning was a hassle, for her appropriate morning wake up time was 8 o'clock. She always had a hard time being early for work, and the sudden call from her mother was making it hard.

That was her punishment for not calling her frustrated but worried mother hen for five days.

Helena Cunning-ham called her exactly 6:15 every day, the time she would be in the shower.

Dumping the egg into the frying pan, Sharlene answered the call.

"Hey, mom."

"Do not hey me, Sharlene Cunning-ham. You..."

Tunning off the rest of Helena's grumble, Sharlene spun the egg in the frying pan while monitoring the toaster for her bread. She mindlessly hummed to her mother's words while chewing on the piece of chocolate.

That was a tradition. It helped her, especially when she was stressed. Sweets were her lifeline, and she was surprised it had not made her fat.

"Are you eating alright?"

Her mother questioned, her tone flighty with worry.

"Yes, I am. I am preparing to eat breakfast right now."

Muttering, Sharlene hurriedly pulled the jumpy bread from the toaster and dumped it on the empty plate.

"Are you getting enough sleep? Is work hard for you?"

Placing the single egg on the plate on top of the toast, Sharlene murmured.

"Yes, yes, I am. Work is fine."

Bringing the plate towards the single table in the kitchen, she rushed towards the fridge and grabbed the orange juice. Placing the phone in the crook of her neck, Sharlene took a glass from the upper cupboard near the refrigerator.

Walking towards the table, she sat heavily on the chair.

Pouring the juice into the glass, she took a sip of the sugary goodness. Moaning, she appreciated her simple breakfast.

"SHARLENE CUNNING-HAM, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

Almost dropping both her glass and the phone, Sharlene quickly swallowed the juice she choked on. She had forgotten her mother on the line.

Quickly, placing the glass on the table, Sharlene contained her coughing. She grabbed the phone in her left hand while her right brought the food into her mouth.

Sheepishly, she murmured.

"Of course."

"Are you?"

"I am."

"Good."

A sigh on her mother's end, the matriarch continued.

"I know you are very busy, but a call now and then is appreciated. Are you being treated nicely there?"

Not wanting to speak about her job, she hurriedly muttered.

"Yes, I am. Please, Mom, you and AJ are coming to leave with me soon. Stop making this appear like we are going to leave apart from each other forever. Even Clarice, her husband, and my cute niece, Lily Cosby, will be coming to see us now and then. I'll be fine for the next couple of days, and..."

Glancing down at the time on her phone, Sharlene shot up from her chair.

"And?"

Hearing her mother's worried tone, Sharlene quickly explained.

"We will talk later. I am going to be late for work!"

Exclaiming, she swallowed the remaining orange juice in the glass.

Placing the phone on the loud-speaker, she returned the rest of the juice in the fridge and shoved the empty plate in the sink.

Grabbing her phone, she rushed into her bedroom. Throwing it on the bed, she quickly stripped off her clothes. Running back to the phone, where her mother's impatient voice was becoming irritated, Sharlene hurriedly spoke before cutting off the call.

"Gotta go. Love you. Bye."

With that settled, she grabbed her towel and rushed into the nearest bathroom since the house consisted of two.

Putting on the hot water, she rushed onto the shower. Slamming the glass door of the shower stall, Sharlene took the fastest five-minute bath that she had done in her entire life.

Always known for being a slow-poke in dressing, showering, eating, and even sleeping, she was like Flash today, as she jumped from the shower while making a mental note to cleaning the wet floor after work. Shutting off the heater, she rushed to her room. She made sure the blinds on the windows were down. That was because her neighbor's eldest son was a peeping Tom.

She hurriedly dried herself.

Adorning an above knee-length black skirt, white blouse, and blue coat that she had placed on hangers in the wardrobe last night, she grabbed her cute black two-inch boots from underneath the bed and hurriedly adorned her name tag around her neck.

She was thankful, for her perfectionist attitude had kicked in yesterday when she had assorted the perfect work outfit. Grabbing her purse and her precious bag that acquired her beauty products, she was about to rush towards the stairs but remembered her abandoned phone.

Back into her room, she ran with a loud huff.

Grabbing the phone from the bed, she raced down the steps, but it began to ring in her hands before she could open the front door.

Glancing at the caller ID, she shrieked, for it was her very demanding boss.

Saying a short prayer, she answered on the third ring after clearing her throat.

"Where are you, Britt?! Do you know I have things to do, places to go?!"

Her shrieky voice entered her ears, and she closed her eyes.

Ignoring her insult, she rapidly answered with a sufficient excuse.

"I am sorry. My mother called, and I..."

Snappily, her boss interrupted.

"And I do not care. Please make it snappy. Make sure you have my coffee from my favorite cafe. It should be perfect. And don't let me call you again."

"Yes, I will."

When the call ended, Sharlene gave her lungs the burning oxygen it needed. Speaking to her boss was like a fly caught in a fly trap. It was the most horrible experience.

A stuck-up woman with her pedicure perfectly managed was trouble, and that was her boss--Madam Sinclair, the vice president of a large jewelry company.

Groaning, when she remembered something of great importance, she rushed to the kitchen and grabbed her lunch kit from the fridge, which she prepared yesterday, and rushed out of the house.

Locking the front door, she raced towards her vehicle parked in the parking space in front of the garage.

"Hi, Mr. Porta!"

Politely greeting her neighbor, the grumpy old man who was tending his lawn, Sharlene hurriedly unlocked the backseat to dump her bags on the seats.

"Always a mess for work, I see, Miss. Cunning-ham."

Mr. Porta commented.

With a smile, Sharlene shut the door.

"Only on Mondays, Mr. Porta. Do have a good day."

Waving her words away, Mr. Porta returned to his gardening.

Jumping into the driver's seat, Sharlene buckled her seat-belt. With a heavy breath, she watched herself in her rearview mirror.

"What a mess."

Laughing, she examined her hair.

"It looks like birds were making a nest in my hair."

Placing the affordable Subaru in drive mode, she drove out of the quaint neighborhood towards the bustling city. Glancing at the time brightening her GPS, she groaned.