Charlotte

04 // warm and windy.

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04// warm and windy.

The soft rustle of the leaves from the tree right outside my window had woke me up the next morning.

My body was still tired and not yet ready to start the new day. I had work in a few hours, but no car. In walking distance, I could make it there in twenty five minutes, but driving reduced that time by a lot.

I groggily rolled out of bed and hopped in the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me and the sweet smell of vanilla bath wash enlighten me.

I placed my hands on my flat abdomen. For his sake, Wren hoped that the embryos didn't make it. He feared that I would come in between him and his wife and ruin them, but that was never apart of any plan of mine.

I shook those thoughts away and felt slightly guilty that I actually wanted the embryos to survive.

Searching through my closet, I pulled out a simple floral dress and stepped into it. I grabbed my sling bag and locked my house door behind me.

The hallway right outside my door was noisy like usual. My neighbor, a small and elderly Mexican woman who frequently blasted Latin music throughout her apartment opened her door as I walked past it.

"Iy, Iy, Iy! Chica! Where are you off to?" she asked. Her accent was deep and rich and barely understandable. The strong smell of spices wafted into the hallway of the apartment from her home. 

"I'm off to work, Ms. Gonzales. Can I get you anything?" I knew what her answer would be. It seemed that every time she needed something, she waited for me to open and close my front door before she approached me.

"Well, now that you bring it up, queirda. Yo necessito tres mazorcas, dos aguascates.. oh y una lata de tomates.. how about I write it all down for you?" She asked. Ms. Gonzales was shorter than me with a mop of silver hair upon her head and wrinkly skin. However, her height was nothing compared to her large personality and wisdom.

"No, I've got it all up here," I replied, tapping my head. "Three ears of corn, two avocados and a can of tomatoes." I didn't know or speak Spanish, but after going grocery shopping for my dear old neighbor multiple times before, I had caught on quick to what foods were what. She never paid me when I handed back her groceries but I was fine with that.

"Oh gracias gracias! I'm so thankful for you!"

"See you later Ms. Gonzales." I waved at her before descending to the first floor of the building.

Outside was warm and just a bit windy. I walked down the sidewalk that led to the apartment front door and was ready to turn and begin the trek to work when I spotted my red car. There was no doubt that it was mine.

The hood was dented in, rust was sprawled across the side and tape covered a back window that got busted into a while ago. It was my mothers old car that she had given to me when the doctors refrained her from driving. At one point, I tried saving up to fix it and make it look at least half presentable, but it would cost me more than what the piece of junk was actually worth. Not only that, but all my dimes went towards my mothers hospital bills. I promised myself that when she got better, I would buy a new car. 

A closer look and I could see a small rectangular piece of white paper being held down by my window wiper. Curious, I walked over to my car to see exactly what this paper was. Unlike last night, this morning my block wasn't empty. People walked up and down the sidewalks and neighborhood kids came out to play before their school buses arrived.

I lifted up my window wiper and retrieved the white paper. It wasn't thin like copy paper but more thicker like expensive paper. Right on the front was something scribbled out in messy cursive.