In the Rain (Prequel to Rain Again)

Chapter Two: Job-hunting

Kate opened her eyes to a beautiful morning.

Running lazy fingers along her hair that waved past her mid-back, she groaned cozily. Then she noticed them—the split ends that sparkled like snowflakes in the morning sun. She looked out the gaped curtains of her bedroom window and inhaled a long, relaxing breath, making a quick mental note to get a haircut this week.

"Damn, it grows too fast!" She stretched throwing off her covers.

She had taken after her mother with wavy brown hair and a round face that resembled a full moon. While her mother looked gorgeous, hers looked like a soup bowl according to her.

"Have breakfast before you leave," Maria yelled from the kitchen.

The heavenly smell of pancakes floated to Kate's nostrils. "The pancakes smell incredible, mom, but you know I won't eat now."

Her mother's head peeked out from the kitchen door. "There's no need to go to the café today, dear. Your father will open it after coming back from the supermarket in around an hour. Why don't you sit with me at breakfast today?"

"Well, no, thanks, mom," Kate replied, getting her sneakers from the shoe rack beside the main door. "It's dad who must take rest. Tell him that I will take care of our café amazingly. He doesn't need to worry at all."

"On the contrary, why don't you find a job, Kate?"

"But I already have one. The café," She said as a matter of fact.

"That's your father's job!"

"I'm his only daughter." Kate tried to put on an emotional face. "I'll have to take over the family business one day or another."

"Or we could give it to the charity," her mother mumbled, irritated.

Kate pretended that she didn't hear it. "So it's decided then. Dad will help you and romance you at home. And I will, as a responsible kid, look after the family's only source of income." Giving a big smile to her mother, then she set out of their small two-story haven. "And save some pancakes for me. I'll come and get them after a couple of hours," she yelled back, trotting down the front stairs, not bothered at all by the street goers hearing her.

"Morning morning, moonshine! On your way to open the café?"

"Argh," Kate halted on her steps to look at her neighbor plus best friend since the days they were in diapers bounding out of his front door in one of his usual bohemian shirts — top buttons opened recklessly, ripped jeans boldly showing some tattooed skin. His unkempt, colored hair bounced in wild abandon as he jogged closer with a broad smile.

"When on earth will you stop calling me that, Neil!" Kate threw a punch at his stomach that he dodged successfully.

"Never." Hippie chains around his neck jingled as Neil laughed, pointing at Kate's forehead. "That mole you hide with your bangs has earned you that name. Look at the halo around it. Doesn't it look like the moon?"

"No, it doesn't."

"It does."

Almost instinctively Kate ruffled her bangs to hide it even more and groaned. "Gosh, that ugly thing! I'm this close to gathering the money to laser it off." Holding her thumb and forefinger at close distance, she showed it to Neil with conviction on her face.

"Don't you even dare! In no way does it look ugly, Kate," Neil protested.

"It does."

"Does not."

With a smug smile, Kate sidestepped away from Neil and started walking again.

"Listen," Neil yelled. "Meet at the park at six in the eve."