Of Gods & Monsters

.•1•.

The pitter-patter of heavily pouring rain clashed with the comforting silence of her childhood home, as Diana sat in her usual spot at the dining table, taking small helpings from her bowl of milk with cornflakes. Her mind kept drifting to other places, haunted by worries no young woman her age should have.

Her large green eyes glazed over, absently staring at the small rivulets of water running down the window as the thought of another day of nonstop work weighed heavily on her slender shoulders, only to be pushed away again and again by that sole thought: her mother's well-being.

She had to keep going, for her mother's healthcare and their daily lives, since there was no one else to help them. They had no other family to take care of them after her father's untimely, unexpected death.

It was only the second year since she had been forced into this role, taking charge of the household as her beloved mother fell ill with one of the world's most dangerous diseases. But it sometimes felt like much longer...

Since she'd first started working, she had struggled so hard to cover the bills and her mother's treatment costs, barely managing to survive each day as her mother's small pension hardly covered anything, leaving her to fight alone—forcing her to take a two-year break from college because she couldn't afford it anymore.

With her last spoonful of cornflakes, she rose from her chair and walked around the table to put the bowl in the sink, checking her phone before rushing to the front door to grab her raincoat from the hook, calling out a goodbye to her mom who was still upstairs, resting in bed.

She grabbed the keys to her father's old, battered Honda, hurried outside into the driveway, and quickly got in despite the heavy rain, then drove straight to work.

.•**•.

Crossing her arms over her chest to stay warm in the cold—even though it was still so early in the month—she hurried to the employee entrance of the coffee shop, feeling her teeth chatter even though it was only a two-minute walk from her parking spot.

Inside, she wiped her wet boots on the mat and headed to the tiny staff changing room, which was barely big enough for two average-sized people.

Trying to waste as little time as possible, she took off her coat and purse, hanging them neatly, then put on her pastel pink apron. She put her long caramel tresses into a ponytail. They were still damp after her quick walk.

The smell of fresh coffee greeted her as she exited the changing room, and she saw her colleague.

"Hey Di," the tall, lanky brunette smiled as he approached, giving her a quick one-armed hug while holding a silver tray under the other.

"Hi Dan," she smiled back, and they walked over to the counter.

"How's mom?" he asked—familiar with her situation since they often talked and hung out, work or not.

"Good. She's hanging in there," she replied, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. Her slightly wavering smile fought to stay in place as her mind flooded with memories of sleepless nights and all the times she had rushed her mom to the ER after frightening coughing fits.

He gave her a warm smile and touched her shoulder in a comforting manner, then filled his tray and headed to serve the next customer.

.•**•.

She finished drying the last coffee cup and glanced at the pink cup-shaped clock on the wall, sighing tiredly as she realized it was time to leave for her second job.

"Dan, I'm done!" she called out to her friend, who was busy stacking frozen cakes.

"Okay, hun, you can go ahead! I'll finish up here!" he shouted back from the storage room. He knew about her second job and how she needed to be on time because her other boss, Anya, wasn't as understanding as Mr. Andrew, the coffee shop owner.

Without delay, she went to change out of her apron, grabbed her coat and purse, and called out a quick "bye" as she headed toward the back door.

"Bye, hun!" She heard him yell just before stepping outside into the cool evening air, noticing the last faint rays of sun peeking behind a gray building.

She yawned softly, stretching her back, already feeling tired after a busy day at the coffee shop with the heavy rain and everything, the strong coffee she had earlier not exactly doing its job.

.•**•.

She swiped her access card at the front entrance, hurried to the elevator, and pushed the button for the top floor.

As the doors shut, she sighed, leaning her back against the cold metal wall, taking deep breaths to calm herself and gather her remaining strength for the cleaning ahead on the whole floor.

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she drifted into memories with her mom and dad, almost missing the "ding" signaling that the elevator had arrived, her brief daydream broken by the harsh reality.

She straightened, walked down the hallway to the staircase, and entered the cleaning closet. Leaving her coat and purse, she shoved her phone into her back pocket, just in case her mother called, and took her supplies on a wheeled cart.

First, she grabbed her gloves and started cleaning, focusing on the bathroom stalls.

Halfway through scrubbing a toilet seat, her phone rang suddenly—that quick jolt made her worry her mom might be having another episode.

She tossed her brush and glove aside, grabbed her phone, and was surprised to see her employer's name.

"Miss Anya? Is-" she began.

"Starting tomorrow, we need you in the mornings as well," the nasal voice cut her off before she could finish, loud and clear.

The bathroom fell silent as she processed the news, her eyes widening.

"What? But I-I can't! You know I have another job!" she yelled, almost crying at the thought of leaving her job at the coffee shop. She liked it there, and her coworkers were like family.

"Oh...Well then, I guess we'll have to let you go, darling. We can't keep staff who can't be reliable whenever we need them..." the voice trailed off.

The line went dead, leaving her shoulders slumped, her sobs quiet and her heart heavy.