Note that there might be huge grammatical errors as I haven't had the time to proofread it.
Dreams..
"Charlotte." Maria's voice quivered slightly as she spoke, "I did it. I really did it. I finally sent him the divorce papers."
On the other end of the phone, Charlotte's sharp gasp echoed through the line. "Oh my goodness, Maria! Are you serious?"
Maria let out a sigh, a mix of relief and sadness in her voice. "Yeah, I actually did it."
Charlotte could sense the weight of the moment and chose her words carefully. "Well, how are you feeling right now?"
Maria paused, her heart heavy with the realization of what she had done. "Heartbroken, Charlotte. I really feel heartbroken. I never thought it would come to this, you know? But..." She paused again, gathering her thoughts.
Charlotte's reassuring tone cut through the silence. "But what, Maria? I know how hard this has been for you. You can talk to me about anything, you know that right. Please share your thoughts with me."
Tears welled up in Maria's eyes as she heard the sincerity in her best friend's voice. "I will Charlotte, but not now." she whispered. "I think what I really need right now is to keep myself busy with some things. Maybe that will help me get through this."
Charlotte nodded on her end, even though Maria couldn't see her. "That's a good idea. Just remember, I'm here for you, no matter what."
Maria and Charlotte spoke with each other for a while until Charlotte had to go get her kids from school, and they ended the call with a sweet goodbye.
'I can do this, I can do this. Yeah, Maria, you can do this.'
Maria was facing a daunting reality. Throughout her life, she'd never had to lift a finger to earn a living. As a child, her needs were catered to by her parents, and during her marriage, John provided for her. This new chapter was uncharted territory, and she was well aware that it wouldn't be easy.
Frustration grew as she struggled to navigate the online job search process. She had little experience applying for jobs or preparing for interviews.
'Why isn't this working?' A line appeared between her brows as she stated at the screen.
Clicking her mouse repeatedly, she attempted to access a job site. After several unsuccessful tries, she decided to refresh the webpage, only to find that the ad she'd been interested in had vanished.
'What the- where did it go? I swear I just saw it.'' It had been there moments ago.
Maria squeezed her eyes shut, trying her very best to stay calm.
'Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this, Maria. You definitely can. In no time, this will be in the past.'
In the course of trying to calm down, she felt tears continuously fall from her eyes. She wiped her tears, but it continued flowing down her eyes.
She chuckled. 'Why do I keep crying?'
Maria exhaled and inhaled. This was hard, extremely hard. 'How am I going to survive? I never had any reasons to earn a dime. Did I make the right decision by leaving John?'
She slammed her laptop shut. 'You did the right thing, Maria. It's just a phase. It will be over before you know it.'
'Take a deep breath, and calm down. You are okay, you are fine, you are strong, you can do this, and you don't need John.' Maria muttered.
Maria decided she would take a short break, relax, and maybe watch a movie to distract her from the present situation. After all, there was only little she could do. Going back to her parents isn't an option she wants to take. She needed to be a strong, independent woman.
She stood up from her bed and headed over to her desk, where she had lots of notepads. She picked the one with a mint coloured cover.
Getting up, she walked to her desk, selecting a mint-covered notepad. Back on her bed, Maria opened it and poured her dreams onto the pages – a list that included finding a steady job, getting her own place, building friendships, and going on solo adventures.
Anything that would at least bring a smile to her face.
A thought flew into her mind. 'What about love?'
'Love? Love was beautiful. It was one of the best things that had happened to me. But, the last time I loved someone, he broke my heart. And to make it worse, he did the thing I always feared would happen.'
Maria concluded that she would never love again or even get married. She did not want to make the same mistake twice.
She was done. Done with love for good. She would focus solely on herself.
She felt sad, and her eyes began to fill up with tears. 'Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry. It's over. Damn it, girl, stop with the tear works. It won't change anything.'
Maria took a deep breath, wiping away the remnants of tears that clung to her eyes. Seeking solace, she reached for her laptop and began watching a movie, embracing the comfort of a fictional world to momentarily escape the complexities of her own emotions.
-
"I miss you so much, darling. I've been waiting tirelessly for your arrival," a voice spoke to her, its strangeness tinged with a familiar undertone.
"What do you mean?" Maria questioned, uncertainty colouring her words.
"You left me. I was heartbroken, but I'm glad you're back," the voice replied, weaving a sense of longing into the air.
Maria's heart fluttered with a mix of confusion and apprehension. "I left? I don't understand," she stammered.
The voice persisted, a haunting echo in the air. "You needed time, and I respected that. But now you're here, and that's all that matters."
Maria could not utter a word.
"Riri"
"John?" Maria questioned.
"I love you so much, Maria. Much more than you could ever imagine. Please come back to me. I'm hurting terribly inside; I can't live without you. I know I made a mistake. Please come back to me, love, and I'll work till my last breath to make things right," John expressed, his eyes reflecting sadness.
As she abruptly woke from her slumber. The emotional intensity lingered as she glanced at her clock, the red digits glaring 3:30 am—a silent witness to the vivid dream that stirred her heart.
And it hurt.
꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
Hello everyone. I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter. I apologize if it's short. I'll make an effort to lengthen the next one. Thank you for your patience.
I have some questions for you all to answer.
1. Have you ever had a dream that deeply affected your emotions upon waking? If so, how did it make you feel?
2. If you were in Maria's shoes, how would you respond to John's plea in the dream?
Well, what do you think?