Chapter Five.

A dark yellow button down long sleeve shirt and loose cooperate Maroon pants is probably a terrible and weird color combination but that didn't stop me at all when I got to work dressed in that and crowned my entire appearance up with matching yellow pumps and my handbag a different shade of the same color. Not my best look but it also wasn't my best day. I literally woke up exhausted and very much dreaded the whole day at the office awaiting me while I was stuck in the early morning city traffic for over Twenty minutes

When I reached the office and walked towards the elevator that would take me to the top floor where my office was fixated, I thought to myself how I should've listened to Mom and changed my outfit. Maybe I wouldn't have attracted these weird and judgemental glares from almost everyone that looked in my direction.

"How did your drive out go last night?" An eager Brittany jumped in my face in questioning just the exact moment I stepped into the office we both shared.

"Yeah? Good morning to you too" I replied dryly then sauntered over to toss my handbag carelessly on the table top just next to where I dropped my keys.

"Oh come on..... Give me all the juicy details" she purred and hugged me alot too tightly from behind.

"First of, nothing juicy happened so there isn't any Juicy thing to tell and secondly, jus what exactly were you expecting to happen?" I asked with a raised brow as I peeled her hands off me and shrugged her presently clingy self away from me.

"I don't know...... Maybe some sneaky little details I should know about" she replied with a smirk. And with how she wriggled her brows, I very well knew what stupid thing she was definitely thinking and was surely gonna say next.

I knew better than to engage myself in this conversation with her because I'm not sure I wanted a discussion on where our conversation was clearly headed.

"Did you at least get his picture??" She questioned next with hopeful eyes and I grinned widely as I shook my head in response to her question while watching the bright glint in her eyes fade slowly to disappointment.

"Oh, You can ask my Mom though. it appears she has a specialty for keeping photos." I suggested.

No amount of words can explain my horrified expression when going through photos of myself on her phone last night.

"Miss Montez, Miss Blair, the Boss demands your attention in his office immediately." Ross, Mr Anderson's secretary announced after ushering herself into our office.

Great. He couldn't be absent for the whole of the week? I knew yesterday was too good to be true for longer than one day. I could only but imagine what made the business tycoon miss a day at the office. It was so unlike him and I'm pretty sure not just Brittany and I, but every other person that works for him were gladened by his unbelievable absence.

"We'll be there shortly" Brittany answered on our behalf while I just sighed and waited as she strapped on her black sandal heels she had paired with Black fitted pants and a light blue shirt with her dark brown hair held up in a firm Ponytail that let the rest of her hair cascade down her back.

"What does he want now?" I questioned grumpily only when I was certain Ross was far away from earshot.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Came her response before reaching for the door while I sluggishly tailed behind her.

Unfortunately, when we got to the office, he didnt just wanna see us to pass some information like I had hoped but he had a pile up of work for Brittany and I.

All thanks to the life saving small paper bag of glazed doughnuts and a small juice box Mom packed for me this morning, I probably would've starved to death by now.

From the pile up of documents we spent hours sorting, we switched next to an impromptu business meeting. It was like we combined the whole week's work in one day and boy, was I so exhausted when I was finally free from Mr Anderson's clutches and back in my office awaiting Brittany who was out on one final errand for the Boss.

It's although a good thing I was able to almost clear my long To do list. That way, I can focus less on work and more on my mother's wedding like a good, supportive and loving daughter which I haven't really been of recent should.

I took out my cellphone while seated like a drunkard on my seat behind my desk and scrolled through the device searching for the photo of The wedding preparations outline I took earlier this morning while on my way to grab a glass of water from the refrigerator.

The entire week seemed pretty occupied.... From cake tastings to dress fittings and a whole truck load of activities I mostly found unnecessary but for some strange reasons, I wanted to be a part of it all.

Besides, I've seen for myself. Ralph and his Dad are not that Bad. I mean, his Dad isn't bad at all; that I'm quite sure. Ralph might be, I'm not really certain yet about him but he was a sweetheart yesterday and almost a different person from the stranger I wanted to waste mom's precious bottle of hot sauce on.

I still very much needed to observe him closely as I haven't been able to make up my mind about him yet

Then, I remembered him asking something about seeing me on Monday and I got curious as to what could actually be going on by Monday.

I pulled my legs from off my Table top and sat upright as I zoomed into the photo to get a clearer view of Monday's outlined event.

First rehearsal dinner? Who has more than one rehearsal dinners?

For someone who has been married before, it seems Mom is a little too obsessed about making her Wedding perfect.

Glancing at the old wall clock that hung oddly on one side of our office, I sighed like a sad puppy when I realized my time left at the office was still a whole fifty minutes.

Great. Just Great.

When you want the time ticking fast, it goes slow and when you want it slow, it ticks even faster.

Several moments later, Brittany's gentle tapping on my shoulder made me realize I had somehow dozed off on my desk when I got completely bored of the jigsaw puzzle I settled to keep myself busy with.

I immediately swiped every puzzle piece carelessly into my top drawer that hung open the entire time then snatched up my bag and rose up to my feet once I realized my fifty minutes was over ten minutes ago.

"Girl, what are you wearing?" She questioned in Horror after finally settling on my appearance which would have have been the first thing she noticed if her attention wasn't solely on my night out with Ralph.

I showed her how uninterested I was in the topic with my silence and slumped shoulders as I walked towards the door like an infant just learning how to walk.

The only thing I was interested in at that moment is most definitely my lovely bed and soft covers I badly wanted to get myself buried in.

I don't ever remembering being this excited to see my own house since a very long while and although I planned on stopping by the kitchen to fill my starved belly with whatsoever I could lay my hands on from wherever possible, something else caught my attention and made me halt abruptly right in the sitting room as I slowly closed the main door.

Our sitting room was filled with a lot of.... Stuff.

Stuff that looked all too familiar to me.

Anyone that comes in here will conclude someone's moving. But that can't be right. These are all my mom's stuff and I'm certain of it.

She's not moving out of the house is she ?

Puzzled by my questioning thoughts, I was about to call out to my Mom for clarification but just then, I heard someone come down the stairs and my eyes shot up immediately to behold Fred coming down with a medium sized box filled with several stuff that seemed to be part of my mother's belongings.

"Oh.. hi there" he greeted brightly and I only just waved in response as I was still trying to process whatever it is that's going on here.

Great. Mom was also coming down the stairs. At least I could get some explanations finally.

"Mom. What's happening here?" I questioned and gestured at her things scattered around with my free hand while my other hand held onto my bright yellow handbag.

"Oh. I'm just moving to the other room on the other side of the house. It's nothing serious sweetie." She replied and I mouthed her an Oh.

Well, that makes sense I guess.

Her present room which was just almost across from mine might be too small for a couple so I guess that makes sense.

"I would've offered to help, but I'm exhausted." I replied and Fred chuckled in response before gliding off towards the corner of the house with his box still in his hand and Mom tailing behind him.

We could have easily gone to live with them But Fred was considerate of my Job and distance since they actually lived relatively far away from this city and some other factors made he and Mom agree we should all live here instead and honestly? This house and the entire neighborhood was the only solid memory of my dad I had left with me asides the old photo of him I have locked up somewhere in my closet. I wasn't ready to leave here anytime soon.

"I left you some Macaroni and Cheese in the Microwave" Mom called out from the distance before her voice faded away into the corner just as she and Fred did.

Macaroni and cheese? Perfection.

After a plate full and two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, I let Mom and Fred carry on with their room exchange thing while I got into mine and shut the door close.

I suddenly found myself wondering why Ralph didn't come along with his Dad but I shook off the thoughts entirely and peeled my self inspired outfit off my body bit by bit till I was bare and only now wrapped in my bathrobe.

Nothing better than a nice cold shower and a fresh change of clothes after a long day at work.