In a forest lit by the moon, a girl stood, weaving golden threads around her. But something else caught her eye. Yes, the threads were interesting, but it was the boy standing a distance away who truly drew her attention. The odd part was that even from far away, she could see his striking blue eyes—like sapphires. Their gazes locked together as if they were magnets, and neither of them moved closer. It felt like they were both frozen in place. She wanted to walk over to him, but just as she made a move, she was suddenly awakened.
"Lyrra! Wake up!" She opened her eyes to find her coworker and best friend, Emily, looking angry.
Emily, who was 5'4" with wavy dark brown hair and hazel eyes, had a classic and elegant presence that radiated confidence. She was quite attractive. With her arms crossed and a narrowed gaze, she stood in front of Lyrra's desk.
After a sigh, she said, "You’re sleeping on the job again." Lyrra quickly gathered herself, using her hands to smooth her curly hair and adjust her clothes. She mumbled an apology, but Emily wasn’t interested in hearing it.
"How can you sleep on the job again? What if it had been me who walked in? What if it was our boss? You could get fired!"
"I know, I’m sorry! It won’t happen again," Lyrra said, putting her hands together in a pleading gesture and making a cute face. Emily frowned in response, clearly unimpressed.
"If you're trying to be cute, please stop; it's not working," Emily said, rolling her eyes. she placed a folder on her desk with the name 'Michael Johnson' on it.
"Here’s your next client," she said as Lyrra picked it up and looked it over.
"Isn't he the same guy who has been coming here for the last three years?" Lyrra asked.
"Yeah, I think he's really struggling with his divorce, so we thought a new therapist might help. Let's see if there are any changes," Emily replied.
Lyrra nodded, understanding her role. As a therapist, she had been working at the clinic for years and had never grown tired of her job; in fact, she enjoyed it.
"When is he coming?" she inquired.
"Right now," Emily said with a sheepish grin.
"What?! Like, right now?" Lyrra asked, surprised.
"Yes, he’s actually waiting just outside your office," Emily said as she moved toward the door.
"I'll call him in," Emily replied, blowing a kiss as she left. Lyrra sighed; she loved her job, but at that moment, she felt a bit worn out and still needed to sort out a strange dream that kept bothering her. A knock sounded on the door, and she called out, "Come in." A man in his early 40s entered. She put on her professional smile and stood up.
"Mr. Johnson, it's nice to see you," she said, offering him a seat before taking one across from him. With his file, a book, and a pen in hand. he responded, "I know you guys must be tired of seeing me, right?"
He spoke softly, his head down. Lyrra looked at him with compassion and responded.
"That's not true; we’re always here to help in any way we can. So, shall we get started? Are you ready?" He nodded in agreement.
"Okay then." They began their work, and a few hours later, they finished the session.
"Alright, Mr. Johnson, our next meeting will be next Thursday at the same time, okay?"
"Yeah, sure." They both stood up, and she guided him out. Afterward, she returned to her desk and sat down. There was a knock at the door, and she invited the person in. Emily walked in and took a seat.
"So, how did it go?" Emily asked.
"Well, he is really struggling. He must have loved his wife a lot," Lyrra replied.
"Yeah, I could sense that when I talked to him."
"But I’m going to do everything I can to help him. I’m feeling tired and hungry," she said as she stretched.
"Good thing it's lunchtime! Let’s go to the restaurant down the street; it’s just a ten-minute walk from here. I’ve heard their food is really good."
"Sure, I could definitely use a good meal." Emily smiled and shook her head. They both got up and headed to the restaurant.
Lyrra arrived home around 7 p.m. Feeling too exhausted to cook dinner, she headed straight to her room to prepare for bed. Once she was ready, she climbed under the covers and picked up her phone to check her messages. Just then, she noticed an incoming call from her mom. She sighed tiredly before answering.
"Yes, Mom?" a woman's voice came from the other end of the line.
"Why do you sound like you don't want to talk to me?"
"Well, I just got back from work, and I'm really tired and ready to sleep."
"Still, I'm your mom; you should never be too tired to talk to me."
"Mom, just tell me why you called." she was becoming irritated
"Oh, right! I wanted to remind you about your cousin's wedding in two weeks on Monday. I hope you haven't forgotten."
"I haven't forgotten. You sent me messages and even an email about it," she rolled her eyes.
"Good to hear. Whatever you have planned that day, drop it and come. You have to be there—no exceptions, no excuses. Who knows, maybe you'll find a boyfriend, which you really need since you've been single your whole life!" Lyrra sighed; she didn’t have time to argue with her mom right now.
"Okay, if that's all, I'm ending the call. Bye."
"Wait, don't..." But the call disconnected before her mom could finish. Lyrra silenced her phone and placed it on the lamp next to her bed.
"Boyfriend? please, and Single my whole life? I think I dated once. Whatever, time to dream about that mysterious man," she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
