Me, You, & The Party Rock Crew

There it goes—the blaring alarm. Isabella groaned, fumbling to silence it. Another morning, another battle with the snooze button. Some days, adulthood felt surreal, like she’d blinked and woken up 15 years older, burdened with a thousand responsibilities. 

She exhaled, shaking off the sleep as a soft mew cut through the quiet. Estelle–Stelly, as she called her–was already on the move, winding around her legs. Even though the automatic feeder had gone off, Stelly refused to eat unless Izzie led her to the bowl. A stubborn, yet endearing ritual, but theirs nonetheless. With bare feet against the cool wooden floor onto tile, she padded into the kitchen, Stelly trotting ahead like a tiny, insistent guide. 

After making her way there, Izzie turned on her heel, heading for the bathroom for her usual routine. She’d emerged a new woman, finally awakened and ready for the day. She grabbed her apple, granola bar, and Keurig-brewed coffee and quickly kissed Stelly, who was now sleeping on the couch.

Izzie hadn’t bothered to look at her phone just yet as she made her way into the elevator of her complex, casually catching up on text messages she had fallen asleep on and the like. Her phone buzzed–a calendar reminder. Hala’s wedding was only a month away. A thrill of excitement bubbled up. Her best friend was finally getting married, and what could be better than all the celebrations that were to come? But then, just as quickly, the excitement turned into anxiety. Simon would be there. Four years had passed since their falling out, but the wound still felt fresh. Worse, he was engaged to the reason they’d fallen apart in the first place. 

However, relief washed over her as her phone pinged with a notification. It read:

Simon Mankowski & Elaine Anderson—not attending.

Relief crashed over her like a wave. She hadn’t realized how tightly she had been holding her breath until that moment. Shoulders lighter, she exhaled, just as the elevator doors slid open. For the first time that cool December morning, the day felt a little easier to face.