Thursday

This week has been one of the longest week of my life.

Ok... maybe I'm exaggerating but it has been stupidly long, we're working on a new project in the office and the workshop has been bustling and its meeting upon meeting upon work. Oliver had started his new post and everyone loves him. Everyone except Cara.

I can't lie that I have been thinking of the conversation Noah and I had and his confession. Truth be told, the confession is not what I expected but its what I can ignore. Just the thought of telling him the whole truth and him finding out that part of what he believed is true is not something I'm ready for, I don't know his reaction yet so its better to keep it safe.

For now.

"Ok guys, I think we've gone far enough for today" You think, I silently say in my head.

Its past five already.

"Yeah, we'll just finish up tomorrow and see what we've got before the big presentation..." my boss says as we pack up.

"Although there are some things we missed and mixed up but we still got Monday to show our clients" the phone rings.

"Yes Aoife"

"What does she want" he sounds annoyed. I now the others are trying to listen cause when boss is angry, the office gets interesting.

"Ok um tell her to wait for me right there. I'll be down" he put the phone down with a scowl and walked silently out of the room.

"I bet it Miss Ursula's around" Jasper says

"I thought it was Morgana?" Grace is packing up

"She's all the Disney villains combined together" I hear myself mutter. Miss Morgana still annoys me. Grace and Jasper chatter on, sometimes, they are like two peas in a pod. Grace treats Jasper like her relative. I can't wait to get home, just to get Oliver and finally leave. He dozed off after lunch break on my favorite chair in the workshop.

"Ollie" I nudge him awake. he opened one eye and yawned. He jumps off the chair stretching.

"Ok guys, I'm off" Jasper, Grace and some others are still around so I'm still free to leave. And Boss who is still not back.

"Wait" Grace calls out.

"Yeah?"

"Does anyone know why Cara didn't come to work today?" she asks worriedly. As annoying as Cara is, I really don't want to hear she's dead or in the hospital. I shrug.

"Maybe she didn't want to come to work today, she has done it once" and when she came the next day, she said her cat died and we all know she only like dogs as pets. Don't know if she wanted us to know that she was lying or not.

"Um" Jasper says as he glances at the door.

"I heard Boss speaking to her on the phone, sounds like she quit"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Grace besides, I said it sounded like she quitted" Jasper rolls his eyes.

Just then, Boss comes in.

"Hey Boss, has Cara quit?" did I mention that Grace is very upfront person.

"Eh..em.. Yeah, she said she was not interested in working here anymore, that she's going to get another job that fits her taste" he said putting and air quote around her taste. No wonder she was always grumpy, she was never interested in working here. Why did she start working here than?

As if hearing my unasked question, " She said that her mother asked her to take the job because we were paying a higher price than the one she wanted to take"

"Good luck to her then. Bye guys" Grace says petting Oliver on the head. I leave with Oliver trailing behind me saying goodbye to Jasper and my boss.

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Most people I've met say that the most fun thing about living alone is you get to throw your stuff about. I could have agreed with them if I was not a partial perfectionist. No like I arrange everything by color but I always like it when things are in order and doesn't look like a chimpanzee lived in it for years. Yeah sometimes I don't lay my bed when I wake up but I've learn to live with that since most of the time, when I lay it, Oliver wrinkles it.

The look of my arranged living room greets me and Oliver bounds to his couch. I drop my stuff on the chair. I change into my oversized shirt and open my laptop. I love sleeping free which is why when I couldn't find pajamas that were big enough for me to sleep, I bought a big shirt that looked more like a gown if I wore it. I borrowed a book from the library I saved for moments when I don't really feel like doing anything so I dig the book from my drawer and settle into bed with Oliver head on my tummy. I mostly like reading paper that has to do with serial killers and murders, and anything that has to do with crime. I like the spine chilling effects it has on me, besides, it makes me more self conscious to not trust everyone I see, the old man who you see everyday by the street could be hiding several dead bodies in an uncompleted building or the oh-so-sweet-looking woman just across the road could one day hate me for not smiling at her and could attack me and leave my body to rot in an enclosed box. I'm reading Trapped written by two people, Camilla Lackberg and Henrik Fexeus. After hours of gasping and waiting for my heart rate to slow down and Oliver trying paw at the book to get it away from me, I finally stand up to stretch my stiff back. I'm in the mood for ice-cream so I take the cone ice-creams I keep in the freezer, its a bit chilly but its never to cold to take ice-cream even though it might come with its consequences.

I hear my phone ring from the room and Oliver barks.

"Coming" I shout back to stop Oliver's barking. I get to the room to quickly pick the call without looking at the caller, I'll most likely not call back if the call gets cut off.

"Eleanor speaking"

"Oluwaseun" of course. My only mother.

"Good evening ma"

"Eleanor darling, my one and only child, the child God sent to be my helper" she wants something.

"Mummy what do you want"

"Ah nothing oooo, I don't want anything...but" here we go.

"You know we have not seen you in a long time and-"

"Mummy we make video calls once in a while" I point out to her. I know where this conversation is leading to.

"Just listen to me, yes we make video calls once in a while but it is not the same as seeing our daughter" now she's speaking for her and my father. Always the one to represent them when its a request.

"But since I left Ireland when you were 19 and now you are 24 , I have not seen you face to face your father especially, he has not seen you since we fled Nigeria and that was 9 years ago. We need to see our daughter" she says whining. My mother.

"Ok, so what do you want?" I might as well get it over with.

"Can you visit us in Nigeria, at least for a visit"

"Um.." what do I tell her

"I'll think about it..." that should settle her for now.

"But-"

"Mummy, you know I have a job so I have to at least consider that before I go for a holiday" she loves commitment so this should get her off me for a while.

"Ok but still think about it"

"I'll try"

"You'll try!?"

"Mummy, I have other things to think about so I'll try. Okay?"

"I've heard you"

"Anyway, I wanted to ask, do you still have that dog that that old man gave you?"

"Yes, Oliver is still with me besides you were the one who said I should not get a cat so leave me and my dog alone Mummy" I remember when I told her I love cats she kept saying God forbid now it seems like she's complaining about Oliver.

"Ok ooo"

"Yes ma, help my greet daddy"

"Hmm, still think about it ooo" she never gives up.

"Ok" she cuts the call and I am not thinking about it. I flop on my bed and try to close my eyes so I can wake up early for a morning jog but my oh so wonderful dog decided it was time to lick my face.

"You know Oliver, you really should be grateful that I don't use make up" I ruffle his fur and he barks.

"You're welcome"

"Now, I've got to sleep so we can jog tomorrow, besides, you have work tomorrow so go to sleep" he barks and keeps barking, running to the living room. I drag myself off the bed to see what the problem is. He's pawing at the door handle.

"What?"

"No we're jogging tomorrow not this evening, we need to sleep so we can jog early tomorrow" trying to explain like I'm talking to a toddler. H e finally opens the door but doesn't go out. That's when it hit me. I didn't lock the door before I fall asleep.

"Ohhhh thanks Ollie" I lock the door and pat him. I wonder what could have happened if I hadn't locked the door, maybe some serial killer would have taken me hostage and kill me slowly. I wave away the intrusive thoughts of death and murder. I climb into bed, Oliver lays on the floor. I close my eyes, praying before I go to sleep and wait for the gentle knock of sleep.

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Friday

"Oliver!" where did he go, I sat for a second to where my shoes and now he's gone. He struts out of the room with his toy in his mouth.

"You really are a baby, come on let's go" I grab our stuff and head out. We get to the office and some people are already there. I'm not very familiar with the rest so I don't bother remembering their names though I think there's someone named John or maybe that's just the name we gave the scanner. The only people I really know are Grace, Jasper and Aoife who are in my space of the office. My mother always told me to not choose who I wanted to talk to, she always said that it wasn't good for me but its been working perfectly fine for me. If I vibe with you, I'll talk to to you. That's my motto.

Now.... work.

We head to the office. I am so not in the mood to do anything but... you gotta do what you gotta do and maybe James will make a joke or something. Now I just have to go through this day with Oliver by my side and patience.