Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Though she couldn’t explain this weird thing happening to her, Amina figured it was best to treat this like a normal day.
After showering and completing her hygiene, she picked out a pale pink blouse and a pair of white slacks. She’d never been good at applying makeup so she stuck to a brown liner with nude lipstick combo and mascara. To finish the look off she pulled her hair back with a big pink ribbon.
On the way to work, a song came on the radio she hadn’t heard in years. She hummed along as butterflies took free reign of her stomach. Part of her was scared she’d wake up and find herself back in the nightmarish prison of marriage to Mark.
For some reason, she had the sudden urge to buy a donut but not just any donut. She needed a triple chocolate crunch donut. It was a glazed chocolate cake donut with fudge icing, chocolate sprinkles with chocolate chips.
Giving into to this need to purchase this sugary concoction, she stopped by the bakery on the way that sold that specific treat.
Amina let out a sigh of relief when she pulled into the parking lot of a two story barn style office building that housed the three separate doctor’s offices. The office she worked in took up the entirety of the top floor.
Instead of taking the short elevator ride up, she slowly took the stairs, wanting to savor every moment of this new alternate reality in case she was pulled back into her old world.
The placard outside the door to the entrance of her office, listed the two partners who owned this practice with, Dr. Ethan Han’s name below Dr. Carter’s.
Amina took a deep breath before stepping inside the office and her heart sped up. She hadn’t set foot in this place in over two years, yet everything was so familiar from the gossip and news magazines in the corner to the water cooler by the window.
The plant that she watered three times a week rested on the receptionist desk by sign-in sheet.
Paisley, the receptionist sat at the front desk with one of her smiley face sweaters, despite it being an unseasonably hot spring day.
Amina pasted a smile on her face and walked through the reception door. “Morning Paisley.”
The usually upbeat receptionist gave her wobbly, “Hello,” with tear-filled hazel eyes.
“What’s the matter, Paisley?” Amina approached the other woman.
“I’m just being silly, but Dr. Han brought in donuts today and he knows how much I love those triple chocolate crunch donuts. I’m the only one who eats them because everyone else says they’re too sweet and should be named the diabetic special.”
“So whenever he buys donuts, he only gets that one for me. But Carole got to it first. She took one bite and threw it in the trashcan. If she didn’t like it, I would have still eaten it. I would have just picked off the part she bit around. Why would she do that? I was looking forward to that donut.” She burst into tears.
Amina remembered this incident that had caused a commotion in the office. Carole, one of the nurses who worked there, ate the donut, usually reserved for Paisley, and claimed she didn’t realize it was meant for someone else. That argument may have worked if other people didn’t hear her saying she wasn’t a fan of chocolate. One of the other nurses had accused Carole of doing it out of spite because Carole always took issue with Paisley’s cheerfulness.
It started an entire argument that led to the doctors intervening and a tense week in the office. Paisley, feeling guilty for causing a fuss over a donut, handed in her resignation.
Once she was gone, the office was never quite the same.
Amina plucked some tissues out of a box sitting on the reception desk and handed it to distraught receptionist. “Don’t cry Paisley, it’s okay to be disappointed when you were looking forward to something and it doesn’t work out.”
Paisley blew her nose into the tissue. “I’m sorry for being so silly. I’ll get over it. I just get so emotional sometimes.”
Amina remembered the paper bag in her hand and she understood why she’d gone to the bakery in the first place. “Fortunately, today must be your lucky day because I have a present for you.”
Paisley perked up and eyed the bag. “For me?”
Amina held it out to her. “Take a look.
Paisley took the bag and looked inside. She let out a squeal when she saw the contents. “Oh my gosh! Amina, you’re the absolute best. I know it’s just a stupid donut, but you have no idea how much I needed this. It’s shark week, so I’ve been craving one of these.”
“Shark week? As in the programs on the National Geographic Channel?”
Paisley giggled. “No, girl. It’s my time of the month, as in there’s blood in the water and I’m ready to attack, hence shark week.”