Cats! One feline in question kept still, limp in her hands while she carried it across the kitchen floor. Just after she moped the floors to a pristine white state, Margaux breezed into the kitchen, a stray paw soaked in paint. Aisha never cared much for cats growing up. She only had one pet in her life and it was a puppy. Her first and greatest heartbreak was the day her puppy died while she was asleep, he was her last and only pet. Now, she found herself watching over her neighbour's house and their Scottish fold felines.

Aisha moved to the States by herself from Nigeria when she was nineteen. Schooling abroad had always being a dream of hers but she never really thought it would be so hard to live a stable life away from home. Unable to obtain a full scholarship, she had to keep odd jobs to maintain a manageable existence. One of those odd jobs was watching and caring for people's house while they were away, among other things.

"Margaux, you don't move from here okay. Let me get something to wipe that paw."

Aisha took a moment to enjoy the fact that she had officially lost her marbles, talking to a cat. The feline turned its neck to the side with a quiet mewl as if agreeing with that particular train of thought. She pushed off her knees and ran towards her discarded purse in the living room. The contents poured out on the sofa and she scattered through them, in search of her box of wipes.

With the television running, Aisha went back to the boxed carton and grabbed Margaux, lifting the cat up again and cuddling it against her chest. Sure she never much cared to have a cat as a pet but Margaux and her feline brother Joshua were worming into her heart every day. She sat on the sofa and took the rebel paw in a gentle grip. Her gaze softened when the cat looked up at her with its big wet eyes, a tiny pink tongue peeking out to lick the top of its lip. Its brother reared its head also, jumping on the sofa and nuzzling against Aisha's side.

"Oh you guys are too adorable." She cooed to them with genuine fascination. Placing the wipe down, she picked up the second cat and brought him on her lap. "And you do smell really good too."

They sit like that, cuddling against Aisha while she scratched their ears and moved her fingers through their furs. Joshua meddled with the buttons on her sleeved shirt but Aisha was focused on the TV show, it was her favourite one. Ridiculousness. Aisha looked on as they welcomed their guest star for the day. The lady made her way down the walkway, the crowd going wild with cheers and whistles. She waved at them then hopped on the stage to hug Rob Dyrdek.

Slowly, the woman's heels disappeared in Aisha's eyes, turning into pristine white Nike Air Max sneakers. Her white wide leg trousers became green cargo pants. Long blond hair shrinking and curling into dark brown kinky locks. Aisha laughed as she took her seat between Chanel and Steelo, leaning forward to give each of them a hug and kiss on the cheek. Aisha's laugh rumbled through her when she stood once more to wave and blow kisses to the lively audience, mouthing her 'thank you' to them.

"Welcome to the show. Ladies and gentlemen Aisha Akintunde." He gave the audience more time to shout and clap before he turned back to her, a wide smile on his face. "It is nice to have you on the show Aisha."

"It is equally wonderful to be here." She replied, tugging on the end of her green crop top, she sat straighter on the couch. All her life she had dreamed to be on this very couch, between these very people and now she was. The awe was overwhelming. "I truly have fun watching this show at home. It is my guilty pleasure. Which is my polite code for saying I am masochistic and find it funny to watch people get hurt. As long as I know they are alright in the end."

"And they are, surprisingly." Rob laughed. "We are going to get there in a minute, explain your outfit to me. Was it some kind of statement you were trying to make? Such a bold colour on you."

"Yes. As a matter of fact it is a simple statement." She stretched her shoes forward. "I am dressed in the colours of my national flag. Green and white. My country has been a huge part of the reason I am where I am. Just thought it would be iconic to rock our colours when I am finally on the one show I have been dying to get on."

A loud round of applause went around one more time and this time she joined in the noise making. Slapping her palms as loudly as she could and shouting her thanks to the fun crazed audience.

"Okay, Aisha."

"Yes." She laughed, pushing her kinky curls away from her eyes.

"You got your fame specifically for your creativity. Not only with your voice on your blogs online but also the YouTube channel you created to showcase your fashion designs. Am I right?"

"Very right indeed." She says, nodding in emphasis while her mind went back to the day it was created. "No one seemed interested and I was so scared I was wasting my time. I gave up, actually. A few years when no one seemed to notice my talent I just gave up. Then one day, faith and courage knifed through me, filling me with the urge to do more. I gave it one more shot and a few months afterwards I got crazy reviews on one particular design. I don't even know what led to what and my channel was trending like crazy."

"Whatever happened, you rode the success horse all the way to the bank. Now your YouTube channel is a prestigious one with many famous people commenting on the originality of your designs. You have even worked on some dresses for famous figures. You gave it time, and you made it. So our first would be people who want to get into the fashion world as well but are not quite getting it right."

The sound of her excited laughter drew her out of her own trance. Aisha sighed, how she wished all that could be true. The cats protested when she set them down to get up from the couch. She scratched the back of their ears one more time and began to clean up the couch. Throwing everything back in her purse then disposing of the wipes.

The kitchen got its second wipe down of the day. The wet mop eating up the spots of orange Margaux had left behind. Aisha swept her hair out of her face. She pulled out the schedule, which was listed on a small sheet of paper folded into her back pocket. The last chore on the list was watering the houseplants, they were a fine species of succulents that her neighbours grew in their home. Still walking in her own mind, she zombied to the tap and filled a small plastic watering can with water for the plants.

Her mind rolled over her earlier daydream while she watered the plant. In that moment, she had been proud of herself, everything felt so real. Satisfaction from her work, the pride of success. That had been her dream when she came to the states but somehow trivial things like fear, doubt and insecurity drowned out her hope. She allowed herself to forget what made her happy, she talked herself out of her dream because of anxiety. Believing with every failure that she was not good enough. The can plunked on the table and Aisha stared out the window, thinking mostly about her future.

She made sure everything was in order then she grabbed the cats and headed out. Locking the door behind her. She was going to do this, she would finally create her YouTube channel. There was no certainty that she would ever make it that big. Nothing to show that she would ever be famous or her designs recognized. They were very talented people who never got recognised, who faded away with time. Nothing might come of it but it was a step.

She had an obligation to herself to not give up.