———-
She woke up startled and running to check for marks. She found nothing again.

She could have sworn that she was taking a shower!

Heavy hearted, she walks into the kitchen. She gets out a bowl and a plate. She got out three eggs, two slices of ham, milk, and butter.

She placed the three cracked eggs into the bowl. She diced the ham and left it on the plate. She turned the stove top on to heat up the pan.

Mixing the eggs with her whisk by folding them, she added salt and milk half way. Butter is melted into the pan and the eggs are then poured next.

She lets the eggs cook until a layer appears. The diced ham goes into the eggs. Very carefully, she flips one side of the eggs over the ham.

The moment the basic omelette is done, take the pan off the heat and turn off the stove top. She stared cleaning up a bit before taking out rice from yesterday and placed it in the cleaned bowl.

She ran some water from the sink into the bowl and reheated the rice in her microwave. She plated the omelette and got out some ketchup.

Eventually she finished all her preparations and tidying up to finally eat her breakfast.

"What....time.....", she looked at the clock on the wall.

She wasn't too worried and decided to look at that email.
————
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Penpal Program Letter #20

Dear AG,
I took your advice about the fabric softener last week. My laundry IS better with it. I also wished we weren't half way through the program already, I like writing to you.

I don't feel as nervous about the world when I do! I mean at first I didn't want to sign up for it, my friend thought it would be good for me. They were right, after all, I got to meet you. Kind of.

When are you moving? You said your job is deploying you across country?

With Friendship,
RQ
———-
Re: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Penpal Program Letter #20

Dear RQ,

I'm glad to have been helpful! I, also, loved writing to you. This has been the most fun I've ever had in so long.

I feel embarrassed to admit this, but the only reason I signed up for this program is because of my therapist. He told me about it and encouraged me to try it.

I was so nervous about not knowing what to write that I ended up making my first "letter" to you a formal report. I'm so sorry about that. I could never live it down.

I will probably already be there by the time you read this actually! I was packing when I read your "Letter"; sorry for the delay I was busy.

A plane ride doesn't seem that long if your a sleep most of the way there and I know that all too well by now. I might actually be there permanently this time.

I won't go into why, you understand. Anyways, How are you? What are you up to? Have you been eating recently? I remember last I asked, you had forgotten to eat for a whole day.

With Friendship,

AG

——-
She giggled as she read the email and began to write another. The most she wrote, the more self conscious she became.

She didn't want to sound pushy or clingy, but she felt like she was. She deleted and rewrote the email several times before getting the courage to compose a short email and rereading it five more times.

"Just send it already!", she screamed at her self in frustration.

She hit enter even though she didn't feel ready, but if she hesitated for too long she wouldn't have sent it at all.

She remembered all those other emails they sent to her and felt like commemorating their brief friendship with a scrapbook.

She wasn't much of a scrapbooker but it made her happy reading her pen pals "letters", so she would often print them and place them in a large pink binder she got from a craft store.

The cashier was nice enough to suggest ways to decorate it to fit the theme!

She was never the most creative at decorating or drawing for that matter. Regardless, she printed off the email of their correspondence and brought it to her office room. It was full of art supplies and shelves of books.

She may not be good at art, but that didn't mean she didn't try.

She placed the printed out emails on the table with her scrapbook on it and left it there to do later.

———-
Bye!