She rinsed her mouth with the coffee on the nauseating bus ride. She’d eaten the bagel at the bus stop. She knew, later, she would have to secretly pocket the public restroom key and then make up some excuse to leave the office. Better they think I’m slacking off than taking a dump, she thought and then laughed.

Llama.

MORNING CAME AS USUAL at 0600 hours for Jillian. She felt good and hungry (some mornings she woke up feeling full and those were not usually good days) and her bed was warm. For the first two minutes of each day, she felt like an actual, normal living thing with manageable tasks. But then her brain would whisper the words “every morning is an opportunity waiting to happen,” and, behind that phrase, she would know there were things she had done wrong, there were people who were against her, and there was generally a lot of disappointment in her life. She would sit on the edge of her bed and look at the window, which faced another window of an apartment across the courtyard. Sometimes she had time to shower, but it wasn’t always important.

She poured Adam some Apple Jacks and picked him up out of his bed, set him down in the kitchen, and then watched him eat. He didn’t even open his eyes. He was hilarious.

Since black coffee was disgusting, Jillian liked to get a Starbucks on her drive to work. She knew she could save money if she made her own, but there was a drive-through right past Adam’s day care, and it was good to have a treat, so she treated herself. The downside was it gave her heartburn.

When she got to work, Jillian microwaved the remainder of her Starbucks and opened her email.

“Oh, this is cute,” she said.

On the computer screen there was an email from Sister Grace about how dogs were better people than people. Enjoy this, I know I did ;P !!!!!!!!!! it said.

“This is real cute.” Jillian hit forward and selected 20 of her contacts.

The door opened.

“Hey, Megan!” said Jillian.

“Hi,” said Megan.

“I just sent you an email.”

“Ok.”

“It’s nothing serious, but it’s real cute, ok?”

“Ok, let me turn on my computer.”

She’s going to like this, thought Jillian.

“Do I have any messages so far?” asked Megan.

“Nope, phones haven’t started ringing just yet,” said Jillian. “So, what’s new with you?”

“Nothing.” Megan felt awkward for saying it that way. “I mean, nothing’s really changed since yesterday. How was your night?”

“It was good. I think I’m going to hold off on getting that dog.”

Megan opened her email and saw the thing from Jillian.

“Two hundred dollars is too much for an adoption fee. I just don’t think I feel ok paying it,” said Jillian.