Short Story

Warnings in the Wind
January 24th. Today is Michael's 32nd birthday. Even with the dark, gloomy weather that usually comes this time of year, nothing can ruin the excitement I have for tonight's birthday dinner. We have plans to meet at this beautiful restaurant on Main Street, Martha’s Exchange. It started as just a candy shop in 1936 and has now grown into a full eatery and brewery, with little pieces of history throughout the place. Very fancy, which also means very expensive. So we agreed to keep it for a special occasion. I just can’t decide what I want to wear. We've been looking forward to tonight for so long I can’t just dress casually. My Uber is ten minutes away, and that’s only making me ten times more stressed. I quickly throw on a short black dress, take the rollers out of my hair, which reveal beautiful effortless blonde curls, and throw on my winter boots. I’m not naive to the fact that the boots throw off the entire outfit, but it’s the middle of winter in New England for Christ’s sake. I’m in such a rush to catch my Uber that I almost forget to say goodbye to Church, the newest addition to the family. A little black Persian kitty that Michael got me last week to keep me company while he’s away on those long business trips. We agreed on Church thanks to our mutual love of Stephen King. As silly as it may sound, she’s helped me more than I expected. Cats really do seem to have a sixth sense and know when you’re struggling. Just having her around has brought me so much comfort, and we’ve become best friends in such a short amount of time. I say my goodbyes, quickly throw on my winter jacket and scarf, and hop into my Uber.
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