reignited

  
The light of the morning sunshine caressed the woman in her bed. Her dark russet skin being gingerly kissed by the sun's heat caused her to moan as she turned away from the window just as she was about to go back to sleep, back to her dream of a past treasured moment when a particular jingle reverberated throughout her bedroom.

‘Lady, don’t you know we love you? Dear mama.
Sweet lady,  place no one-’

“Hey, mom.” The groggy tone of the 25-year-old Connie Maheswaran breathed out as she laid flat on her bed after putting her phone on speaker.”Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too.” The cheerful voice of Priyanka rang in her ear, “Just checking in on you, Kahanni. Are you getting ready for work?”

“Nope!” Connie grinned, ”Got the day off and working remotely for the next few days.”

“Hmm, you sure that’s a good thing to do, working remotely so soon after you began. You’ve only been at your new job for a year, after all.”

"Don’t worry, mom; it's alright. What I'm doing now is just data entry anyway. All physical quality assurance is done." Connie assured, " Though...There is this new project at work that caught my eye." She muttered, her mind already coming up with plans to charm her way to a chance on the team.

 "Still can't believe you went from political studies to STEM. Especially due to your adventures in childhood."

"It's because of my childhood I jumped to STEM," Connie responded with a grin hearing the pride in her mother's voice. " The world's changing, Gems are slowly becoming more commonplace and as such, so is gem and hard-light based technology. If I'm going to lead in the world, best I help shape it with my hands first before doing so from a seat."

"Sounds like everything is going well, professionally."

Connie kissed her teeth at the tone. The slightly judging, subtly worried tone. "Mentally and emotionally too. My mind is intact, my smile isn't broken," She sighed, "I'm happy."

"Not saying you aren't."

"No...but you are assuming, by tone."

"No, I'm not." 

Connie gave a knowing smirk at the slightly guilty tone.

"Just...Just hope you aren't cutting yourself off from other options waiting for him." Priyanka conceded, "You are at the prime of your life; you should enjoy it."

"Wow, mom." Connie started, "It's almost like you're encouraging me to be promiscuous." A mockingly shocked tone on her tongue.

"If anyone could be and do it carefully, it's you." Priyanka started truthfully, "might as well put those pills and protection to good use."

'How the hell did my life get to this point?' Connie pondered, looking at the phone for a few moments.

"You are not planning to set me up, right?" 
She was answered by laughter—a boisterous, motherly, knowing laugh.

"Not exactly."

"Mom.."

"I got this friend whose son is interested in meeting you...Charming man, a little rugged in his appearance, but your dad instantly approved."

"Mother-"

"He knows about the gems as well."

"Ah...Really?" That was unusual, ' No, that sounds pessimistic…A human in the know about gems...It's rare...What is unusual is my mother trying to set me up for a date.'