With a Dash of Love

1. Pilot

- one. pilot -

_______________

Change is the rival of constancy; ironically enough, it's its only partner.

It is the only constant in life.

Seconds turn into minutes, days, months, years, and so on and so forth.

This change turned the weather of today's fine, sunny morning into this.

The sound of rain pattering against my window made me snuggle deeper into the sheets.

I twisted and tried to find a comfortable position, which fortunately was the one facing away from the window. Despite several good memories of the rain, nights like these always made me uneasy. Oh, who was I kidding? Nights, in general, always made me uneasy. The nights always reminded me how alone I was in this big house, with nothing but me and my conscience for company.

A particularly loud rumble made me scream into my pillow before I sighed and shot my hands up to grab my phone from the nightstand. Covering myself like a rabbit, the patented way of just keeping my face outside the duvet, I texted Rainey.

Rainey Wilson

Can u pls switch off ur brother? -

Didn't get?? -

Rainey = Sister; Rain = ur brother. LOL!!! -

My humor is broken.

She didn't reply.

It was 1:24 in the morning.

With another sigh, I sent another text to her before turning off my phone.

Please make chicken nuggets tom. Im craving it. -

The dark room that welcomed me when my phone's light went off instantly gave me a shudder. With another sigh, I switched the night lamp and fairy lights on and tried to sleep.

__________

"Good morning, Addy!"

I made my way to the chirpy voice that came from the kitchen and slumped on the stool. I grumbled, "Morning, Rainey."

The sleeves of my crochet top got stuck in a nail and I cursed. Just what I needed after a late night's sleep.

My fifty-four-year-old caretaker, Rainey Wilson, frowned. Her blonde hair was put up in a loose bun, and wrinkles adorned her still-beautiful face. Her light blue eyes assessed my slumped form with concern. "Are you okay, honey? Rough night?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, managing to get the crochet out before putting my head on the platform.

I felt her patting my shoulders before she went back to the stove. A sizzling sound followed. "Well, cheer up. I prepared the nuggets you texted me at two in the morning."

My head shot up at her as I grinned. "You did? Thanks so much. And it was one in the morning, though, not two."

Rainey tsked. "You still shouldn't have been awake that late. And on a school night, no less."

Don't I know it? I asked myself. It wasn't as if I planned to stay late. But to her, I hummed, instead. "Won't happen again, Rainey."

"Hmm," She nodded approvingly, saying, "Now, hurry up or you're going to be late."

It wasn't as if I needed a cue to start my own breakfast, but I obliged. It was just as I was done that my phone alerted me to a text and a car honked outside.