CASSANDRA VALENTINE-WOODS
She dreamed of finding love. Spending the summer before college as a normal teenage girl with her best friend by her side and possibly a boyfriend. Never in her many dreams would she have predicted that she'd be married int...
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Today was the day I'd finally settle into this rich lifestyle. Sure, I lived in a mansion but now, I was meeting the staff of this mansion. The cleaners and chef. Lucien hadn't told me any of the basics, just a list of things they needed to do since we still weren't exactly on speaking terms. At this point it kind of felt stupid, we've been married a month and still hadn't had a full conversation.
Pacing back and forth in my room, I weighed my words with care, seeking a balance between firmness and gentleness. Anxiety crept up on me. All my life, I had been the extrovert, and here I was, puzzling over how to address my staff. This life seemed ill-fitting. My deepest desire was to return to the simplicity of teenage life, envying the carefree moments of my high school friends showcased in their Instagram posts.
"You have a while until they come, try to draw." I whispered to myself, making my way to my bed to draw something. Information that I did get from Lucien was that his big boxing match was coming up soon. The vision I had was a cropped denim jacket, with blue fur on collar and cuffs. The jacket would be distressed but not crazy distressed, and it would have different pieces of denim. On the back it would have white ink that would say 'Woods' in a cursive font.
I began sketching my design, adding different shades of blue and white to it. In that moment I realized this was something I wanted to make. A design that would finally come to life. I had a lot of old jeans I didn't need nor want anymore. As soon as I finished sketching and tweaking bits of it, I made my way to my boxes to find some jeans.
The first thing that caught my eye was my father's sole sewing machine. As I gently pulled it out, a soft smile graced my lips. It was a bronze color, slightly dusty, but otherwise in perfect condition. Clearing away the dust, I uncovered the inscription: 'The greatest designs lie not within the eyes but within the heart.' My heart warmed at the words of my father, he was a man of many words. Always giving amazing advice, or wisdom.
"Thanks dad." I blew kisses towards the sky as I placed the sewing machine beside me to find what I was looking for. ----------
The doorbell's chime set off a cascade of steps, as I descended the staircase, attire casual yet chic in denim shorts paired with a snug t-shirt. Fingers deftly twisted hair into an impromptu bun while approaching the threshold where Marlo stood, anticipation etched on his face. His first words cut through the silence, 'All set?' A silent affirmation, and together we ushered in the adventure beyond the door.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Woods," greeted a petite woman clad in grey pants and a matching shirt, her soft smile warming the room. Her brunette hair framed dark brown eyes that sparkled with kindness. As my gaze shifted past her, I noticed five others in the room, indicating the presence of four cleaners and two cooks.
"Hi, come in, it's really nice to meet you." I smiled sheepishly towards them all, moving myself out the way to let them in.
Turns out their names were Tiana, Tina, Kara, Ryan, Gordan, and James. We talked about how they work, their shifts, and pricing. It was all easy to comprehend and they were pretty kind. My first order while in office was to let them all take the day off. Marlo didn't think that was such a good idea yet I followed through with it. I let them stay for a bit just to explain further.
