Reviving Sage

[Chapter 1:]

It had been a long day.

A day so damn long, I was ready to strip out of this tight bra, and fling it into the bushes for some relief.

But sigh. Here I was still counting down the minutes to my shift ended.

And till i closed the deal on this house.

I'd shown countless starter homes to newlywed couples, drank three cups of coffee to stay alive, and ultimately I probably managed to piss off all of my co-workers with selling another house. I mean, it really wasn't my fault that I was good at what I do, and the fact that I get a fat check each time I make a sale isn't bad either. Or maybe it was the fact that I was the only Black Female in our office who was actually successful, and trying to make a name for herself?

Hell maybe, prejudice wasn't dead in America.

Not quite yet.

But alas even as tired as I was, I shook the couples hands - whose names I'd forgotten about thirty minutes ago and managed to smile and take up their buyer information like a pro. The small blonde whose name I think was something uber cliché like Britney clutched excitedly onto my hand, shaking it rapidly as her husband stood by equally as excited with his arm thrown around her.

"Thank you Mrs. Collins for helping make our small dream a reality!" she rushed out still holding onto my hand.

I gave her a weak weary smile trying my best to be polite, but between her creepy excited-ness and my extreme need to get out of these vintage Manolo Blahnik pumps, the smile could possibly be perceived as fake.

"I'm glad I could help Mrs.-"I paused. Ah shit. What was her last name again? Something with M. MacArthur? McNellis? Mcdonald? That one made be giggle a bit inwardly after having spent the whole night up with my five year old daughter Ella singing Old McDonald Had A farm. And then It came to me out of the blue.

" Mrs. McDaniels." I finished hoping she hadn't been too put off by my momentary hiatus of speech. Her blue eyes shined radiantly with that newlywed glow as she signed her name on the dotted line along with her husband who signed just as happily along with her. I sighed trying not to show my distaste.

They will never work.

You see, as a real estate agent for one of the top agencies in the country I see tons of 'happy' couples, and families.

But I also learn how to spot the bullshit quickly too.

I eyed Mr. and Mrs. McDaniels closely and started to piece together their faulty relationship pretty quickly.

Number one, Little Miss Sunshine's ring finger was lacking an actual ring. Number two, Mr. McDaniels was a little too perfect to actually be straight. I mean come on! What straight man actually wears Taylor Swift scented perfume? And to top it off the rainbow colored bracelet didn't do anything to help his case much. Number three, my conclusion was that that she was in love with her best-friend turned husband, and probably had no idea that he was gay.

The couple in front of me giggled and joked around like highschool sweethearts. God she's so clueless! But I knew the truth. They probably wouldn't even last the year.

Or maybe you're just bitter Sage.

I frowned in realization that maybe I was just mad because I didn't have a love to call my own.

Is this really what bitterness feels like?

After finishing up with the McDaniel's I slumped back to my car feeling like a piece of shit. I was getting older, I was a single mom, and the fact that I hadn't had a successful relationship minus minor flings was really starting to grind me into a hole. My routine hadn't changed in over five years since Ella was born. Go to work, make money, come home, fix dinner, take care of Ella, Go to sleep. I started my car pulling off and preparing to get my daughter. My whole life was literally Ella, she was my other half and my little Caramel Cake. Having her at the tender age of twenty-two forced me to grow up and realize that not only did I have to provide for myself but for her. She was my everything. Her father Noah was loving, and caring, everything I needed at the time.