Irhaboggle Pride (2020) Quarantine Edition

No Work, No Worry

"Relax, Cora! You're entirely too tightly wound! Think of it like we're on break!" June cried, kicking up her heels as she reclined on the small couch of their apartment. "No work, no worry! There's literally nothing we can do, so we might as well just relax and sleep!"

"Except it's an indefinite break!" Cora shot back, looking far more distressed than her laidback (literally and metaphorically) roommate.

While June was chilling on the couch, clearly having the time of her life while on "break", Cora had been pacing the apartment for nearly 10 minutes now. She'd always been anxious, but in light of the virus and quarantine, that anxiety seemed to have doubled. But it wasn't because she hated being trapped indoors. On the contrary, that was perhaps her favorite part of the whole thing! Now she had an excuse to never leave her house!

What worried her was the current state of the economy. Nothing too terrible had happened yet, but she wasn't stupid enough to believe that there would be no repercussions. Instead, although she was not quite sure what to expect, she just knew that a storm was coming, and even if the virus and quarantine were to pass, the economic fallout would carry on.

Even if it wouldn't be anything severe, it was still a constant worry on her mind. She wasn't very rich to begin with, and apartments in NYC didn't come cheap. And she also had to afford groceries, utilities, etc. She was lucky to have this apartment at all, and it was her greatest fear that because she was literally not allowed to work at the moment, she would wind up losing it.

Their landlord had been kind enough to be more lenient about evictions, but Cora wasn't going to test his generosity. And not only that, Cora just felt anxious not having a job! Even if money wasn't a concern, it felt weird and wrong to not be working. It felt weird to just be at home, doing nothing. Even though no one was working at the time, she still felt guilty for being idle. She was a huge Type "A" person.

"It feels like wasted time and potential," Cora had once said. "It feels like I should be doing stuff, but I'm not,and it makes me antsy."

But if Cora was the poster child for Type A, June was B. It wasn't just because she was reclining on the couch while Cora paced. It was also in what she said. No work, no worry. June wasn't stupid or lazy, but unlike Cora, she was less stiff. Unlike Cora, she enjoyed not having work. It was like vacation! Endless vacation! No duties, obligations or responsibilities! Just rest and relaxation! She could do anything and everything!

In June's eyes, there was no reason to behave because the whole world was out of whack. The old order was gone. She could be as lazy as she wanted and not feel bad because that was the new normal! She could sleep in every day and stay up all night and do it all in the same pair of pajamas for an entire week and there was no one who could judge her! It was just so fun and relaxing and liberating! It was exciting and new!

Yes, June also worried about her and Cora's financial stability. She worried about rent and groceries and utilities, etc. She was also worried for the sake of the economy (both in the present and for the future). It was going to be hard for them to get back on their feet. It was going to be hard to get work experience while trapped inside. It was going to be hard for them to further their careers once everything restarted, just because there would be so much competition and uncertainty from where they left off. Getting back to normal would be more than just lifting lockdown. The fear of, and for, the future was valid. Especially in terms of money and jobs.

But because the worrying literally solved nothing, June saw no reason to do it. Besides, stress often hurt more than it helped anyway, so not only was the stress pointless, but it was also harmful. June didn't need that in her life. And not only that, but there was literally nothing she could do! They weren't jobless for lack of trying. Whatever happened next was out of their hands. To some, this was a terrifying thing. But to June, it was liberating. Whatever happened next was not her fault because she had no control over the situation.

"Oh, come now, darling," June finally sat up, giving Cora a genuinely sympathetic look. It was enough to make Cora stop pacing. She could sense that, for once, June wasn't going to tease her about it. And she was right. Instead, June reached out a comforting hand, an invitation for Cora to join her on the couch. For a moment, Cora looked hesitant, but after seeing the genuinely loving and gentle look in June's hazel eyes, she heaved a sigh of defeat and took the proffered hand, allowing June to pull her onto the couch.

"There, there, my dear. I know it's all scary and confusing right now, but please try not to worry so much. It makes me sad to see you so upset and scared. I know the worry is very reasonable, you are not wrong in the slightest, but I just want you to feel happy and relaxed. You deserve it," June murmured as she pulled the other woman into a warm embrace, running a soothing hand up and down her back. It took a bit, but like magic, Cora's stress eventually began to melt away and June could physically feel her relaxing.

"There we go, that's right, good girl..." June continued to soothe and encourage Cora, still stroking her back and arms rhythmically.

"Mmmm," Cora hummed softly as her eyes drifted shut. She allowed June's voice to wash over her, her body melting into June's touch. As wild as June could be, the woman knew how to give the best comforts.

For a time, the pair continued to sit together in silence. June continued to whisper sweet nothings as she embraced and caressed Cora. Cora allowed herself to melt away into June's arms, getting lost in the other woman's comforting whispers. She was still anxious about the economic future both of herself and the country as a whole, and she still felt guilty over not working despite everything being shut down, but in moments like this, everything else went away. In perfect little crystallized moments in time such as this one, it was just her and June.

Just how I like it, Cora smiled to herself, eyes still closed as she rested her head on June's shoulder. Just her and June together forever against the world. It was a wonderful dream.

"This is so nice," Cora sighed.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, my darling," June replied, finally ceasing her words and caresses just to curl up with Cora and rest on her shoulder, just as Cora was resting on hers. "You deserve to relax and feel good. You're a wonderful provider, but you don't have to be that way all the time. You're allowed to take a break, ok? You're wonderful and I love you dearly, just learn to rest. I don't want to be the only lazy one between the two of us," June laughed softly as she finished what was an otherwise heartwarming speech.

"Alright, I'll try," Cora laughed back, but inside, she felt her heart melting at such kind words. She wasn't sure where it came from, but there was a perfectionist in her heart, so to hear June telling her that she was doing just fine meant more than she could ever know. It still wasn't easy to just relax, especially at a time like this, but Cora wanted to try her best for June's sake and her own. So with one final sigh from Cora, the two girls fell into a peaceful silence and, before long, they were both out cold. No work, no worry. Right?

AN: So "lucky" me, while everything else was shutting down, my work schedule remained the same as it ever was. I didn't even get shorter hours, so no breaks for me. RIP. I mean I know I was lucky to still have a job, but also... I'm June. LOL!