Begin Again

The morning sun started to crawl and gently caressed my face waking me up. Hesitant to wake up because of the cold breeze, I snuggled and buried my face to the comfy pillows my mom got me as a gift. Attempting to sleep again, my dog, Juno, suddenly jumped in my bed and started to play around. My cat, Hermione, shrieked in surprise, causing her to hide beneath the covers. I was laughing nonstop because of their playfulness. What a way to start my day.

I stretched my arms while yawning cause I was still a bit sleepy. I then continued to push my whole body to stretch those joints. I got up from my bed and started to do some exercises when my other dog, Harley, barked happily by the door. Curious about what he was barking about, I got up from my bed and went straight out to check what's the ruckus about. I heard a knock confirming that someone was really outside as I was near the door.

"Just a moment," I said and opened the door. There I saw little Benny holding a box of pink cupcakes with a warm and colossal grin painted on his face.

"Hi there, Benny! " I said happily as I crouched down to be on his level."Hi, Mr. Garcia!" he happily replied.

"My mom baked some cupcakes and asked me to bring some to you," Benny said as he stretched his little arms to hand over the box filled with delicious-looking cupcakes. Mrs. McDuffin, Benny's mom, is the only baker here in our small town and her goods are absolutely mind-blowing. I really love going to their cafe where they sell their bread, and I feel honored to have a taste of her new cupcakes. I know this is a new one because this is the first time I have seen this. I received the cupcakes from Benny and thanked him for bringing them over. I also reminded him to get ready for school.

"Go on, Benny, get ready for school. I'll see you later, okay?" I said as I fixed his cute wolf hood and slightly pinched his nose. This kid is so adorable, really.

"Okay! Bye, Mr. Garcia, see you later," Benny replied as he walked away and waved. He started to jog and went straight to their house as he turned around. The McDuffie and I are neighbors.

I am a pre-school teacher here in town. I moved here 4 years ago and was the pre-school teacher here for 4 years now. This is a tiny town with only a few residents. Despite this, it is very peaceful, making me fall in love with the people here and the town itself. I am originally from a big city. I worked as a freelance graphic designer when I was in the city. My life there was not easy, but I learned a lot. I had a partner back then. He was a person with big dreams and goals in life that he wanted to achieve. I saw him as a hard-working guy, which made him more handsome in my eyes. We fell in love and dated, and we were so happy back then. Although there were many problems, we faced. But then, life happened, and just like that, the dreams I had and plans for our future were gone instantly. Because of that, I had to restart my life. 'I have to begin again, I thought to myself during those times. That is when I received an email from my friend that this town is looking for a volunteer teacher. I immediately accepted the offer because there was no said requirement of being a teacher to be taken. Then I left my whole life behind and started a new one here, which I don't regret.

For once in my life, I felt genuinely happy. I am at peace here and contented with the simple life here. If I had to live here forever, I would and plan to.I live in a cozy cottage here that was sold to me at a meager price. The family that once lived here had a great opportunity abroad; that's why they had to sell the house immediately. During that time, I stayed at the dorms for volunteers in the nearest city. When I set foot in this town, I immediately fell in love.

'This is the exact place where I want to spend my life forever, was the first thought that came to my mind. The air is cool and clean. The forest is near, and there is a river and a lake that looks magical and mysterious sometimes. I love the whole vibe of the town. The people are friendly, and their food is top tier. It felt like home.

So when I heard about the family selling their house at a low price, I immediately used my savings to buy it. I love the cottage because it is not too small and not too big for my liking. It has the perfect amount of rooms and spaces for me to use. Also, the front yard is expansive with an apple tree and lots of flowers. The backyard is vast too, with a small shed to store some tools. Even if it was sold for a low price, it was still expensive for me, but it was worth every penny.As a volunteer teacher, I was only receiving allowances every month, which is enough for my daily living. However, I decided to continue being a graphic artist to not waste my time. I am a teacher in the morning. I also started to draw digitally, pushing my luck in entering the world of webtoons, and I just started to practice my skills with the stories in mind.

My senses were immersed in joy by the aroma of coffee. I took a drink from my cup and allowed the coffee's bittersweet flavor wash over me. I prefer my coffee to be thick and creamy, with plenty of milk. Strong coffee is not one of my favorites. I'd like it to be light. I suddenly remembered the cupcake box. I was once again blown away by the cupcakes when I opened the white box with lovely bunny patterns. They're too pretty to eat, yet they also seem delectable. I grabbed one out of the box and bit into it. I enjoyed every taste of the silky frosting on my tongue. The interior filling is my favorite part. It has a real strawberry packed inside. It was quite tasty and sweet. After breakfast, I went right back to my routine because I had a busy day ahead of me. This afternoon, I have a deadline.

I double-checked that my cats' and dogs' food dishes were full before leaving the house. Yes, I have another cat, Sabrina, a jet-black cat. She's a really mysterious woman.I arrived at school 20 minutes early, just like any other day. I was met by the professors as well as other volunteers. It's a pleasant place to work because we get along so well. I returned their greetings and returned to my classroom.

"Good morning, Mr. Garcia!," they greeted as the come inside. I adore how active and cheerful these children are. They are brimming with enthusiasm and vitality. Of course, there will be disagreements and quarrels from time to time, but they will be controllable. They're good kids, but they're also rather hyperactive.

The day went smoothly and as we parted ways with my students, I gave them stamps and ribbons for their good performance today. I hope that with these little rewards will motivate them to do well everyday. I never dreamed of being this attached to kids but I guess destiny has other plans for me and I think those plans are not bad at all. After our breakup with my boyfriend 4 years ago, I can finally say that I am healed.

I fixed my things and sat on my chair for a while checking the logo design that I am going to submit this afternoon. I am doing final touches and checked if everything is done and cleaned perfectly. Once finished, I opened my email to send it to my client. After sending, I was about to turn off my laptop but an email popped-up. As I see who is it, I suddenly tensed up when I realized who is it.

------

Going home, I was still in daze. I didn't expect that he has still effect in me. I reckon that maybe because this is the first time in four years that I was able to feel his presence again explaining my shocked demeanor. I didn't open the mail however it baffles me on the way home to why is he contacting me once again. What could be the reason?

I don't know how long I am staring at my computer wherein the email remained unopened. I caressed Hermione softly as she purred loudly. She purrs like a hundred cats are within her, yet it didn't disturb me in the least. To be honest, the purrs of cats are soothing to my ears. I'm debating whether to open the mail or leave it alone while I brush my fingers through her silky white fur.

However, curiosity gets the best of me so I opened the mail.

From: lucascrawford12

Hey, sunshine….

I don't know what to feel about this. Why is he calling me like that again? I am genuinely confused about this. There are many questions going through my mind right now and I don't understand what I am feeling. Regardless, deep inside me, I also want to know how he is.

Did he marry her?

Did they built his dream family already?

I was in deep thoughts when my phone rang suddenly. It was my friend Clara.

"Hey girl!" Clara said over the phone.

"Hey…" I replied.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Am I that obvious already?

"Nah…Just tired." I reasoned.

"So what's up?" I asked then I heard her giggle on the other line. I think something good happened to her lately. Clara is my friend since I arrived here in this town however she lives in the city and once in a while, we hang out.

"Well…"

"Well?….."

There was a moment of silence and I was honestly nervous and excited at the same time.

"I'm getting married!!"

I was shocked by her revelation however I was also happy for her. Clara and Antonio had been dating for 6 years already and I'm glad that they are starting a new chapter of their life.

"OMG! Congratulations Clara.. I am so happy for you guys.!"

We then continued to talk for about half an hour already as she tells the story of how Antonio proposed to her, their plans and when will be the wedding. The happiness and excitement of her voice is evident and it radiates positive energy that even I was affected. I was able to clear my mind for a moment and that is what I really need right now. After the call, I decided to not divulge myself in misery as I ignored his mail. I turned of my computer and decided to cuddle with my furry friends who had been with me thru good times and bad times.

"Harleyyyyy! Stop!" I said as this monster keep on licking me. I hate that to be honest but this boy is a hardheaded sweet boy. I played with my pets for a while and the atmosphere is so joyful. The sun is high up in the clear sky and the environment is just so pleasant. I checked myself in the mirror and smiled.

Yes, I am happy.

--------------

It Saturday today, which means its my free day. Since I have no plans for today, I decided to pick berries in the woods and I am going to take Juno with me. I was planning to take both of my dogs unfortunately , Harley is nowhere to be found. I think he went to explore on his own. As I am preparing my basket, I suddenly heard a knock on my door.

"Coming!" I shouted as I immediately went to the door. When I opened the door, shock is an understatement to what I felt that time.

"Sunshine…."