In My 20s

“Wake up, Sweetie. Time for work,” my husband, Ken, says from the other side of our bed.

It’s 7am. I slowly open my eyes to the sunshine beaming from in between the blinds. A hint of fresh smelling biscuits and coffee hit my nostrils. I already know my amazing husband is downstairs making me my favorite breakfast, as he does everyday.

I grab my robe and head down the stairs every so eloquently. Ken greets me at the kitchen entrance and hands me a mug.

“What did you cook this morning?” I asked, as if I didn’t already know.

“Something light.”

Ken lifts up the serving lids to reveal a veggie omelet, cinnamon french toast, a blueberry and strawberry parfait, and three perfectly cooked strips of bacon.

I smile at him, “You always know how to spoil me.”

We go in for a kiss and–

Ring, Ring, Wake up! A robotic voice says out of nowhere. I move away from Ken to see where the sound is coming from.

“What is that?” I ask him.

“Girl, wake up! You’re gonna be late to work!” A faint female voice says.

I pop up from my bed, only to realize I’m still in this tiny apartment. I reach over and turn my alarm off on my phone. Rubbing my eyes to try to clear my vision, I can see Yasmin walking into my bedroom door.

“That alarms been going off for ten minutes,” she says, “I was about to call an ambulance to come and get you.”

I pick up my glasses and put them on my face, “Sorry, I was just really tired last night.”

“Yeah I can tell. What were you doing anyway?”

“I had to watch my niece and nephews while my sister went to work.”

“Well, just make sure you get to work on time. I can’t call again crying on the phone saying I broke my ankle.”

Sometimes I wish the life in my head was my reality.

I guess I should start by introducing myself. Hi, I’m Virgo. Virgo Diamond Ellis (yes this is my real name). My mom is an astrology enthusiast and my dad is a school teacher. I live in a town that is so small, you could end up dating a family member’s ex. I grew up in a typical suburban city; open spaces and houses that all looked the same, except ours. When I was younger, my mom had the bright idea to convince my dad to paint our house purple. Yeah, just imagine driving down a road and seeing a bright purple house in a sea of eggshell white ones.

I have two older siblings, my brother Hoover and my sister Genevieve. As the baby of the family, everyone seemed to think that I was the spoiled one. Honestly I don’t think I was at all. I mean, yes I got things that others didn’t, but my parents were very strict. My dad was my math teacher in 5th grade. He always instilled in me to get good grades in school. I never wanted to disappoint him because he was and is still my number one supporter. I remember one time I brought home a C on my report card and thought he was going to kill me. He only laughed and said, “It’s fine, we all can’t have perfect grades every time.” My mom always told me that she named me Virgo because she knew I would be a perfectionist (because Virgos are the perfectionists of the Zodiac).

I moved out on my own at the age of 20. I was working a factory job making only $11 an hour, but also working 10 to 14 hours a day (whew). One night I made a comment on being tired and my sister decided to be a butthole and tell me I couldn’t be as tired as her because, and I quote, “You’re not a single mother like I am” (she only had one kid at the time). I politely told her that I wasn’t the one who made her a single mother so don’t take it out on me. I guess that struck a nerve and things got so bad that we almost started fist fighting. After our parents split us up, I announced that I couldn’t live with her and wanted to move out. My parents tried to convince me to not do that and talk it out with Genevieve, but I had already been wanting to move out. The next day, Yasmin called me to ask me to be her roommate and that was all of the confirmation that I needed to go. I packed my things up and took off into the apartment we share today.

So here we are two years later. I left my factory job after they had us working from 6am Saturday to 6am Sunday! I now work in a restaurant as a server. It’s a downer from what I was making, but I am happier. It’s a small mom and pop restaurant owned by a nice older couple.

“I’m ready,” I say as I stroll into the kitchen. I put on my sweater and make my way to the fridge.

“You need a ride today?” Yasmin asks me.

“No. I finally got my car fixed. They said the battery got flood damaged so they replaced it.”

No one thought to tell me that washing the underside of a car could cause the battery to get soaked.

“That must have cost you a pretty penny.”

“Nah, only $95. I got a discount from the last time I went for an oil change.”

“You know you can just ask me for the money. It’s no big deal.”

Yasmin’s family comes from money. Her mom is a licensed nurse and her dad is an anesthesiologist. Her parents are divorced now, but they still try their best to be there for their daughter. Her mom lives about an hour away with her new husband, while her dad has moved to Florida with his new wife and their combined three kids.

“No, I’m good. Besides, you know how I am about asking for something.”

“Yeah I know. You’re Virgo. Always giving and never getting.”

I grab a pop tart from the cabinet and head out to my car.