She leaned against the reception window, causing the worker to look up at her. "Hi, I'm Jade Meadows. I'm here to sign the medication authorization form for my mother, Margaret Meadows." Her lungs burned as she was forced to take in a breath, overpowered by the stench of peach cobbler, urine, and old people. She looked back and forth between the two nurses, wondering how either one of them could stand it. They seemed unbothered, acclimated to the foul odor. The woman typed something into her computer and then searched through a tower of brown clipboards, handing her one. Jade scanned over the form to sign, noting that it looked identical to each previous one she'd agreed to."And are you going to visit your mother today?" The receptionist politely asked as Jade handed the clipboard back to her. She'd seen her dozens of times before but still couldn't remember the woman's name. She glanced down at her nametag, Rita. She hated Rita at that moment. 

Marissa sat behind her on the sofa and followed along as she attempted to log into every site she could think of. Jade explained the entirety of the situation to her friend. There was no indication of an ongoing affair within his personal email, not that he ever used it. She typed in several keywords, and still, nothing came up. 'Love' 'Dinner' 'Miss you' It all seemed to lead nowhere, especially since Jade didn't even have a name to go off of. She explained that his work email was off-limits. He'd be instantly notified if a different IP address accessed it, so she couldn't even attempt to login without alerting him. Their cellphone records only listed an abundance of numbers, nothing detailed that she could use to satisfy her curiosity. He had already changed the passwords on his social media account, or maybe it was the email address? She didn't know, but either way, that wasn't working for her either. She couldn't imagine he deleted it altogether. Something abo

 Jade greeted her, held the door open as she strolled inside, her mouth already parted open in awe. "This is... Wow! When you said apartment, I wasn't expecting this."Jade gave a bleak smile. She remembered being in awe the first time she'd seen it as well. It was beautiful, not like anything she'd ever lived in before— it had vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring, chandeliers, chrome appliances, granite countertops with the complementary backsplash. The best part was the view from their bedroom. It overlooked the vibrant grassy knolls of the golf course behind them."Would you like a tour?" Jade asked, only realizing afterward that she'd used an insincere, almost artificial voice. The same one she used when she was speaking to Jonathon's colleagues or clients. It c

Jade squatted down on the front porch's wooden steps, laced up her sneakers, and then started up her playlist. "Happiness, hit her, like a train on a track. Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back." ... She stretched her arms above her head, basking in the gorgeous day outside. It was somewhat chilly out, she could see the little puffs of her breath in the air, but it was also the perfect temperature for a good run.An older woman across the street was pouring mulch around her newest saplings. It was unusual that Jade saw any of the neighbors outside; it seemed they didn't enjoy the cold either. She gave the woman a quick wave as she walked up the driveway and headed east, soaking in the warm rays from the clear skies overhead.Her long ponytail swayed with every stride she took. Through her earbuds, she could hear the thudding as the rubber soles of her shoes bounced off the pavement. Her heart held a steady beat as she jogged, barely putting

Jade's eyelashes fluttered open as she suddenly emerged into cognizance. It was as if an internal alarm were sounding at the forefront of her brain. The lack of rest she'd gotten the night before held no bearing as her thoughts assembled all at once, turning into a chaotic panic. An ocherous glow radiated throughout the bedroom, indicating that it was morning- more specifically, it was Sunday morning. She instantly sprang up, fully alert now. Had she slept through her alarm? Her eyes darted towards the clock on the nightstand, quickly discerning the green glowing numbers only a few feet away from her. It hadn't gone off yet because it was only seven a.m.She fell back onto the pillow, feeling the adrenaline instantly dissolve throughout her. With every blink, she could feel the slightest pull from the inflammation around her eyes, signifying just how exhausted she was. She contemplated going back to sleep for a few hours but knew there was no way her brain