No Ordinary Time Novels & Stories

"Since when did the Gilmore bloodline become so poor that a necklace worth a few bucks counts as custom work? "Now that ruby necklace around your neck—that's the one that looks truly bespoke. What you're trying to give me for my birthday must be the free gift with purchase." Erik's face darkened. "It's not about the price. It's the thought that counts. Why are you being so shallow? Just take it!" He reached out to hand me the box. I didn't take it. The necklace slipped and hit the floor with a dull clink. The thought that counts?

"People are convincing in a crisis. The truth of who someone is comes out in the ordinary days." "I know that too." "So we take it one ordinary day at a time." "Yes," he said. "One ordinary day at a time." They drank their coffee. The morning continued outside the window. Ordinary and quiet and full of the specific texture of something beginning. Henderson called at noon.

My heart sank. So that's what all those years meant—nothing. I freed a hand, pulled out my phone, and shot off a message. All four phones buzzed at once—same unknown number. They glanced down. Then swore and deleted it. "What the hell. So much spam." I smirked. The car rolled on. The sky darkened. The wind picked up. They got colder. In the back, Vincent and Donelia shivered, sneezing nonstop. I was freezing too.

I was a little surprised, but I did not pay much attention to it. Since I had already decided to let Corbin go, I did not want to dwell too much on his affairs. “Mom, from now on, don’t tell me anything about Corbin. I don’t want to hear about it.” She was stunned for a moment before saying, “Alright. I won’t bring it up if you don’t want to hear about it.” On the first day of orientation, there were many things to take care of and buy. That afternoon, I had just returned from the campus gate with Clara, my new roommate, after buying daily necessities.

*** I almost yelled when an alarm clock let out a shrill sound disturbing my sleep. Can you just shut the fuck up! I groaned as I blindly tried to switch it off but I couldn't find it. What the heck! I finally succeeded in switching it off after almost falling off the bed. 5am! I shrieked as I saw the time displayed on the alarm clock. I have never set my alarm to 5am before in my life. Reality hit me as I noticed the unfamiliar room. Oh my God! I scrambled off the bed and ran into the bathroom almost tripping on my dress, I can't believe I slept in this dress.

“But never mind, let’s just swap coffees for now.” Xin Ran was happy drinking an americano from Janny’s mug. The caffeine gave her the kick she needed to start her day, and she was curious about the people she had socially interacted with for work. With her amnesia, she didn’t know what she did just yet, so Janny had to give her a short version of what she did along with a mini organisational chart of the department they worked at.

On the way back, I ended up chatting with Cody the whole time, and to my surprise, I found out we lived in the same neighborhood. “No way,” Cody said with a grin. “I didn’t expect us to be neighbors.” “Small world,” I replied, smiling back. “I heard there’s a photography summit next week. Are you going? If you are, maybe we could go together?” he added, extending the invitation. “Sure,” I agreed without hesitation. We talked the whole way, effortlessly. It was the kind of conversation that never ran out of fuel.

“I think I’m learning that ordinary can be extraordinary if you choose to see it that way.” Jordan pressed a kiss to her hair, feeling a rare and profound contentment. “Then let’s keep choosing it. Every day. Together.” And in that quiet, unremarkable evening, Jordan realized that the strength in normal wasn’t about avoiding chaos—it was about creating a world worth staying for, a world where love and trust were the true victories.

Hero, perked up immediately. I leaned in close to my camera, face streaked with tears. "Mr. Hero, I need your help. My mother-in-law is having a heart attack. Only Dr. Ben Dover can save her, but he's ignoring my calls—he's at the mall! If anyone sees him, please tell him to get to the hospital ASAP. She only has forty minutes left!" I ended with a sob for good measure and sent Ben's photo to him. But Mr. Hero hesitated. "Um... I get this is serious, but, like, doctors have their own lives too, you know? We can't just go hunting for him based on what you're saying. Plus, this could totally count as, like, invading his privacy..."