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Never Too Old
The dog began to bark before the doorbell rang so suddenly that I jumped out of my skin and dropped the glass jar I had been rinsing out for recycling. With a hiss, I grabbed the tea towel off the side and dried my hands as I walked toward my front door, catching the mat with my slippers and sending myself sideways into the door frame. The dog bounced excitedly around my legs. “Back up, moronodog,” I said with only slight annoyance. I couldn’t be mad at him. He was just as pleased to see my friend as I was. He sat down, his little bottom failing to keep still as his tail wagged frantically. I tutted and laughed. Even though I had had the most stressful morning, I was still in good spirits, although exhausted. “Sorry, Jan,” I said brightly as I pulled open the door. “It’s already one of those days.” Jan stepped into the house, making eye contact with the excitable labrador cross who was now patty footing on the spot. “Come here, you big melon,” she said in a high-pitched voice, pushing her face into the fur on my dog’s neck. He yapped in excitement before running back into the lounge to find a toy to present her with.
“What’s been going on now, Sara?” Jan asked, taking off her coat. “Whack the kettle on.” “Nothing but stress. I’ve been so clumsy today, walking into things, smashing things. I tripped over the dog getting out of bed, and I’m covered in bruises. The washing machine’s packed in, and the cat’s been sick on the rug by the back door. My parcel from the publishers came soaking wet, and the contents isn’t much better. The doctor has lost my sample, and…”
“Woah, it’s not even ten a.m. The Universe isn’t your friend today, is it?” Jan laughed, setting up my side table for our tea. I filled the teapot with hot water and Earl Grey, selecting my two favourite mugs and a packet of chocolate Hobnobs. “I just need some sleep, I think,” I said, rubbing my eyes with my palm heels. “This new job’s got me chasing my tail.” “You need a new job,” Jan mumbled with a mouth full of crumbs. “I’ve only just accepted this one.” “Yes, but it’s boring and stressy and not what you need when you’re nearly fifty.” I made a non-committal groaning noise and sat down opposite her at the table. “I suppose you’re right,” I said, wishing the tea would brew faster. That was half my problem, wishing things would go faster. I needed to slow down. I was almost fifty and my life was still going at one hundred miles an hour. However, if it wasn’t, I’d probably have fallen into my overthinking anxiety pit where I’d lose motivation and worry about whether I was doing enough. I admired Jan. With her job, she could turn up any time she liked and leave the same. I was sure she had more holidays than she was actually in the office too. Plus, when she was off, she enjoyed it. Unlike me, who felt the weight of the guilt as I looked around the house, seeing all the jobs that needed to be done.
Find out what happens next, https://books2read.com/AfterRainAntho
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