Boundless Love

Dawn rubbed her bleary eyes and squinted at the clock on her bedside table. She got up to realise it was already 7:00 a.m. and she had to be at work in an hour; she groaned and threw back the bed covers, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

She knew she was left with no choice but to get up from the bed to start preparing for work; she had just an hour left to get to work. She took a deep breath and then moved out of the bed.

She dropped her legs on the cold tiles and wore her flip flops that were placed under the bed. She stood up from the bed and shuffled to the bathroom, splashed some water on her face, and brushed her teeth. She then went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before heading back to the bedroom to take a shower.

She rushed out of the bedroom, drying herself off as she headed towards her wardrobe. She was careful not to waste too much time. She opened her wardrobe doors and stood to look at the clothes. She chose to wear a sleek black suit, a white blouse, and her favourite pair of heels.

She got dressed up in a short period of time, then walked over to the front of the mirror and sat down to start the task of styling her hair. As she worked the brush through her curly hair, she couldn’t help but think about the day ahead. There was a lot on her plate, and she wanted to make sure she was ready for it all.

She stood up after she was done applying some make-up on her face and applying some fragrances to her body, as she always loves to smell nice. She made her way to the kitchen, where the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. She grabbed a mug and filled it to the brim.

As she sipped her coffee, she checked her email and made a mental list of tasks she needed to accomplish that day. She had an important meeting with a new client and needed to finalise the presentation she had been working on all week.

After she was done with her coffee, she dropped the mug on the table, quickly gathered her things, including her laptop and notebook, and headed out of her door. She then walked towards her car, which was parked in the garage.

She unlocked her car door with a beep from her key fob. She opened the door and got in, then she put all her stuff in the back seat before she closed the door, started the car engine, and drove off to work.

On her way to the office, she stopped at a café for a bagel and another cup of coffee. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the busy day ahead.

Dawn is a successful marketing consultant, and she loves her job, but it is more demanding some days than others. Today was shaping up to be one of those days that is more demanding, but she was prepared for the challenge.

Dawn and her best friend, Freya, were both seated at a small corner table in the office lunch room. They were surrounded by the sounds of colleagues chatting and silverware clinking against plates. Dawn had been working hard since morning and was grateful for the break; Freya, on the other hand, had been in a good, cheerful mood since. She had arrived at work, and now she was bursting with excitement to tell Dawn all about the news.

Dawn, who had noticed that she had been in a bubbly mood since they arrived at work, was forced to ask her, "What is happening that you are not telling me?"

"Oh my gosh! "You finally noticed," she replied, blushing softly.

"Dawn, you won't believe it!" Freya exclaimed.   "I have a boyfriend!"

Dawn's eyes widened in surprise, and she said, "Really?" That's amazing, Freya! "Who is he?"

"His name is Jamal, and he's an engineer at the company across the street," Freya replied, grinning with happiness.

"An engineer, huh?" That's great!   "How did you two meet?" Dawn asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Well, if you could remFreya when I told you that my aunt hooked me up with a guy on a date some days ago, do you remFreya?" She inquired.

"Yes, I do, but we didn’t get to talk about how it went because of work," Dawn responded, "Don’t tell me it is what I am thinking!"

"Yeah!   "It is what you are thinking," she said, grinning softly.

Dawn laughed, "Wow! "That was so fast, and I hope he’s the one."

"Yes, he is." I can just feel it. He's so kind and funny, and we have so much in common. "Plus, he's a great listener, which is rare these days," Freya gushed.

"We have been out on a lot of dates, and I have studied a lot about him." I guess going on dates works out sometimes, and this was the first time I tried it. "I think you should also try to let me hook you up on a date with someone from my yoga class."

"I don't know, Freya," Dawn said, taking a bite from her sandwich. "I just don't believe in love, and you know, I just prefer friends with benefits and no strings attached,"

"Yes, I know and I am fully aware of how hurt you have been about your past, but Dawn, you can’t let your past experiences shape your entire outlook on love. You are fully aware of how much I have cried from heartbreak and I know it hurts, but I still believe that love is real. Just because some relationships don’t work out doesn’t mean that all of them will. "And even if you don’t find the person you are meant to be with, experiencing love is still worth it; it changes something about you, even though you might not be aware of the changes, but I know it does change you in the best possible way."

Dawn sighed, feeling a pang of jealousy at her best friend’s optimism. "I just don’t think I have it in me to love someone, not like you do." "You are strong enough to get over your pains easily, but I don't think I am that strong, and I wish I could be as strong as you are."

Freya took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "No, you are strong, and you make me be strong always after I am hurt; you always make me believe that everything happens for a reason; you are more of the strongest person I know, Dawn, and I believe that you can handle it."

Dawn thought about Freya’s words, considering them carefully. Was she really ready to take the risk again and open herself up to the possibility of being hurt? Or was it safer to just stay where she was, keeping her heart locked away from any potential pain?

"So, do you think you can go on a date with him?" You should probably give it a try, though you can try to start believing in love again after the date. "Who knows?" Freya said.

Dawn was hesitant at first: "No, let me think about it well."

"Okay, if you say so, I understand, baby girl," Freya said as she took a bite from her sandwich.

But Dawn couldn’t deny the flutter of excitement in her chest at the thought of maybe, just maybe, finding love again. "Okay, I think I am in now," she said, chuckling.

Freya looked up at her to see if she was actually serious about it or if she was just trying to pull her leg. "Are you serious about what you just said?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am goddamn serious about it," Dawn replied.

"Awwwwn, she is finally back," Freya said, rejoicing.

Dawn laughed, "Yeah, I think I am finally back."

"And by the way, when are you going to introduce me to Jamal?" Dawn asked.

"You will, soon." I was actually planning on inviting both of you over for dinner next weekend. "What do you say?"

"Okay, it sounds like a plan then." "I'll clear my schedule for the weekend," Dawn replied.

"So, how's work going for you?" Freya asked, changing the subject.

"It's going well." "I just finished a meeting with a new client, and I'm taking a bit of a break now," Dawn replied. "And I need to finish up the project I have been working on lately."

"You work too hard, Dawn. You need to take some time for yourself," Freya scolded playfully.

"I know, I know. But I love what I do, so it doesn't feel like work to me anymore," Dawn replied, shrugging.

"I know, but you need to take care of yourself, too." "It is very necessary; I am sure you don’t want to burn out," Freya said, concern evident in her voice.

"I'll make sure to take some time for myself." "I promise," Dawn said, smiling at her best friend.

The two friends chatted for a bit longer, catching up on each other's lives and discussing their plans for the weekend. As they finished their lunch and headed back to work, Dawn felt grateful for her friend and the break she had taken from work.

She was already looking forward to fixing a date with the person Freya talked about; she felt a sense of hope, her thoughts occupied with the possibility of a new future. And even though she still wasn't sure if she fully believed in love, she was willing to give it a try. She was also looking forward to the dinner next weekend, eager to meet Freya’s new boyfriend, who had occupied the head of her best friend.

It was a lovely Saturday. Dawn sat in her kitchen, flipping through the channels on her television as she made herself a simple breakfast of toast and eggs. It was early in the morning, and the only sounds in the room were the soft hum of the TV and the gentle sizzle of her cooking food.

She moved from the kitchen to the living room after she was done making her quick breakfast. Thinking about watching TV while she ate, she picked up the television remote and was about to change the channel to another channel that was going to be showing a better programme since she is not a fan of watching news.

A breaking news alert caught her attention. A serious-looking reporter was on the screen, speaking urgently about a recent string of strange attacks that had taken place in the nearby woods. According to the reporter, witnesses claimed to have seen a large, furry creature with glowing eyes and razor-sharp teeth attacking people and livestock.

Dawn frowned, feeling a wave o