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Chapter 06

11:05AM
27 January 2029
Melbourne, Australia

She twirls his chest hair, gently lengthening it, running it along her thumb, before letting go and starting all over. 


How did I end up here? She lets out a quiet sight, careful not to wake her man. 


She swings her legs off the bed and ties her hair into a ponytail. 


Eggs, bacon, pancake, honey milk… Alright, let’s rumble.


There is a myriad of checklists in her head. Most of the time, the checklists are rather obsessive effective.

She details checklists on her phone and laptop that she ensures are synchronised multiple times a day. 


  • Contact Martin for a Zoom re: pharmacy internship via email

  • Attach resume to the same 

  • Attach cover letter to the same – ensure it’s the most recently updated version

  • Contact Barbara re: coffee chat for discussion on girls in STEM and avenue for high school girls to get involved in biomedical sciences research

  • Liaise with biomedical sciences president re: progress on PROJ 004


Sometimes, the checklists are interesting:


2/1

  • Eggs

  • Bacon

  • Pancake

  • Honey

  • Milk

  • Pack Chase breakfast for today and tomorrow 

  • Kiss him good night

  • Kiss him good morning

  • Tell him he needs to visit the post office

  • Tell him he is due for a family visit in 7 days

  • Get his toothbrush, shoes and clothes out before Shaun sees


She cracks an egg onto the stainless-steel pan and smiles. She recalls the days when Shaun used to shower her with compliments. 


“Aren’t you a precious thing?” He would wrap his arms around her waist from behind. 


“Shaun, you know how I feel about you messing up my cooking…”


“What… I can’t express my love for my gorgeous, gorgeous wife?”


“Oh, shut up… you silly goose–”


“Hey.” Her man stands tall, leaning against the wall with only a towel around his hips.


“Hi.” Her attention quickly zips back to the sizzling egg that was browning around the edges. “When are you next seeing your parents, by the way?”


“That’s random,” Chase comes up to her and presses his cheek against her ear, “rushing to get me out already?”


She gently nudges him away. “Stop it, you know I love having you here.” 


She flips the eggs onto a plate and starts on the bacon, as she tries to hide her blushing cheeks.


Eggs done, bacon doing, pancakes to be done, honey for later, milk to be poured. Eggs done, bacon doing, pancakes to be done, honey for later, milk to be poured. She recites to herself. Everything has to be in check.


She has to be the first to do everything, organise everything. Her education, her jobs, her wedding proposal. 


Everything. There is no room for things to go amiss. 

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