Chemistry Countdown (Part 1 of 10)
Once the workday ended, she'd have to drive nearly four hours to her parent's house for their new tradition of bringing in the new year surrounded by family.
Mary rested her face on her fist as she stared at the computer monitor. A long list of emails had just appeared, as if out of thin air, and she wasn’t sure where to start or if she should start at all. Once the workday ended, she’d have to drive nearly four hours to her parent’s house for their new tradition of bringing in the new year surrounded by family.
Mary and her sisters, Melissa and Melany, had all moved away from home after college. Mary, at about four hours away, was still the closest. Her sisters moved further toward the west coast, with Melissa in Arizona and Melany in Nevada. Mary had moved to Albany after college, leaving behind her parents in Vermont, who’d hoped she would take over the family business.
“What are you still doing here?”
Mary turned around to see her friend Bridgette standing behind her.
“Shouldn’t you be on the road by now?” asked Bridgette.
“I told Kelsey I’d only need to leave an hour early today,” replied Mary. “Besides, I have too many emails to sift through. If I leave now, then who knows how many more will be waiting for me in the new year?”
“Don’t worry about those. Forward everything to me and I’ll sift through them for you. The roads are going to be bustling with traffic.” Bridgette placed a cup of coffee on Mary’s desk. “From the breakroom. Leonard brought a ‘spiced blend’ that’s actually quite good. Finish whatever you’re doing and hit the road. This desk will be here when you get back in the new year.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you hanging.”
“Don’t worry about me,” replied Bridgette. “Besides, if Kelsey comes looking for you, I’ll tell her you had a family emergency.”
“A family emergency?”
“Your parents couldn’t find the keys to their bookstore and needed your spare.”
Mary laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Ah yes,” she said. “Instead of calling a local locksmith, they instead called their daughter, who lives four hours away.”
“Locksmiths cost money, but family is always free.”
“Funny. Do you and Rachel have any plans for New Year’s Eve?”
“We do the same thing every year,” replied Bridgette. “Go to bed at nine.”
“That’s probably the smart way to go about it. We started this tradition last year, and if my mother has her way, we’ll all be up playing board games until well past the ball drop.”
“Finish your coffee and get out of her,” said Bridgette. “And tell your parents I said hi, assuming they remember me.”
“How could they forget? Last time I had them over, you and Rachel saved the day when I somehow messed up making spaghetti.”
“Rachel has all of our favorite restaurants on speed dial. Happy new year.”
“Happy new year.”
Thank you for reading Part 1 of Chemistry Countdown. Do you think Mary will make it home in time for her family’s new tradition?
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This serial is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, or events, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 by Daniel Leicht
All rights reserved. No part of this serial may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, excepting brief quotes in reviews.