Strings of Fate

70- Experience and events | glance at the tbefore setting my morning alarm and dropping my phone on the side table. It’s late enough that | could go to bed if | wanted to. But | don’t feel like it just yet, | might watch a movie to wind down. Not a TV show though. If | pick something with episodes | might get invested and the result will probably be an all night binge. | dont have the self control for just one or two episodes. | grab my laptop and get comfy under my freshly washed covers. | sink into my endless pile of pillows and then realise | didn’t turn off the light and curse quietly under my breath. Ugh, those stupid clapper, snapper light switching inventions don’t seem so stupid right now.

With the kind of reluctance | imagine most people save for having teeth pulled, I crawl out of my nest of pillows and turn off the light. | get comfy again, pick a movie and watch it till the end. I'm very nearly asleep when it finishes so | just close.

step on it my laptop and place it carefully on the ground by my bed. I'll be careful not to step when | get up, | place it there so often it might as well be it's permanent location.

| jerk awake to the sound of my phone chirping. At first, | assit’s my alarm wakingup. for the day, but that can’t be right, it's not even close to morning yet. | check my phone and find | have a message from megan.

Megan- You up? Remembering Megan's nightmares | decide to call her rather than text back. She picks up on the first ring- “Hy Ry.” She greets me. Her tone is small and almost child-like. From those two words alone, | can tell that she is on the edge of tears.

“Aw honey. Are we talking about what's wrong or are we talking about literally anything else?” | offer. Megan lets out a small sniffle.

“I think we've already talked about what needs discussing. Let's talk about something else.” She requests. | wrack my sleepy brain for a topic of conversation. | settle on her classes, that should be a safe enough topic.

“You know, we've both been so busy lately, you've never actually mentioned what you are. actually studying. | know you're taking university classes, what's your goal?” | question. Megan lets out a half laugh.

1/4 70- Experience and events “It’s so strange that you don’t know that. | guess | forget that we've only known each other for a few months. It feels like we've known each other forever. I'm taking a course on event management.” she answers, she already sounds less miserable so | push on..

“Did you have a career in mind?” | ask cheerfully.

“I didn’t before. | chose it originally because | wanted to get a degree of skind. I've always liked studying.

But | chose my topic at random based on what seemed interesting at the time. Although recently. Very recently that is, I'm thinking | might want to pursue the area further. My plan and goal for my life used to be to fall in love, get married and maybe have a few kids. But now I'm thinking | might need a new dream. One that doesn’t depend on anyone else to make it happen. | did enjoy planning for my reception and wedding. It might be interesting to see if | can find a new goal in that kind of area.

Maybe an event planning business?” Megan sounds nervous. Almost like she’s asking if it's a good idea or even just expectingto shoot it down. I rush to reassure her.

“I think that’s an amazi idea. You would be so good at it. | can’t wait to see the things you do. And you do know that deciding to have a career doesn’t mean you can’t have a family. You've had an awful experience, but don’t give up just yet okay? | think you should aim for both.” | add seriously. Megan is quiet for a minute then lets out a deep breath.

“I guess we will have to see how it all turns out. If | don’t end up with kids I'll just have to spoil yours.” | start choking into the phone, not sure how to respond to that. Bellamy and | aren't even close to having children yet.

Does he even want children? Do 1? We haven't actually discussed it. Well except for that one the mentioned us having hypothetical kids. Does that mean he does want children? I've never been able to imagine having any, but that’s because | can barely afford to take care of myself, much less someone else. That wouldn't be the case anymore with Bellamy. Why did Megan have to bring this up? I'm never going to sleep now! Megan is practically howling with laughter on the other end of the line.

“You know. | am definitely getting ahead of myself. Oh by the way, I've already decided what my first big event will be.” she starts. | jump on the topic, hoping to move away from. discussing my potential offspring.

“Really? That's great! What event?” | ask eagerly. Megan answers seriously.

“An Alpha’s wedding of course. They're traditionally huge events. You and Bellamy’s wedding 2/4 70- Experience and events is going to make my failed trip down the aisle look like nothing in comparison!” Megan is already laughing again.

| groan.

“Megan!” | whine. She keeps laughing.

“You know, there might not be a set date yet but there is still plenty to plan. | might as well start planning now since | can’t sleep anyway. Night Ryann!” | hear a click and realise Megan has hung up onbefore | could complain. That girl is an absolute menace. Feeling a little vengeful, | take a moment to type out a text to Darrien.

Ryann- Hey did you know that Megan's big life dream is to get married and have a big family? I'm surprised when he answers right away. | thought he might be sleeping.

Darrien- | didn’t know that, but I'm not surprised by it. I'll have to find a chance to mention how much I like kids.

Thanks for the tip | lie there staring at my messages for a few minutes. | think I've sent more messages today than | have in my entire life. | remember Bellamy saying that they're my family. Megan messagedbecause she’s having nightmares, Darrien thankedfor advice. For the first tin a long t| feel like people would notice if | wasn't around. It makesfeel important. | feel a wave of sympathy for Bellamy. | don’t know what | would do if anything happened to my new family. So | guess | can understand why he’s so stressed about my safety. He keeps apologising for being overbearing, but essentially he is just showing that he cares. | feel a little ungrateful for how I've responded to it lately. | remember him saying he didn’t want to hang up without seeing me. Wishingsweet dreams. Impulsively, | sit up and flick on my light, blinking in the brightness | settle back against my pillows and open my phone camera. | take a video of myself blowing a kiss. | refuse to play it back in case I look stupid and chicken out. Instead, | send it to Bellamy.

Ryann- Sweet dreams Bellamy...-MOV.1