It was 4:00 pm in the evening when Rachael came back to the house; after having to endure the stress of dealing with Lagos traffic on the way. She slumped into a sofa in the living room immediately she got inside the house.

"Welcome back from school," Mrs. Jones said to her as she walked into the living room from the kitchen where she was.

"Thank you ma," Rachael replied her, standing up from the sofa with her school bag before heading towards her room.

"I'm done with preparing lunch," Mrs. Jones added.

"I would come and eat when I'm ready," Rachael said to her before disappearing from her sight.

She got out of her school uniform and shoes as she entered into her room. The room looked more arranged; compared to how it was when she had left it in the morning.

Her bed which she had left undressed because she was in a hurry in the morning was now dressed with a new blue bedspread. The floor was also looking swept.

Just on her underwear, she walked towards the bathroom to take her bath. The weather was still hot outside, so despite the air conditioner that was on in her room, she decided to take a cold water shower.

Done with having her bath, she applied on her body some lotion, and got into a white singlet and jean short. With her phone in her hand, she walked downstairs to the dining.

A tray was already set on the table with her food on it. Lifting up the cover of the plate, her eyes met with her lunch which was jollof rice with fried chicken. She settled down and started eating her lunch.

A car honk came from outside which immediately gave her the signal that her dad was back from work. A wave of excitement washed through her as she was happy that she would finally have someone to talk to.

After some few minutes, the door was opened to reveal her dad. He came in holding a suitcase and also looking really exhausted from work. Rachael immediately left her food to go and give her father a hug.

"Welcome dad," she said happily after hugging him.

"Thanks, sweetheart," her dad replied, playfully ruffling her hair as he did so.

"You look so tired. Hope work wasn't too stressful today?" Rachael asked her dad as she took in his tired appearance.

"I wish it wasn't but yes, it was stressful. I had a really long meeting with the head of Finance at work today," her dad replied, quickly giving her a run down of how his day went.

"How was your first day at school for the new session?"

"My first day at school was great," Rachael told her dad with excitement in her eyes.

"You're going to tell me all about it darling, just let me go and get freshened up before I come back downstairs. Okay?"

"Alright dad," Rachael said before walking back to her seat on the dining table.

"And make sure you finish up your food okay," her dad added.

"I will," Rachael said amidst laughter.

"I'm very serious," her dad warned as he left the living room.

"Of course sweet dad, anything for you," Rachael said, raising her voice so that her dad would hear her.

After about twenty minutes, her dad came downstairs to eat his meal while Rachael was in the living room, watching a drama series and sipping on a glass of orange juice.

The vibration from her phone brought her attention to it. She picked it up from the table before her and discovered that she had a new WhatsApp message from Vincent:

Hey pretty, have you started your Maths homework?

                                                             Not yet.

Why not 😔

                     We are not even submitting it till
                      next week.

I know. I was having some issues with the last question so I was hoping you could help me out.

                       Alright, I promise to check it out
                       before going to bed today.

Thank you so much. What would I do
Without you😎

                                             Nothing 😏

Talk to you later, I need to go check
on my little brother.

                                                      Alright, bye.

Bye.

"You were telling me about how your day in school was," Rachael's dad reminded her as he gently sat next to her, bringing her attention to him.

"It was nice. I was happy to meet my friends again after a long time and it was really exciting being in a new class," Rachael happily said.

"Speaking about friends, how are they? Rita and Vincent."

"They are both fine. I was even chatting with Vincent just before you came over."

"Hmm, interesting I see," her dad said with a sly look.

"I know that look dad, nothing is happening."

"Well... I haven't said anything," her dad said in his defense.

"But your eyes sure did," Rachael countered.

"Have you talked to your mum?" 

"I would do that after now," Rachael said, focusing her attention on the television.

They both talked about other things, ranging from Rachael's school to her dad's work.
The pair were really close and told each other almost everything.

"It's past eight, I want to go and call mum now," Rachael said to her dad, excusing herself.

"Alright dear, have a good time."

" I will, and goodnight dad, just in case I don't get to see you again before going to bed."

"Goodnight darling."

Rachael got to her room and immediately placed a video call to her mum with her laptop. She had a look of worry on her face as the ringing was getting a little bit long. She feared that her mum might not pick up, most likely because of work. It wouldn't be the first time her mum would be ignoring her call for work.

Her mum's face soon appeared on her laptop screen as she picked the call after a while of ringing.

"Hi Mum," Rachael said with excitement, grinning so much.

"Hi baby, I've missed you so much," her mum said.

"So, how come you never called to check up on me?" Rachael said, her mood instantly changing into a gloomy one.

"It's not like I didn't want to check up on you dear, I just have a lot of engagement this period. You know I have this new project that I have been working on for months now and I really need to get that contract I told you about," her mum tried to explain.

"Of course, you're always having one new project or the other. I missed you mum," Rachael said, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall down.

"I know baby, and I promise I would make it up to you," her mum softly said.

"You've forgotten right?" Rachael asked.

"Forgotten what dear?" her mum asked with a confused look.

"That today was my first day in final year of school," Rachael reminded her mum

"Oh yes, how can I. Hope you enjoyed it?"

"Yes, it was beautiful," Rachael replied.

"I'm glad it was," her mum said, smiling widely. "I can't believe my baby has already grown so big," she happily said, jamming her hands together, making Rachael to smile.

"I really wish you would come back home soon," Rachael said, the smile disappearing from her face.

"I would come back as soon as I finalize things over here," her mum assured her.

"Just at least be here for my birthday," Rachael pleaded.

"That's like a month from now right?"

"Yes it is."

"Alright baby, I will. I already can't wait to design your birthday dress," her mum said with excitement.

"That would be nice but I would be more than happy to see you at home with us on that day."

"Me too baby, me too. How is your dad? Hope you are taking good care of him while I'm not around?"

"Dad is doing fine mum, he's sending his greetings," Rachael replied.

"Baby I'm afraid we need to end this call now," her mum said, looking as if she just remembered something important.

"Why mum?" Rachael asked, disappointed.

"I just remembered that I haven't sent a very important email and I need to do that now," her mum explained.

"Alright mum. Bye," Rachael said with a sad wave of her hands.

"Bye baby," her mum said before ending the call in a hurry.

Closing her laptop with a little bit of sadness in her demeanor, she picked up her Mathematics textbook and started working on the questions Mr. Saheed had given her class as homework.
She successfully solved five questions before she got to the last one which Vincent had asked of her help with.

After ten minutes of trying to solve the question, she couldn't get an answer that corresponded to the one at the end of her textbook so she picked up her phone and texted Vincent on WhatsApp.

I'm also having issues with the last
question 😢.

The message had two white ticks, indicating that Vincent had received the message but had not read it yet.

She had an urge to check out Diane's YouTube channel as she waited for a reply from Vincent. Searching up her name on YouTube, she saw the exact video Rita had shown to her earlier at the cafeteria and clicked on it. In the video, Diane was in a Safari desert at Dubai.

After re-watching that particular video, Rachael went on further to watch Diane's other videos which focused on her skin care routine and runway projects.

Her attention was brought to her conversation with Vincent when she got a new message.

You don't need to worry, I've already
gotten the answer to it 😄

Thank goodness, I almost cried.
can you please send me a picture of how you solved it?

😂 Coming right away.

Thank you so much and wipe off that smirk from your face.

She knows me so well 😉

Rachael smiled at his last message and went back to attempting the question but she got a message from Vincent, showing a picture of the solved question in his notebook. She went ahead to follow his steps and finally arrived at the answer. It was 10:00 pm when she retired to her bed.

                               ~•~