Chapter 1: Iris’s Wake up Call

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Iris’s Wake up Call

The morning sun filtered gently through the sheer blush-pink curtains, spilling ribbons of warm gold across Iris Carter’s bedroom.

It painted lazy patterns over the cream-colored walls, glimmered against the glass picture frames lined neatly on her bookshelf, and crept across the wooden floor until it reached the edge of her bed.

Seattle had always been unpredictable. One morning it would drown beneath endless rain, and by afternoon the skies would clear as though nothing had happened.

Today, however, the city seemed determined to show off. The clouds had retreated completely, leaving behind a brilliant stretch of blue that promised one of those rare spring mornings everyone would talk about.

Unfortunately for Iris, she wasn’t nearly awake enough to appreciate any of it. The shrill buzz of her alarm shattered the peaceful silence.

A pale hand emerged reluctantly from beneath the mountain of blankets, blindly searching across the bedside table. Her fingers knocked over a tube of lip balm before finally finding her phone.

After a few desperate swipes, fingers found the phone and slapped it into silence.

A muffled groan escaped from beneath the comforter.

"Ugh..." she muttered into the pillow, her voice thick with sleep. "Five more minutes..."

She rolled over, burying her face in the pillow and pulled the blanket over her head until not a single strand of sunlight could reach her face, trying to reclaim the fading warmth of sleep.

Last night’s shift at the campus coffee shop had stretched longer than expected, and after that she’d still spent hours finishing an assignment due next week. Between classes, work, and studying, sleep had become more of a luxury than a necessity.

Five more minutes didn’t seem like too much to ask.

She rolled onto her side, hugging the pillow tightly as she drifted toward unconsciousness again. But the universe, however, had other plans.

A second later, the sharp trill of her ringtone pierced the room. Iris frowned without opening her eyes.

"...Who the fuck calls people at seven in the morning?" she grumbled.

The phone continued vibrating insistently against the nightstand. With another dramatic sigh, she reached for it, blinking against the brightness of the screen. One sleepy eye opened halfway before she focused on the caller ID.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, followed immediately by a heavy, exasperated sigh as she let her head thump back onto the mattress.

The screen displayed a single word: ..Mom..with a heart emoji.

"Of course."

She didn’t even need to wonder why she called.Taking a deep breath, she accepted the call.

"Good morning, Mom," she greeted, sounding every bit as exhausted as she felt.

"Oh, thank goodness." Sophia Carter’s voice burst through the speaker with enough energy to power an entire neighborhood. "You’re still alive."

Iris couldn’t stop herself from laughing despite how exhausted she felt.

"I was beginning to think my daughter had completely forgotten she has parents who would very much appreciate hearing from her..." Sophia paused dramatically before adding with unmistakable emphasis, "...on a regular basis."

Still smiling, Iris pushed herself upright. Her long raven-black hair tumbled over one shoulder in soft waves as she leaned against the headboard.

"Mom, I literally talked to you yesterday...For a whole hour."

"What!" Sophia gasped so dramatically that Iris instinctively pulled the phone a little farther away from her ear, Sophia sounding as if Iris had just confessed to a felony.

"That was twenty-three hours ago! That’s practically another lifetime." Sophia said firmly.

"Mom! That is still yesterday."

"No, sweetheart it isn’t. Yesterday was practically another century and we discussed completely different things. Today is a new century, and today deserves an entirely new conversation."

Iris tipped her head back against the headboard and stared helplessly at the ceiling.

There it was....her mother’s famous logic. It never truly made sense to iris.

Sophia Carter possessed an extraordinary talent for bending reality until it agreed with her. Arguing only prolonged the inevitable.

Iris let out a breathy laugh. "At seven in the morning? I can’t believe we’re having this discussion before I’ve even brushed my teeth."

"I wanted to call you at five-thirty."

Iris froze. "...What?"

"I said," Sophia continued cheerfully, "I wanted to call you at five-thirty this morning."

Her daughter blinked in horror. "Mom..."

"But your father physically stopped me. I had to wait an eternity." Sophia huffed dramatically. "He made me wait an entire hour and a half."

Iris paused, a sudden wave of gratitude washing over her. She mentally sent a thank-you card to her father for shielding her from a pre-dawn interrogation. ’Thank God for Dad.’

"Mom, you do know that normal people are asleep at five-thirty."

"I simply wanted to speak with my daughter."

"You wanted to traumatize your daughter."

Sophia laughed so brightly that Iris found herself smiling again despite every intention of remaining annoyed.

No matter how hard she tried, staying irritated with her mother was impossible. Sophia’s laughter was infectious.

It carried warmth that wrapped around people like sunshine after rain.

"So anyway," Sophia said brightly. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

The teasing vanished from her voice, replaced by something soft enough to make Iris’s chest tighten.

A genuine smile spread across Iris’s face.

"Thank you, Mom."

"I wanted to be the first person to wish you a happy birthday. I warned your father that if he called before I did, there would be consequences, and for his own sake, I am glad he actually listened."

"I think for his own safety, he wisely obeyed." Iris muttered.

Sophia’s delighted laughter echoed through the speaker again, and Iris couldn’t help joining in. Moments like these reminded her just how lucky she was.

No matter how heavy the stress of university felt, her mother’s energy acted like a centrifugal force, spinning the darkness away.

Some people dreaded phone calls from their parents. She secretly knew she’d miss these ridiculous conversations if they ever stopped.

"So," Sophia continued after their laughter settled, "will you and Jason be coming home today?"

The mention of Jason instantly softened Iris’s expression.

Jason was her boyfriend. The boy who had wandered into her life during freshman year carrying two cups of coffee because she’d looked too overwhelmed to function. Three years later, he was still there.

They had survived impossible professors, exhausting exams, late-night study sessions, and every uncertainty that came with growing into adults.

Today wasn’t only her birthday, it was also their anniversary.

Iris shifted, her mind leaping to the navy-blue gift bag resting on her study desk. "No, Mom, we won’t. Don’t forget...today is our anniversary, too."

"Oh, that’s right!" Sophia gasped.

"I knew you’d forgotten."

"I did not forget. I merely...temporarily misplaced the information." Sophia tried to argue.

Iris laughed. "That’s called forgetting mom."

"Oh, hush." Sophia’s tone pivoted instantly, becoming conspiratorial. "So... what are you wearing tonight?"

Iris blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"What am I wearing for class?" Iris asked, pitching her voice with an innocent lilt.

Sophia sighed so dramatically it deserved an award. "Don’t play innocent with me, Iris Carter! I’m talking about your anniversary dinner with Jason."

"Oh..." Heat climbed up Iris’s neck, warming her cheeks. "Mom, it’s just dinner. We’ve had plenty of dinners. We’re just going to grab a bite."

"Three years with the same man is not ’just dinner,’ sweetheart."

Iris couldn’t suppress an amused smile. "It is for normal people."

Sophia gasped theatrically as though she’d just witnessed a crime. "There is absolutely nothing normal about surviving university while keeping the same boyfriend for years!"

"Mom..."

"I’m serious, huni. Relationships don’t last that long these days. You’ve been together since freshman year. That says a lot about your patience....or his!"

Iris shook her head, laughing quietly, she didn’t have the strength to interrupt. She knew the rhythm of this conversation; she was merely a passenger on the Sophia Carter Express.

"So..." Sophia dragged the word out, savoring the tension. "...are you finally sleeping over at his place tonight?"

Iris nearly dropped her phone, her eyes widened so much they almost hurt. She shot upright in bed so quickly that the blanket slid onto the floor with a soft thud.

"MOM!"

"What?"

"You cannot ask me that!" Iris said mortified.

"Well, I just did. So, out with it. I cannot believe that you’ve dated this guy this long and you haven’t even slept at his place yet. Your father definitely didn’t have that patience when I was dating him."

"Oh my God! You’re unbelievable, Mom."

Sophia dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. The sound echoed through the room until even Iris couldn’t stop herself from smiling despite her overwhelming embarrassment.

"You enjoy this far too much," Iris muttered, burying her flaming face in one hand.

"I really do."

"You are impossible mom, and lucky for you I still love you." A helpless smile tugged at Iris’s lips.

"Well, I love you too, huni." Sophia said, her voice returning to a warm, tender hum. "But Iris, you’re twenty-two. When I was your age, your father and I were already discussing baby names."

Iris buried her face in her hand, her voice muffled. "Oh my God. Mom, please stop."

"I’m simply saying—"

"No! Don’t say anything!"

"I’m simply saying," Sophia continued, oblivious to the protest, "that you should enjoy your youth. Be adventurous. And maybe buy some pretty lingerie and finally get LAID!"

Iris practically screamed into the phone again. "MOM!"

The laughter from the other end became uncontrollable, a series of wheezing giggles. "I knew that would get a reaction from you!"

"You enjoy embarrassing me far too much."

"Well it feels good to embarrass you." Sophia’s voice softened further. "I’m teasing because I know today means a lot to you. I know Jason is a good boy. I hope he spoils you for the beautiful, wonderful girl you are. I’m just glad you’re with the right one. You deserve someone who celebrates you every single day, not just on your birthday."

A comfortable silence settled over the call. Iris found herself glancing toward the elegant navy-blue gift bag resting carefully on her study desk.

Hidden inside was the custom-made wristwatch she’d spent almost four months saving to buy.

She’d skipped weekend brunches with Zoey and Vanessa, worked double shifts at the campus library, and took on extra hours at the coffee shop until her eyes burned from exhaustion.

Every unnecessary expense had been slashed. She had done it all for that one gift.

Her fingers unconsciously curled around the blanket as a small smile spread across her face.

"He’ll love it," she whispered almost to herself. "I’m sure he will."