[I hope you're all excited  about finishing the 100'th month of 2020, haha. Thank so you much for staying with me and continuing to read this story. you are what keeps me writing. I love you, and all you're comments so much. Sending much love and blessing to you and your loved ones. 😘 ]

Clothed by the cold air and the fog that hangs above the city, most are not even awake or willing to wake up to welcome another depressing looking morning. Technically minutes past the sunrise, even the sun was nowhere to be seen as alarms across the city started ringing for the second or third time, annoying people cozily laying in their warm beds. Forget happy, it's a definite fact most would wake up mad or depressed. And because it was a school day, there are gonna be a lot of mad teenagers who wake up with attitudes this morning.  Not even alarms, but continued nudges from their parents would be what will wake them up too. Their anger, if not directed at their parents, would be then at the school that is dragging them out of their warm beds on this foggy day. But for now, enjoying their last minutes of sleep most are deep in their fizzy dreams of what the first day of the week would be. 

      It wasn’t just students either, there was nobody awake in the city if not for the once forced by their paycheck to wake up this early and catch the first train to work. Or the ones returning home from their graveyard shifts. The city just like it's people,was cold asleep and the grey clouds over it weren’t helping it wake up either.  The streets are quiet and clear  .   .    . shops are still locked in with their owners preparing for today's market  .    .   . parks are empty except for one or two crazy people who are not even this foggy and cold weather cold mess with their morning exercise. Behind all the cloudy air and hidden amid the tall buildings the Chan couples are out as always doing their taichi.  It's known that the only type of weather that wouldn't stop the Chans was the rain. If not from those water drops no matter what the weather they would be out, right in the middle of the big tall trees breathing in the fresh oxygen and exercising, maybe that's why even at 70 they are this flexible. 

    Everybody walking into the office had something to say about the weather and how much they resented Monday mornings. Hyeon and Jessica that arrived an hour ago, had warmed up the office and made some hot coffee for everybody. Unlike everybody else they didn’t have the luxury to sleep an extra hour, especially considering the type of day they have today.

“I need my schedule list” Hyeon screamed out of her office as the secretary who just settled in, in minutes started typing the list of things Hyeon had to do today. She usually had a packed schedule but today was insane. She has back to back court cases and meetings that she won’t even be able to eat any lunch unless she grabs something and eats while driving.

“Here is your schedule” the secretary walking into Hyeon’s office and catching Hyeon busily buttoning her dress shirt. The suit pants she had on did not go well with the tennis shoes she had on but thr small heels she has in the back of her car would be what she would change into before she walks into the courthouse. 

“I highlighted all the necessary data you needed and added it to your folder” the secretary moving closer to Hyeon started helping Hyeon fix her hair.

“Hyeon I will be in the city hall until 10:00 but I might need you to drop by”  Jessica walked into Hyeon’s office. 

“Told you to get ready before we left,” Jessica added as she went back to reading the file in her hand and taking a bite of her apple. Unlike Hyeon, she never left the house without being ready. Unlike Hyeon, she always dressed in two-piece skirt suits. Her beautiful legs were her charm and the type of foggy weather was going to make her hide it. 

In about 40 minutes, both Hyeon and Jessica will be out of the office. The pack of files in one hand, her phone held against her ear by her shoulder, Hyeon tries to put on her jacket. The secretary following behind had all Hyeon breakfast; her coffee, apple, and energy bar. 

“Here we go. Monday” Jessica rubbed her hands and gave Hyeon a big smile as she started the car. As their car pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the street the lady who walked off the bus station started heading to their office.

“Good morning mama can I help you” as th lady walked past the office door the secretary asked standing up. The neatly dressed lady gave her a big smile as she closed the door behind her and started walking to the secretary’s desk. 

“Good morning. My name is Ms. Park” The lady placing her bag on the desk went on giving the secretary small smiles 

“I was scheduled to meet with your director three weeks ago” the lady opened her bag and started pulling some files. 

“But you have been canceling and rescheduling. Oh here,” the lady pulled out a single file from the little blue folder.

“I am the director of the women's shelter a behind”

“OMG yes” before the lady finished,  the secretary cut her short as she started reading the file

“I am so sorry about this” glancing at the date which was 3 weeks ago the secretary apologized. 

“I was here twice and both times and called numerous times but I can't get a hold of the director” The lady adjusting the collar of her coat gave another smile. 

“ I already looked for somebody to help us at city hall but there was nothing they could do” The lady, from the secretary looking at her with an apologetic eye  turned hers to the rest of the people in the office. Everybody was glued to their computers. The very young-looking boy at the end was the only one who glanced up from his computer and gave the lady a quick smile before she turned his eyes to his computer. 

“We are running out of time and we do need your help” the lady returned her eyes to the secretary added.

“ Unfortunately the director is not here” the secretary with her apologetic eyes and a small bow returned the file to the top of the desk, next to the lady’s nicely kept leather bag that nobody could tell was over three decades old. 

“I am so sorry” the secretary added as she witnessed the hopeful look on the lady turn upside down.

“ We need your help, please” the lady grabbing the secretary's hands started begging. 

“ We are going to lose our center and I went everywhere trying to get some legal help but there is nobody who could help us”

“ and we don't even have a dime to keep the lights on 24/7 let alone pay a fancy lawyer just to advise us” the secretary wasn’t new to this. The people who walk into their office are coming here as a last resort. Usually, it is a dirty situation that can change people's lives. She is used to having to make the call on who gets Hyeon’s time based on the immediate need. She has heard it all: children being abducted, wife beaten to death, employees, every kind of abuse  . . . their office deals with it all and even though she feels for every case, there was no way they could help everybody. Even serving 25 percent of the cases and requests they get has led to so many burn out and so many employees quitting in a month or two. The ones who lasted, Hyeon had made sure to k