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Alyssa Smith let her eyes glance back at the email again. She absently tucked a stray blond hair behind her ear, and sighed. Would she go through with it? It would mean a lot of changes. On the screen was an offer from a design company in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Basically, her dream job. But Halifax?! That wasn't exactly the tropical destination she'd had in mind when she decided to leave her small hometown in North Carolina. Alyssa glanced at the clock. 5:46 PM. She had to get going. Tonight was an important night for her mother, and she wasn't going to miss it. She closed the laptop, and rushed to the bathroom for a quick mirror check, nearly tripping over the boxes of stuff piled in her hallway. She had been "moving" for almost a year now, but none of the offers she recieved was exactly what she was looking for. Was she being too picky? The clock in the living room chimed 6:00 PM, just as Alyssa was locking her apartment door. She nodded a quick hello to her neighbour, Mrs. MacKenzie, and she was off. As she drove down the street, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. She was tired of being in limbo, not making any long-term plans because of the unpredictability of her future... It was a twenty minute drive to the boat club, where the ceremony was to be held. After 45 years of teaching, her mom was finally ready to retire. Thankfully traffic was light, and as Alyssa pulled into the gravel parking lot, she saw her sister and her husband walking in. They didn't have the kids tonight; a rare treat for them. At 2 and 5, Micah and Brody were the sweetest little boys, but they were also busy. Alyssa parked beside their grey Honda Odyssey, and followed them in. There were about sixty or seventy people milling about. Not a bad turn out for their small town. Alyssa spotted her mom, and beelined it for her. She wrapped her arms around her mother's petite shoulders and whispered "I'm so proud of you," in her ear. Her mother beamed. "Alyssa! You look absolutely wonderful tonight! Did you bring that new boy you were talking to?" Alyssa shifted uncomfortably. "We'll, as it turns out, he was actually a lot older than he said on his profile... Plus, he neglected to tell me, he has 5 kids." Her mother stifled a chuckle. "I am sorry dear. I know you will find the right one when it's time." "Thanks Mom, but this night isn't about me! We're here to celebrate you! How did you do it? 45 years, and at the same school!" "Well, you know," her mother quickly scanned the room, "I loved my job, and I have no complaints about anything, but now that it's over, I wish I took more time to travel. Explore the world! They asked me once to do an exchange teaching trip to Australia. One year. I said no. At the time it just seemed like too much uprooting you girls just like that... But now, I don't know... I think I just played it too safe." As the evening passed, Alyssa thought about those words. As she lay under her warm, down-filled comforter later that night, Alyssa made up her mind. She would go. No more missed opportunities. A hectic and somewhat dazed two weeks later, she found herself looking out the tiny window of an Air Canada plane, as she approached her new home. A fresh blanket of show covered the ground, and plows were still clearing out the nearby parking lot. Alyssa shivered involuntarily, and pulled her jacket closer around herself. The airport was crowded. At least, in comparison to the tiny airport where only hours ago, she'd said goodbye to her friends and family. Her eyes scanned the crowd, until she found someone holding a white sign with her name on it. "Hello!" She said, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm Alyssa!" The man smiled down at her, and she noticed the corners of his eyes crinkled when he did. "Hey! I'm Donald! Your new boss!" To be continued...