Dawn Schaefer-Weiss zipped up her black slacks and smoothed out her white cotton blouse before looking in the mirror. Her light blonde hair hanging long and loose, she decided earrings weren't necessary but a necklace could brighten up her simple outfit and she opened up her jewelry box. Luckily she only had one of three necklaces to choose from, which were all gifts from her husband, Ben. Having lots of fancy jewelry didn't suit her laid-back and casual California style of dressing so three was plenty and she decided on a black pearl drop necklace and the dark pearl complimented her pants well. She looked at her watch.
"9:45." She needed to get to work.
Having already dropped off her son, River at his daycare center..and in her pajamas no less, Dawn hurried back home to get herself ready for work at the interior design business she owned with her stepmother, Carol. She slipped on some black pearlescent ballet flats that matched her necklace perfectly but it was completely coincidental, as she had had those shoes for a good 4 years, while the necklace was a gift Ben had bought her that year for Valentine's Day.
As she drove herself to work, she thought back to earlier in the morning when she dropped off her one year old son and him clinging to her and pulling on her shirt before he was whisked away by one of the daycare workers who hurried into the baby room with him so he can play with the other children, trying to transition him as best and fast as she could to distract him from his mommy and prevent any meltdowns. She always had a hard time dropping him off, knowing she had to leave River in the care of someone else but she also knew he was in good hands and Dawn and Ben paid an arm and a leg for full time care at one of the best daycare centers in the city so she never worried about him. Besides, Dawn wasn't the stay-at-home mom type and she had a great business she'd never walk away from.
As she walked from her car to her office building, she felt the warm June air on her face and she looked forward to another day at work, doing what she loved.