It had been three weeks since we last saw each other. Tessi still called me and my husband to complain about her day. Her calls were ordinary for us; Tessi would call while we were doing something, and we would listen to her complaints while she was muted as we continued what we were doing. Unmutting her when we needed to respond. One day, she called with her usual complaint.

I sat at home on my spacious brown sectional. All the lights in the apartment are off as I enjoy a bag of kettle corn and watch a show on Netflix. After working so much overtime, I was happy to have a few days off. Plus, it was raining; I loved it when it rained on my off days. My ringtone rang aloud as I sat on the couch watching TV.

I knew it had to be a family member because my phone would only ring aloud for certain people. Thinking it was my mother, I searched amongst the covers to find my phone. Eventually, I found it under a blue and gold throw pillow on the other side of the couch. I noticed my sister's familiar pink caller ID, "What the hell does she want now?" I said with an irritated sigh.

She knows how to call right when a show is getting good.

"Hello?" I answered the phone, irritated that I had to pause my show.

"You busy?" she asked. I could hear the driving sounds in the background. I assumed that she'd just gotten off work.

"Well, I was watching TV before you called."

"Okay, so you weren't doing anything. I'm pissed," Tessi said with a humph. She was a CNA, which was a certified nurse aide. She mainly worked in nursing homes, though there was a time when she worked at the hospital with me. Of course, this was before all of the pricks who worked her shift conspired to get her fired. She is a good worker, and many patients and nurses love her. Many people called her 'cranberry Juice' as a nickname for her love of the drink. The mere mention of her nickname would have patients looking for her and asking about her well-being. But, as much as there were people who loved her, there were also people who wound her up. Today was no exception.

I groaned as I dragged my hand over my face in irritation. Why? Why does Tessi call right when a show is getting good? I think to myself.

"You want to know why?" Tessi asked with slight irritation in her voice.

"Not really, but you're going to tell me anyway," I said, violently patting the thin green blanket on the couch as I looked for the remote. Where could that thing have gone now? I thought to myself as I braced myself up for what was bound to be a long conversation.

"You're right," she said, not even denying it.

I smiled; it's not that I didn't care what Tessi had to say. I'm happy she expresses her frustrations and doesn't bottle up her emotions. My issue was her long-windedness. I lifted up my purse to try and see if I accidentally slipped the remote under it. No luck. It's too bad she's shy in public.

"Well, this nurse came up to me and complained because his patients hadn't gotten cleaned on his hall. You know the crazy thing about the whole situation? That wasn't even my hall. Another CNA had that hallway. This nurse came from an entirely different hallway to complain and get all up in my face about a hall I didn't even have." she said, upset.

I finally found my remote. The program that I was watching was something I'd seen before; it was such a good show that I could watch it anytime. "So what did you tell the nurse?" I asked as I turned down the volume on the TV a bit before I pressed the play button.

"I told him, first of all, I don't even have that hall. Another nurse aide was assigned to that hall. Second, if they had been wet this whole time, why did you wait until now, an hour before it was time to get off work, to complain about your patient's being wet? Zaelle, this is like deja vu, I'm telling you." I thought to myself, this situation did feel oddly familiar. "Tessi, didn't you deal with this same situation at another nursing home a year ago?" I asked, dipping my hand in the popcorn bag before stuffing a handful in my mouth.

"A year ago? Oh yeah! That stupid asshole, I remember now. That's why this situation felt like deja vu to me." she said with realization. "But that's not all," she was gearing up for more. I had already pressed the mute button, preparing to hear 'The Iron Lung' continue her complaints. "Uh, Zaelle," she said.

I unmuted the phone, "Yeah?" I asked.

"I got to go. I got another call," Tessi said.

My brow raised in confusion; is that a smile I hear in her voice? I shook my head and quickly brushed away the thought. Who am I kidding? It must be the amount of overtime I've been working.

"Okay. TTFN," I said.

"See ya," she said as she ended the call abruptly.

Wait, why did she sound oddly happy?