‘Good evening, young man! May I come in?’ Charlie looked shocked.

‘Who are you?’ Acalea chuckled.

‘The girl of your dreams!’

‘Oh, OK then, come in’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Charlie let Acalea in, closing the door behind him.

‘So, what’s your name?’

‘Acalea’

‘Huh?’

‘Yes, it’s a funny name, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah. Where’s it from?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe my parents were stoned when they came up with it’

‘OK… that’s… a bit odd’ Charlie’s face was red at this point

‘Do you not have girls in your room often?’

‘No, not really. I mean, I had my ex come in here sometimes, but that’s it’ there was a brief period of silence. Somebody started to knock on the door. It was Charlie’s mother. ‘Oh, hello Mom’

‘Charlie, did you hear the doorbell go earlier?’

‘Uhhh, yeah?’

‘I went up to get it, but there was no one there!’ Charlie looked confused.

‘What? That’s weird. Well, I do have this girl in my room’

‘Really? Can I see her?!’

‘Yes’ Charlie opened the door, pointing to Acalea. She was just snickering.

‘Uhhh, Charlie?’ Charlie’s face was completely red, he was also sweating.

‘Yes, Mom?’

‘I can’t see anyone. Your room’s just empty’ Charlie just looked at her in silence.

‘OK, that’s… weird’

‘Well, I swear I heard a doorbell, anyway! Maybe we’re both going mad?’

‘Maybe’ his mother closed the door. Acelea was just smiling at him. ‘What’s this all about?  I can see you clear as day!’

‘Oh, that’ll take a little explaining to do’ said Acalea, smiling ‘To put this simply, I’m not human’ Charlie looked stunned.

‘You’re what?’

‘Well, I’m actually a goddess!’ Charlie was silent ‘I’m a goddess of love!’ Charlie just gazed at her, speechless. ‘You don’t think I’m actually a goddess, do you?’ Charlie didn’t say anything. ‘Well, you know how your mother didn’t notice me even though I’m in your room right now?’

‘Yeah, what about it?’

‘Well, that’s because I can turn invisible whenever I want. Observe!’ Acalea suddenly disappeared.

‘Oh my god…’ Acalea reappeared in from of him

‘See, I am a real goddess!’

‘OK, good for you’ Charlie was silent for a moment ‘Wait a minute, you came to me earlier saying you were the “girl of my dreams”.’

‘I did. I just felt it was a less awkward way of introducing myself. A lot of people think I’m some kind of scam artist, or something like that’

‘I don’t blame them, to be honest’

‘Oh, really? You don’t know what I actually do, so how can you say that?’ Charlie didn’t answer ‘Exactly!’

‘But, what do you actually do?’

‘Well, what I do is help people who have relationship problems. A little birdie told me you just broke up with your girlfriend’

‘Uhhhh, yeah? How did you know that?’

‘Because I’m a goddess! I know things that are unobtainable through ways mortals go through’

‘OK, whatever’

‘Well, anyway, now that you’re single you probably want to be with someone else, right?’ Charlie sighed upon hearing that

‘Look, I’ve only just broken up with her! I’m still wondering if I’ve made the right decision’

‘You have’

‘Huh?’

‘It’s not uncommon to have feelings of regret after doing something like that. There’s no shame on it, honestly’

‘OK. But… you’re saying I made the right choice?’

‘Yes! If you’re with someone that just makes your life miserable, how can you say otherwise?’

‘I guess you can’t, mind you I really broke up because I never got to see her’

‘Well, that’s kind of the same thing, don’t you think?’

‘Well, yes. But then, I also broke up with her because I thought she was cheating on me, but what if she wasn’t?’

‘Does that matter?’

‘Well, yeah!’ Acalea sighed

‘Oh, you silly little thing. You see, healthy relationships are built on trust, on respecting one another. You really broke up with her because you didn’t trust her, am I right?’

‘Yes’

‘Also, you don’t have to have proof that she was cheating in order for you to break up with her. This isn’t a court of law!’

‘I suppose it isn’t’

‘Nope. The innocent until proven guilty rule has no place in a healthy relationship. Yet you followed that the whole time’

‘I know’

‘Just remember this more than anything, your life is your own. You are not in any obligation to be in a relationship. The key word is “obligation”... I’m sorry what’s your name?’

‘Charlie’

‘OK, Charlie. I want you to remember that, OK? No one owns you, you can be out of a relationship at any time for any reason, OK?’

‘Yes, I understand’ Acalea started laughing.

‘It’s your life, Charlie! Don’t allow anyone to dictate it! Not even me!’

‘OK’ Charlie was looking at her in the eyes, gazing at her in silence.

‘So then’ said Acalea ‘I have a little bit of advice for you’

‘OK’

‘When you go back to your job tomorrow, think of all the people who are nice to you, you’ll be surprised!’ Charlie sighed upon hearing her saying that.

‘Acalea, you don’t understand. I hate my job. I go there every day hoping it were my last’ Acalea looked confused.

‘What? Why do you keep working there, then?’

‘I’m saving up to buy my own place’

‘Oh?’ Acalea still looked confused. ‘That’s… an odd way to live’ Charlie looked aghast.

‘What do you mean it’s an odd way to live?’

‘Well, Charlie, in my world money is worthless’ she picked up a bronze coin on Charlie’s desk ‘What can I do with this, exactly?’

‘Spend it’

‘On what?’

‘Oh…’ Charlie was obviously thinking of an answer ‘Nothing, really’

‘Can I eat it, instead?’

‘No! That’s against the Federal Law!’

‘The what law?’

‘You’re not allowed to do that!’

‘Why not?’ Charlie didn’t have an answer.

‘Can I wash myself with it instead?’

‘Uhhh, no’ Charlie was grumbling ‘Why are you asking such stupid questions?!’

‘They’re not stupid questions, Charlie. And my point is that as far as a goddess such as myself is concerned, money is worthless’ Charlie just gazed at her in silence ‘And yet so many people I meet in your world are obsessed with it. Like it’s the only thing that matters to them in their life, above their health, their lives, even their own happiness. And I can’t understand why’

‘It’s greed, I guess’ Acalea nodded

‘I suppose it’s the way you’re all brought up. You’re all taught to believe that money is more important than anything’

‘It’s not’ Charlie sighed ‘Personally, I just don’t want to be poor’ Acalea gasped.

‘Oh, that’s understandable’

‘I want to have a home. And I want to raise a family one day’

‘And Charlie, I’ll tell you this: That’s a totally righteous thing to do’

‘Oh, OK’

‘It’s how you humans all are. You’re all programmed to survive, find a mate and look after your children. It’s what I call a natural life’

‘OK’ Charlie started to sit on his bed ‘You know, Acalea, this is quite a lot to take in’

‘I understand. I’ll leave you be for now. Just do what I say tomorrow, OK? You won’t regret it!’

‘I hope not’ the two were silent for a little while ‘By the way, could you do me a little favour?’

‘OK’

‘I have a sister who pretty much thinks money is the be all, end all, to life, could you tell her what you’ve told me?’

‘I could indeed!’

‘She’s also with this rich guy who’s about twice her age’ Acalea gasped

‘Really?!’

‘Yes. She’s literally with her for no other reason other than that he’s rich. I’ve tried to tell her numerous times that her life is just miserable, but she just doesn’t listen to me’ Acalea sighed.

‘Well, that’s quite a job for me to do, I’m afraid. She sounds kind of delusional, if you don’t mind me saying’

‘I wouldn’t disagree with that’

‘OK, I’ll do my best!’ Acalea disappeared, leaving Charlie alone in his bedroom. He later brushed his teeth and went to bed.