From: Nora
Ciao Sabrina,
I just read about you losing your job. I’d be tempted to say you have my deepest sympathies, but actually, this might be the best thing to have ever happened to you! We’ve been exchanging messages for coming on four years now, and I remember how you have always described yourself as feeling trapped. Now, you are free!
We’ve always spoken about the day we might be able to meet face-to-face at the Jane Austen Festival, but if I might be so bold, my dear Miss Sabrina, I’d like to extend to you an open invitation to come and stay with me in Italy for as long as you would like. I live in Florence in a two-bedroom flat all by my lonesome self.
Since I own the property, you would only be required to arrange your own transportation here and perhaps assist with some of the meal prep from time to time. Please do not feel inclined to make any decisions straightaway. I just wanted to put this out there for you to consider.
In the meantime, I went ahead and posted the first chapter of my nextPride and Prejudice-inspired story for you to read. Let me know what you think.
Best, Nora
The corners of her mouth turned upward. She stood, picked up her belongings, and sought out the section containing the language and travel books.
* * *
Later that evening, Sabrina swirled a glass of red wine around in her favored frosted-purple glass, listening to Maggie’s voice over speaker phone.
“Sabrina, I know just how much you hated your job, but isn’t it a little extreme for you to just up and quit?”
Sabrina rubbed her temples. “I didn’t quit, I was fired. There is a big difference.” She strode out from the tiny kitchen of her studio apartment into her living room slash bedroom. “But you know what, Maggie? As it was pointed out to me this afternoon, this might just be the best thing to have ever happened to me.”
“Have you had a little too much wine, little sister? What are you talking about?”
Sabrina sank down onto her bed.
“Oh no?.?.?.” Her sister groaned. “Sabrina! You can’t possibly still intend to travel to England for that silly Austen convention thing! Now is not the time to go gallivanting halfway across the world. You should be working on drafting a new cover letter and updating your resume.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. Her sister was so practical.
“The Jane Austen Festival isnota convention,” Sabrina corrected. “It’s a celebration of the greatest author to have ever taken up a pen. We’ve talked about this.”
“Whatever.”
“Mags?.?.?. come on. I’vealwayswanted to take a trip to it. Would you deny your workaholic little sister an actual vacation? Now is the best time. My planner is wide open.” She made her voice as sweet and buttery as she could muster. “I can start working on finding my next job when I return.”
I’m twenty-four years old and she’s still treating me like I’m a teenager. Maggie has to understand I’m a grown adult. I’m not mentally prepared to jump right back into the working world. I need time to reset.
“I admit youareowed a vacation.” Her sister huffed. “All right, Brina, just what type of timetable are we looking at? Two weeks? Three?”
“The JA festival is in June. Until then, I’ll plan to stay in Europe.”
Sabrina braced herself. Pans clattered in the background. Her sister deadpanned, “Four months? Have I heard you correctly?”
She placed her glass on the round coffee table. It was covered in coffee table books dedicated to Impressionist painters, costume design, and Italy. “Yes.”
Her sister muttered something under her breath, then said, “And how do you anticipate paying all of your bills? Food? Insurance? Rent? Do you need Brian and I to loan you some money?”
“I have it all figured out. If there is one skill I’ve picked up over the years, it’s how to plan,” Sabrina emphasized. “I spoke to my landlord this afternoon. My lease was up in a couple of weeks. He’s going to let me out of it early. When he did a cursory inspection of my place, he liked my furniture so much that he said he would buy it from me. I’ve agreed to move out next week. Anything I don’t need is going into storage or will be donated.”
“That’s unbelievably fast, but Sabrina, you didn’t answer my question. How are you going to pay for a four-month-long stint in one of the world’s most expensive places?”
“From my savings and the stock options I cashed out. I refuse to have any ties to Graves and Associates ever again.” Sabrina crossed her legs and leaned back into her marshmallow-like silk pillow. “Besides, for most of the time, I’ll be staying with one of my friends.”
“Who do you know that lives in Europe? You’ve never been there before,” her sister said. Then Ben, one of Sabrina’s two nephews, called out, “Mommy, is dinner ready yet?” Her sister’s muffled voice promised it would be ready in ten minutes.
“Brina, I can’t talk too much longer. Brian will be home soon and I still have to prep his dinner, too, before we head out to the game tonight.” She heard the oven timer going off in the background. “I need time to wrap my head around all of this. Why don’t you come over tomorrow and we can talk about this in person.”
