“No.”
“How will you cope alone?”
I sigh and bow my head so I can grasp my hair with my free hand. I wasn’t expecting a positive response from Mum, but the instant negativity really stings. She could have led with so many other things—‘isn’t Archie’s news wonderful?’ Or even ‘it’s been a while since we talked. How have you been?’ But no. She didn’t even answer my damn question inquiring howshewas. Her question repeats through my mind. HowwillI cope?
“Blake?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“How?” Dad chimes in.
Great, they’ve got me on speakerphone.
“Have you had any work this week?”
“No, but I had a casting call today. I’m pretty hopeful I’m going to get the gig.”
“If you’re going whole weeks without work, how are you going to pay rent each month?” Mum asks, concern in her voice.
“I’ll manage.”
Mum clucks disbelievingly. “How?”
“I’ll budget carefully and save when I’ve got lots of work.”
“How often does that happen?”
“Often enough.” That’s not exactly true. I’ll go through everything with Archie. He’ll be able to tell me what I can afford.
“You might not even be able to rent anywhere without proof of a regular income,” Mum points out. “You could come home.”
That’s the last thing I want to do.
“Or you could get a proper job,” Dad says.
I tighten my grip on my hair. “I like what I do.”
“It’s not reliable,” Mum says with concern in her voice. “What happens if you don’t get any work and can’t pay your rent or your bills? You could end up in court, Blake, or homeless.”
“That won’t happen.”
“You can’t wish everything to be okay,” Dad says. “Financial security comes from working hard.”
“I do work hard.”
He laughs. “I’d hardly call standing in front of a camera in your underwear working hard.”
My stomach twists into knots, and I feel sick. “I thought you’d be happy,” I whisper.
“Why?” Mum asks.
“Because I put Corey’s and Lexi’s needs before my own.”
“What would make us happy is you getting your head out of the clouds and getting a full-time job,” Dad says.
“Or going back to university,” Mum adds.
“What I do pays well.”
