Leaning back against the kitchen chair, I rub my eyes. Two weeks ago, I was living in a different world. Sure, I wasn’t wealthy by any means, but I had a decent salary at the marketing firm.
And then came the layoffs. One person after another. They weren’t even announced ahead of time. Three years of being there—and suddenly I was gone.
The memory still gives me indigestion. I would be furious about the fact that employees are expected to give two weeks’ notice when leaving a job, and yet, employers aren’t expected to return the favor, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m busy trying to figure out how to pay the bills.
I already filed for unemployment, though I was really hoping I would find something by now. That will help, but it will only be about half of what I was making at the firm. And there’s mysavings, but that’s nowhere near where I want it to be. Not when I had to get a new car last year after my used one kicked the bucket. Not when the price of everything seems to be going up. Not when my nine-year-old is growing like a weed and needs new clothes every couple of months.
Folding my arms, I look around the kitchen that’s been home since I was a kid. The place is a little big for me and Ash, a colonial-style house with three bedrooms and two floors—the kind of place I could never afford on my own, in a neighborhood I would never live in. We wouldn’t be living here if my grandma hadn’t left it to us in her will.
But while the mortgage is paid off, there are still property taxes, and we’re living in a fairly affluent part of Boston. If I can’t keep up with the taxes, we’ll have to move.
The thought makes me suck in a sharp breath. No. Things won’t get to that point.
“I don’t know what to do, Grandma,” I whisper to the silent kitchen. “I’m looking everywhere for a job.”
If she were here, she’d have a solution. She always did, and I’m still convinced the woman was a genius.
The sound of the front door opening makes me realize I’ve been crying. Quickly, I wipe away my tears and paste on a smile just in time for Ash to walk in the door. He’s sweaty and panting, and he immediately drops his backpack and goes right for a glass of water.
“How was Blake’s house?” I ask.
Since Ash’s friend Blake lives down the street, sometimes the two boys will ride home from school together and then hang out afterward.
“Good.” He swallows the whole glass in a few gulps. “He got a VR headset. It’s really cool.”
“That does sound really cool.” I try to keep my smile on and hope he doesn’t ask for a VR headset.
While he’s never wanted for the necessities, and we take a vacation here and there, the downside of living in this neighborhood is that Ash’s friends’ families have more money than us. Thankfully, it’s only a problem when Ash feels like he’s missing out because his friends are going skiing in Europe or on a month-long cruise.
“Mom, look.” Opening up his backpack, he pulls out a piece of paper and hands it over. “My class is going on a trip to DC! Can I go?”
I quickly scan the piece of paper, which lists the dates and other important information. My gaze lands on the price, and my breath catches in my throat.
I don’t even have that much money in my checking account right now. How can I pay for a trip like this?
“Um…” I keep reading the paper.
“It’s okay if I can’t,” he says, his tone changing. “I know you just lost your job, so we can’t spend money on some things.”
He’s being genuine, and it breaks my heart. But just then, I notice that the money for the trip isn’t due for a couple more months. Surely I can scrape together the money in that time.Either I’ll have found a new marketing job, or I’ll have gotten a job in another field.
If I need to, I’ll go back to waiting tables. I’ll even work doubles on the weekend if that’s necessary. Ash can stay with a friend, or maybe one of my friends can watch him. Whatever it takes to keep the bills paid and to send him on this trip.
“We can afford it.” I look up at him. “You can go.”
His eyes light up, and I know that I would workthreejobs if that’s what it takes to keep him happy. Not spoiled… but made to feel important. I wasn’t doted on growing up, and I’ve been careful not to do so with him. Given the opportunities his friends are given.
“Really?” He bounces on his toes. “Blake said it’s going to be amazing. We get to see the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Air and Space Museum.”
“It sounds wonderful.” I fold the permission slip carefully. “I’ll fill this out tonight.”
“Thanks, Mom.” He throws his arms around me in a quick hug before pulling back. “Can I call Blake and tell him?”
“Sure, but homework first.”
He groans but grabs his backpack and heads toward his room. I wait until I hear him settle into his desk chair before I let my shoulders sag.
The trip costs seven hundred dollars. Seven hundred dollars that would wipe out a good chunk of my emergency fund.
