“Yeah, well, life sucks.”
“But it still goes on.”
Five hours later, Anna wasn’t sure how much more going on she could do with Jules’s snarls. When Jules ordered Anna to leave for lunch, she was more than happy to take her thermo book and her normal Monday ham sandwich and fruit cup to the break room on the second floor.
Because the kitchen next to the lab was too close.
Anna cracked her thermo notes, and Shirley walked in.
“Morning okay?” Shirley asked.
“Work’s getting done.”
“Not what I asked.”
She held up her hands. “I don’t know what to do.”
Shirley poured herself a cup of coffee and sat. “There’s never a right thing to do. You do the best you can.” She poked Anna’s book. “How’s class?”
“I’m learning a lot.” Whether her grade would reflect it was another matter. Even if Kaci was right about Dr. Kelly using a grading curve, a couple of smarty-pants teenagers in Anna’s class would probably blow it for her.
Brats.
“Must enjoy it for how much you’re studying,” Shirley said dryly.
Anna cringed. “The semester started out rough, but I really am learning a lot.”
“You registered for classes for next semester yet?”
“I sign up next week.”
Shirley leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. “There’s no degree requirement to take the first fuels certification here.”
The sandwich sat on her tongue like sawdust. She worked it around a bit, then swallowed it and followed it with a gulp of water. She’d been putting off the certifications while she concentrated on her degree, but Shirley had a look. “Would that allow me to more actively participate in the lab?”
“Since you’re working on your degree and have a year of experience, it’s highly likely. HR would have to clear it, aswould safety and the base contracting officer, but I don’t think that would be a problem.”
“Are we expanding operations?”
“Possibly in the civil sector, but it’s a distant possibility. I’m not counting on it.”
Anna’s pulse bumped. “Jules is very good at her job.”
“Technically, yes.” Shirley’s pale eyes didn’t waver. “But she’s a military wife now.”
Her breathing evened out. Bradwouldeventually move, and Jules would go with him. “What happens if they PCS before I’m done with my degree?”
“Contract world, kid. Everything’s negotiable.”
Sounded win-win. Especially with the experience she’d have on her resume when she was finally done with her degree. “Where do I sign up, and who do I need to talk to?”
“Check your email. It’s all there.” Shirley stood and took her coffee with her. “Good luck this afternoon.”
Anna had no doubt she’d need it. But diving back into thermo wasn’t nearly the chore it had felt like a few minutes ago. Her life was finally turning around.
A week later,Anna was so frustrated at work, she actually enjoyed the break of taking her thermo final. At the very least, it turned her brain to jelly so she couldn’t remember how Shirley kept popping into the lab and how Jules kept sniping at Shirley. Anna did her best to stay out of everyone’s way while she started on her fuels specialist level one certification. She scheduled a vacation day for the Friday after finals, and she intended to use every minute of it to sit around and remind herself that she could do this.
Then she’d spend Saturday and Sunday studying certification materials.
