“Oh, I wasn’t paying her. She did it for free because she gets bored.”
My frown deepened. “Well, I don’t want to put a financial strain on you just so you can create this job for me.”
“I’m very blessed financially, darlin’. Don’t you worry about that,” he replied.
I was silent. There was nothing left to argue about.
“Well, fine, if you’re still offering, I’d like to interview for the job.” I sat up a little taller.
“No need. You’re hired.”
My stomach warmed at his kindness. “Well, alright. When do you want me to start?”
“Whenever you want,” he answered. He made things too easy.
“And what salary are you offering?” If it was too low, I’d have to politely decline.
“How much do you want?” he asked.
“Seth!” I scolded him. It seemed like I could ask for the moon and he’d give it to me.
“Sixty thousand a year?” he said, sounding unsure. “And you can work part-time when the baby comes but still keep your benefits.”
Sixty! That was more than I’d made at the dental office.
“Alright, I accept. Thank you.” I felt my throat tighten with emotion. This was a kindness I wouldn’t soon forget. It felt like a weight had been lifted from me.
“Also, Maggie says see you tonight?” he added. It was Wednesday.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll see her tonight, and I’ll start Monday if that’s okay.”
“Fine by me, Ella. See you then.”
We both hung up.
I rubbed my flat belly and began to feel excited about the prospect of a baby and a future where I could pay the mortgage and actually put food on the table.
“I think we got this,” I told him or her.
That night at Widow Club, my own term of endearment, no one acted any differently towards me, so I knew that Maggie hadn’t breathed a word of my condition. I had a nice night, and we were just about to leave when Ruthie made an announcement.
“Alright now, we all know how lonely the holidays can get, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve decided to host at my house this year. I know a lot of you have families to be with, but if you’re alone, then please stop by my place.”
The girls all began to shout out their thanks to Ruthie as I processed what she’d just said.
Thanksgiving. Christmas. Holidays without James. And just like that, the depression crawled back over me like an old friend. I’d been celebrating holidays with James for years. There wasn’t a Christmas tree in my adult life that I had decorated without him. The holidays were his favorite time of year. We had all of these fun traditions, and before I knew what was happening, I burst into tears in front of everyone.
Silly hormones.
The room went silent, and Ruthie rushed forward. “Oh no. What’s wrong?”
I waved her off, wiping at my cheeks. “Oh, nothing. I just forgot about the holidays coming up.”
The room gave a collectiveaww, and then they all rushed in and hugged me. Luckily, my mom would be here for Thanksgiving, but I wasn’t sure about Christmas. Maybe I’d go see her in Paris if I could afford it. Then, I could ignore all the traditions we would do at home. My mom’s tiny apartment in Paris probably didn’t even have room for a tree.
“My first holiday without Jim was the worst. I don’t recommend going it alone. Come to Ruthie’s,” May told me.
I smiled, wiping my cheeks. “I’ll be fine. My mom’s coming. I just hadn’t really thought about it.”
