She resumed her show, but I sat there beside her, my chest tightening with each breath.
That night, I called Lyra. She answered on the second ring, loud music blaring in the background.
“Rey! Hold on!” The noise got quieter and I heard a door close. “Okay. Sorry. Dorm room party. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to check in. How are your classes going?”
“Classes are great. I’m acing everything. Professor Michaels says I have a natural instinct for patient care.” She sounded so happy and proud. “How’s the job? How’s living with Dr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding?”
I’d told her about moving in with Riven a few weeks back when she asked me why Mom was with Aunt Evelyn and not home. I didn’t want to tell her anything about what was happening, but Mom had already given her part of it.
I smiled despite myself. "It's fine."
“Just fine? Come on. Give me details.”
“There aren’t any details.”
“Liar. I can hear it in your voice. Something happened.”
I hesitated. “Someone offered me a different job today.”
“What?!” She shrieked loud enough that I pulled the phone from my ear. “Oh my god! That’s amazing! What kind of job? Where? How much does it pay? Tell me everything!”
"Private cardiac hospital. Specialized unit."
“Reya, that’s incredible! This is exactly what you’ve been working toward!” Lyra paused. “You’re going to take it, right?”
My grip tightened around my phone. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? This is huge!”
“I know it’s huge. I just need to think about it.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“A lot of things. Mom. Where she’d stay. How I’d move everything. Whether I can even afford a new place yet with just barely any savings.” I rubbed my face. “It’s not that simple.”
“Mom’s doing fine with Aunt Evelyn. And you could find a place near the new hospital. Start fresh.” Her voice softened. “This is a good opportunity. You’ve earned this.”
“I know,” I mumbled.
“But?” she probed.
“Nothing. I just need time to figure out the logistics.”
We talked for another twenty minutes. About her classes, campus life, and everything except the real questions lying between us.
When we hung up, I sat in my room staring at August’s card on the nightstand.
Better pay. Better opportunities.
I could finally afford a proper apartment. Get Mom out of Aunt Evelyn's crowded house and give her the space and quiet she desperately needed for recovery. I could start paying down the medical debt instead of watching it grow. Maybe even save money instead of living perpetually paycheck to paycheck.
This was what I needed. What I'd been working toward for years.
So why did the thought of leaving make my stomach ache?
I thought about logistics. Finding an apartment near St. Catherine's, moving the few belongings still in storage from our old place.
