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Before I left, I committed the room to memory with one last scan. If Mom cleaned up before I came back, I would notice. Out of the corner of my eye, something silver glinted in a sliver of sunlight slicing through the drawn curtains. I looked down, and there, near the front door, were my car keys. I blinked at them a few times, unsure what I was seeing.
"I can't believe it," I murmured, more to myself.
"What was that?"
"I found the keys, Mom."
"Okay. Take the car, then." You'll have to figure out how to dump the rental, though. I'm not doing it."
While I waited for a ride back to my car from the rental drop-off, I pulled my phone out of my bag for the first time. I had notifications from everyone important, including Raph.
Raph: How are the designs coming along?
He'd sent the message last night, just a few minutes after my phone died. I cringed as I replied nearly a day later.
Lia: Sorry for the late reply. I sent my first draft for the plans to my boss last night. As soon as I hear back, I'll send them out.
With that taken care of, I pulled up my conversation with Shell.
Lia: I got the car back!!
I dumped my phone back in my bag when my ride arrived. For the first time, I left Mom's with more than I came with. She let me in, gave me something, and promised to take step to fix the house. I was happy to let myself believe her, at least for a little while.
Apart from some fast food wrappers, the car was in good shape. My hopes hadn't been high, but relief flooded my veins when the engine turned over.
I filled up the gas tank and ditched the garbage at the convenience store, picked up a fruity air freshener, and set off for home brimming with optimism.
On the drive, my mind drifted to Derrick and Raphael. I couldn't afford to let them go so long without an answer. I hadn't gotten to my email, and whatever messaged I had would be a day neglected by the time I got home. At least this was a onetime circumstance.
The last forty-eight hours had been a major trial; my head swam, trying to keep everything straight. Touring the building site with Raphael, dealing with Derrick throwing his gratuitous weight around, driving all the way to Mom's, taking her to the doctor, then driving all the way back the next day.
I still wasn't done, but my body begged for sleep.
I dropped my purse and keys on the counter when I finally made it back to my comfort zone, far away from my childhood home. The apartment was quiet, no sign of Shell. There was too much to do, and I was behind, so I had to get caught up before I quit for the day.
I wandered back to my bedroom, grabbed my comfiest lounge clothes, and threw all my dirty stuff into the hamper. After spending time at Mom's, I desperately needed a shower. Non-negotiable. The car needs to be detailed as well. My head spun with the ever-growing pile of obligations.
I called the doctor's office and left him a message about Mom so he could follow up as he saw fit, and hit the bathroom to scrub the first layer of skin from my body.
The heat of the spray had my eyelids drooping, but I couldn't give in. There was still too much to do. Armed with my fuzzy pajamas, a glass of wine, and my laptop, I flopped onto the couch to finish catching up so I could start the week as strong as possible.
I pulled up my work email and scanned the list for Derrick's name. All I had was his auto-response for being out of the office.
Again with the power plays.
I groaned and pulled up an email to Raphael. But what could I say? I stared at the blank message, tapping my chin. I didn't want to leave him hanging, but I was supposed to wait for Derrick's approval. My boss's inaction threatened my project. Raph hadn't responded to my earlier message, but I still wanted to follow up.
I clicked into my design and fiddled with it until the apartment door burst open. Shell stood in the doorway panting like she ran up the stairs. I smirked.
"I guess this one was better than Thursday Night Guy?"
"He was so cute! We went to this club up in the city, then I crashed at his place when we got back. We were so beat from dancing, we didn't even hook up. Then, last night, we did another club. It was like seven in the morning when we got back, but I'm seeing him again next weekend. Maybe."
I shook my head as she waltzed back to the bathroom. Nothing seemed to get to that girl. I had no idea where she found the motivation to live like that. Not that I was so old I had to be in bed by eight, but Shell acted like she was still twenty-one. Thirty was going to be knocking down our doors any minute.
It wasn't that unreasonable for me to want my nights at home, was it? My overfull schedule left me exhilarated and exhausted. Mostly exhausted.
I double-checked my edits, then shut the laptop lid. That hour of work had felt like days. At least the project looked great. Raph would like it. Never in my design career had I poured so much effort into one project, but I'd never been so inspired. All it took was someone giving me a chance, and there it was; the most intricate and superlative work of my career. It was nearly perfect.
