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“Goodbye Molly.” I held my head up high to avoid any more tear spillage and caught sight of the clock again.
6:58.
In mere minutes, my life had changed.
“Why the hell did I get up early for this?” I muttered as I balanced the box on my hip and pressed the elevator button.
Manny wasn’t around, and John was busy with other customers when I got to the lobby.
It was for the best. They weren’t the first people I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to, and this way, we avoided a spectacle. I wasn’t sure if I could utter the words “I got fired” and not burst into tears.
Shame burned through me as curious onlookers stared at my box and narrowed their eyes. They were headed to their jobs, judging me for losing mine.
My car awaited me in the parking garage and I crumbled into the driver’s seat after sliding my box into the trunk.
Giving myself five minutes to cry, I wiped away the tears and touched up my makeup in the mirror. It was just after seven. Bryce would still be home. I could go to his apartment and commiserate with him before he had to go to his job. It was a factory position that he complained about endlessly, but it was at least a job.
We had plans to buy a house together. With me unemployed, those dreams would take longer than we hoped.
I wanted to rage and scream, but I couldn’t. I was tired of feeling sad for myself.
So what? I lost my job.
I could find another one. Sure, unemployment in Vancouver was at an all-time high, but there was no reason Blue Visor Tech wouldn’t give me a solid reference. At least, I hoped.
As I pulled out of the parking garage, I listed the things I was grateful for:
A boyfriend who had put up with me for over a year so far—my personal best!
A warm place to lay my head tonight.
And a best friend who would be waiting for me at home.
Okay, three things weren’t a lot, but it was a good start.
I also didn’t have to get up early tomorrow. That was a bonus. My body didn’t like the hasty wake up this morning, and I barely felt awake as I got on the freeway and sped toward Bryce’s.
Noticing a cop car ahead, I lowered my speed. The last thing I needed was a ticket right when my income had turned to—well, zero.
I exhaled after I passed the speed trap and carried on, music blaring. My throat stung from screaming the chorus of I Write Sins Not Tragedies at such an ungodly hour, but the sting rounded out the therapy session, adding a bite that distracted me from my own problems.
Listening to someone sing about infidelity really put my problems into focus. I was okay. After I found another job, I’d be excellent.
“To all the exes that said I blew things out of proportion,” I shouted to the freeway and stuck my tongue out. “Look at me now.”
The last notes of Panic! At The Disco rang through my speakers as I got off at the next exit and drove through Bryce’s neighborhood. The streets were bustling with people headed to work and I waved to a few familiar faces.
This place felt like home, but I wasn’t exactly sure why I hadn’t moved in with him yet. When Bryce had asked me to move in with him a few months ago, I told him no. My place was the last home my brother had lived in and I wasn’t ready to leave. It was the only reason I could offer Bryce.
The no had slipped out of me with no real thought, but it felt right and he didn’t push me.
After a string of boyfriends who were way too comfortable telling me all my problems, Bryce was refreshing. He was laid back and always had a smile on his face.
My best friend didn’t trust him, but then, Sebastian didn’t trust a lot of people. And after my dating history, I guess I wouldn’t either.
But Bryce was different.
I turned my music off and slowed down as I pulled into the parking lot for his apartment block. The tenants were allowed one permanent parking spot and one visitor spot, but this morning, someone had taken the visitor spot. At least Bryce’s car was next to it, so I knew he was home and my drive wasn’t in vain.
