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And she was never going to be good enough.
It was time for her to change.
Pressing her hands on the bathroom counter, she glared at her reflection. “You are useless and you’re not good enough. You are going to change this, for good.”
She nodded at her reflection, changed back into her clothes, and then headed toward the kitchen. She refused to listen to that part of her brain that seemed to be asking her why, that there was nothing wrong with the way she ate or the way she looked.
Those pictures were the last straw. There was no way she could endure another Christmas of being berated for just existing on more than a celery stick. It was time to change.
Those diets her mother had put her on filled her with misery, but she had a way of doing it herself. She’d find something and some way to make this all work.
Once in her kitchen, she found a large box and then opened each cupboard, taking out the cans of food that were not healthy—even soup that registered too many calories or fat.
Filling the box, she found another and did the same. Once she was finished, she had three boxes of food. She lifted one in her arms and made her way out to her car. One by one, the three boxes were loaded into her car. There was no way she was throwing the food out. She needed to get to work, and on the way was a food bank.
Checking the time, she saw it was a little after seven, so she would simply leave the food boxes outside the door. Aria looked over the boxes to make sure there was no indication they had come from her. She went back into her home, grabbed a couple of apples for lunch, her bag, and went back outside.
On a Saturday, it was always a slow day but a casual one at the veterinary practice where she worked. It was a new one that had been set up on the outskirts of town, and when she had seen they were looking for reception staff, she had jumped at the chance and gotten the job.
She made the journey into town, leaving the boxes of food outside the food bank. It was early enough so no one would see her.
Aria drove toward the outskirts of town where the veterinary practice was and parked in one of the few available parking spaces. The building was quite small, and she had heard that some of the vets were hoping to expand.
She didn’t know much about veterinary medicine, but answering phones, booking appointments and stuff like that, she could do. She’d been working for the practice for six months, and it had been an emotional six months. Aria hadn’t realized how many animal lovers there were in Carnage.
She didn’t know where they went before Animal Lovers opened, but now they brought their pets to them, and she was thankful for it. They also didn’t mind paying, which was a bonus. The more people that came, the longer the practice would remain open, and she’d have a job. Yay.
The practice was closed as she arrived, but that was fine. She had been given a key by Phil, the man who had set the practice up with his wife, Andy. Both were vets, and both were amazing people.
They helped to put not only the owners at ease, but also the pets as well. They saw a great deal as well—dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, there had even been a snake—and a few other things Aria had struggled to deal with.
The tarantula had terrified her. She had wanted to put tape or some other adhesive all over the box to keep that furry thing contained. Instead, she just avoided looking at it. Gross.
She opened the doors, switched on the light, and listened to the few animals that had to stay overnight. Two dogs and three cats.
Locking the door behind her, she walked toward the back and stepped into the small kennels. The heat had been put on low. Whenever they had patients, Phil and Andy insisted on there being heating, as well as cameras. She was aware of someone watching the pets at all times.
They had asked her whenever she came in to open, if she would just check on them first before opening any other part of the shop. So, that is what she did. She never wanted to startle the pets. They were wonderful.
“Good morning,” she said softly. “I hope you guys remember me. I’m Aria Taylor, from the front desk, and I cannot believe I’m even talking to you like this.” She rolled her eyes, but this is what she did. She always talked to the pets as if they were people who understood what she said.
She had always wanted a dog, a cat, or both. The first kennel had a cocker spaniel doggy, Billie. She smiled in at him, and his tail flicked from side to side. “I hope you’re feeling better.” His tail wagged.
She moved down to the Jack Russell, Martha, and did the same, before heading to the three cats, Trixie, Ainsley, and Betty. After her visit with them, she made her way through the practice and began to open and check the rooms.
The main heating wasn’t on, so she made her way toward the back, where Phil and Andy had given her the tour. After flicking on the heat, her next place was the staff room. She set up the coffeepot, flicked it on, and waited for a cup.
She opened the fridge, only to pause as she thought about it. There was no cream or milk. She closed the fridge, grabbed a mug, and waited for the coffee. Pouring herself a generous cup, she walked out toward her desk. She was the only receptionist they had on staff, and she didn’t mind working the six days a week they were open.
Phil and Andy did also work on Sundays but that was for emergency calls. They didn’t ask her to work, but she was more than happy to.
Making excuses for not attending Sunday lunch with her family was imperative. She had yet to find something reasonable. Working sounded a lot better than listening to her parents moan about what she had or hadn’t done.
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and then sat down in her chair. It was no good thinking about her parents. That was not the best way to start her morning. Blowing across the rim of her cup, she took a sip and wrinkled her nose.
This was a new leaf of her life. There was no time for moaning or hating black coffee. She would learn to like it. Taking another sip, she attempted not to shudder. By the sixth sip, she was more than used to it.
Smiling to herself, she flicked open the appointment book and saw they were already fully booked. With the appointments open, she got to her feet and made her way toward the filing cabinet. Phil and Andy insisted on keeping a record of their patients. She flicked the lock from the set of keys she was given and found the appointments for that day, lining them up in the tray. As she finished, Andy arrived, shaking as she did so.
