Chapter 4 #2
“Yes,” she said, with a smile. “I wasn’t even sure that I would, but each day is unique,” she shared, “and I’m definitely not against that. I don’t know what I’ll do when I’m out of this program and don’t have a job lined up though. That’s my next concern.”
“And is that something your supervisor will have lined up for you?”
“Well, I’m not sure she will do that for me in particular,” she clarified, “but the hope is that I’ll find a local job, and a good reference from her will go a long way. As difficult as she can be, she has a stellar reputation when it comes to the quality of graduates she vouches for.”
“Have you even applied?”
“No, I haven’t done anything like that, just because I haven’t had a whole lot of peace of mind.
For the longest time I was planning on getting as far out of town as I could,” she shared, “but now that Sterling is here, plus Grandpa too, I would like to spend more time with them. And Sterling’s offered me the opportunity to stay on the farm as long as I need to, and that would be huge if I could get a job here and maybe get some of my student loan paid down. ”
She sighed. “At the end of it all, it just seems like it’s so much,” she murmured. “The debt is high. I’m still in school, and I haven’t had a chance to get any of it knocked down yet, so … just another source of stress.”
“And that is a long-term stress you can let go of right now,” he told her. “Focus your energy on getting through these next two weeks. Get some rest, and I’ll talk to you in the morning.” And, with that, he disconnected.
She raced into the shower, and, by the time she came back down, she was in a much better mood.
“Did you call him?” Sterling asked.
“I did,” she confirmed, giving him a smile. “He just wanted to know that I got home safe.”
“Are you okay with his attention?” he asked her curiously, and she nodded immediately.
“Yeah, I am. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anybody looking out for me.” He winced, and so did she. “Sorry,” she muttered.
Sterling shook his head. “No, I get it. I think we’re both in the same boat when it comes to the nightmares our family put us through.”
“Right. It’s nice to have somebody care.”
“Sure, it’s nice to have somebody care,” he repeated, “but you also need to care in return.”
She chuckled. “I would love to have a chance to find that out. It’s just that we need a little bit of time, and finishing school means I don’t really have time for anything else, at least not for two weeks.
And that’s pretty much what Joel told me, to just focus on these next two weeks, and everything else can come after that. ”
“And he’s right,” Sterling agreed, giving her a big smile. “You get those two weeks done, and everything else is bound to feel so much easier.”
“I hope so,” she muttered, looking over at him, “because, damn, I’ve been through an awful lot just to get to this point.”
“You’ve been through a lot, outside of putting yourself through nursing school. But now you’re almost there, so keep your foot on the gas pedal a little longer.”
“And nothing from Richard or anybody else today?” she asked.
“Not yet,” he replied cheerfully. She winced, and he had to laugh. “I know. You don’t want to hear not yet, but you and I both know that we’ll deal with whatever issues as they come.”
She nodded. “And what’s going on with Lindsey?”
“Well, Lindsey is not coming in tonight. She had some blowups at work today.”
“I heard she will help you with the dogs, deciding which ones are picked to be trained. I want to help too, but after this two-week period of hell. Seems like all of us are gluttons for punishment. Nobody ever gets completely away from work coming at us from all angles, do they?”
“Nope, but she’s good people and takes her work seriously. And she’s great with the dogs.”
“She is, indeed, and I’m really happy for you two,” she shared. “I don’t know if I’ve told you that before.”
He looked at her in surprise and shook his head. “You didn’t, and that’s okay. Honestly, the relationship part of us is still moving forward at a snail’s pace.”
“Sure”—she snickered—“a snail on rocket fuel.”
He burst out laughing at that. “Okay, so maybe both of us feel like we’ve lost out on a lot in life, and we may be picking up the pace now, but we’re both still kind of catching our breath too. It was all so unexpected, you know?”
“I get it, and I couldn’t be happier for you,” she said in delight. “And, if you need me out of here, you just tell me.”
“I’m fine,” he told her immediately. “It’s actually nice to have somebody here, and it’s nicer still to have some family in my life,” he added, with a smile.
“Ditto,” she muttered. “Who knew that what my mother, your aunt, was trying to do would end up with the exact opposite result?”
He laughed. “I think it’s appropriate though.”
“It absolutely is,” she declared, with a big grin on her face. Then she sniffed the air and asked, “What’s for dinner, and is Grandpa eating with us?”
“You know Grandpa. He wants to savor his independence, even if it’s just to cook some eggs and toast in his little cabin.
Yet he knows he can join us at any time for any meal.
Plus, one night this week he has his buddies picking him up for a game of poker.
Meanwhile, I’ve got pork chops marinating, if you’re okay with that. ”