Chapter 10

After changing into the warm, dry clothes, I emerged from the bathroom, feeling more human. I thanked them profusely, but they only smiled.

“If you don’t mind,” Kevin said, “you could work here for the time being, just until you find something else.”

The offer caught me off guard. My chest tightened with gratitude. “Thank you. I’ll think about it,” I said, with a cheerful smile .

As I left the restaurant, I waved down a cab. Once inside, I glanced at my phone and saw 15 missed calls. My heart sank,it was Mom. There were also several text messages:

“Where are you?”

“It’s late. Pick up your calls.”

“You’re getting me worried!”

The guilt weighed heavily as the cab pulled up in front of our house. The lights were still on, and I saw her pacing back and forth through the window.

The moment I stepped out, she ran to me, pulling me into a tight embrace. “You had me worried sick!” she exclaimed, stroking my hair and looking me over. “What happened? And what’s with these clothes?”

“Mom, let’s go inside,” I said, trying to dodge her questions. “I’ll explain everything in the morning. Right now, I just need to sleep.”

She opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw the exhaustion on my face. “Fine,” she said reluctantly.

We stepped inside, and as soon as the door closed, I blurted, “I lost my job.”

The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over. Mom pulled me into another hug, her embrace warm and comforting.

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay,” she whispered, stroking my back. “You’ll be fine. We’ll figure this out together.”

She guided me to my room and helped me lie down. “You need to eat,” she said gently, but I shook my head.

“I’m not hungry,” I mumbled.

Without pressing further, she kissed my forehead, whispered, “You’ll be fine,” and left the room, closing the door behind her.

As I curled up in bed, the weight of the night bore down on me. But even in the darkness, I refused to let the tears flow again. I wouldn’t break not now.

For the time being, I decided to pour all my energy into helping Mom at her children’s clothing store, a small, cozy place she had acquired a few years ago. I seldom went there before, but now it seemed like the perfect distraction while I searched for another job.

The store was always bustling with life, especially when the little ones came shopping with their parents. Their laughter and boundless energy filled the air, lightening my mood in ways I hadn’t expected. I had a natural way with kids; they trusted me instantly, and before long, I found myself surrounded by these tiny bundles of joy who treated me like their best friend.

One afternoon, I called Lisa to tell her about being fired.

“Wait, hold on!” Lisa said, her voice rising with excitement. “You had a fight with your boss? Girl, you rock! I mean, who does that? You’re tough, Luna, really tough.”

“Lisa, come on,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “It wasn’t intentional, alright? She just got on my nerves.”

“Ooooh, this I gotta hear! Spill the tea,” Lisa teased, her voice dripping with curiosity.

“Please, Lisa,” I said, groaning. “I don’t want to talk about it. Just keep an eye out for job vacancies for me, will you?”

“Of course! What are friends for?” she chirped.

After hanging up, I called Ryan as well. He was more serious about the matter, promising to spread the word and help me find something soon.

Meanwhile, I threw myself fully into helping Mom. Day after day, I greeted customers, rang up sales, and played with the kids who came in. Watching their faces light up when they found something they loved gave me a happiness I hadn’t expected. I laughed more than I had in weeks, and slowly, I began to forget about the chaos at the club and Romano.

After a long time, I finally felt normal. Simple. Peaceful.

There was this kid, Joey, who always comes around with his dad. Sometimes, they didn’t even buy anything; they just stopped by to say hello to mom and i .

Joey was the sweetest and brightest little soul, just a four-year-old bundle of joy. Whenever they visited, I spent time playing with him. Over time, he became like a baby brother to me.

“C’mon, Joey, time to go,” his dad, Mr. Daniels, would often say, but Joey always protested.

“No, Dad! Can’t we stay with Luna a bit longer?” he’d whine with his big, pleading eyes.

His dad, Mr. Daniels, was a man in his mid-thirties. Always dressed sharply in corporate attire, he carried himself with a composed and friendly demeanor. Joey adored him, and it was clear Mr. Daniels doted on his son.

One day, Joey had a new idea. “Dad, can we go grab ice cream with Luna?”

Mr. Daniels looked hesitant but couldn’t say no to his son’s eager face. “Alright, fine,” he finally said, and Joey squealed with joy.

I couldn’t resist his enthusiasm either. I gave my mom a quick peck on the cheek and joined them for ice cream.

After we got our cones, Joey piped up again. “Hey, Dad! Can we have lunch with Luna?”

“Joey!” I exclaimed, laughing nervously. “That’s not necessary.”

“No worries,” Mr. Daniels said, smiling. “At least let me get to know you better. It’s the least I can do for making Joey’s day.”

Reluctantly, I agreed, and we headed to a cozy restaurant nearby. Mr. Daniels ordered for us: grilled chicken sandwiches, Caesar salad, French fries, and lemonade for Joey, while we adults had iced tea.

Joey sat beside me, happily playing with his toy car, while Mr. Daniels sat across from us, looking relaxed.

“Okay, let me introduce myself properly,” he said. “I’m Daniels Peterson, a 35-year-old software engineer. I lost my wife two years ago, so it’s just been Joey and me since.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said softly, genuinely moved.

“Thank you. It’s been hard, but we’re doing okay.” He gave a small, sad smile before continuing. “What about you, Luna? Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m Luna Vargas, 21 years old. I recently lost my job as a waitress and am currently helping out at my mom’s clothing and accessories store,while looking for something new.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about the job,” Mr. Daniels said kindly. “So, what are you planning to do next?”

“Well, I majored in Business Administration, so I’m hoping to find something in that field,”or just anything  I replied, a bit unsure.

“That’s great!” he said, his enthusiasm catching me off guard. “I might actually know of some opportunities. If you’re interested, I can help.”

“Really?” I asked, excitement bubbling up. “That would be amazing!” nust anything would do, no matter how little it'll go a long way.

“Of course,” he said with a warm smile.