18

There were days I didn’t want to get out of bed.

Sleep was that basic necessity that was sometimes hard to get enough of. And coupled with the loads of manuscripts Mr. Sturm ensured I took home with me every fucking day of the week, I wasn’t even sleeping my normal eight-hour ration. I always stayed up late till two, cutting down sleep time to four and when my alarm went off at five I was too groggy to even move. Some nights Cora stayed up with me to chat as I worked. Sometimes when I fell asleep on my makeshift desk near the window, she piled the manuscripts away and helped me to bed.

“You’re not going easy on yourself, Elaine,” she told me one Monday morning as we were having breakfast. Finn was already ready for school and was finishing up his homework on the sofa while I had taken my bath but hadn’t dressed up yet. “I understand that you’re a go-getter. You’re hardworking and hates having work piled up but don’t you think you should take good care of your health first? It’s taking