So I asked the first dumb thing that came to mind.
“How are you feeling?”
She smiled.
“Like someone who got a second chance yesterday morning.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding since the day before.
“That’s good. That’s really good.”
She glanced around the lobby.
“So you do work here.”
I hesitated.
Then I held up the empty box.
“Actually, I used to.”
Her brow furrowed.
“What do you mean?”
I could have lied.
Could have shrugged it off.
Could have said something vague and polite.
But there was something about her face that made honesty feel easier than pride.
“I got fired yesterday,” I said. “For showing up late.”
The smile faded from her mouth.
“Late because of me.”
I gave a helpless little half-shrug.
“Because of everything, I guess.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“No,” she said quietly. “Because of me.”
