Faith and Lies (Vera Reid, Reid Family Book #2)

Part 1

"You're still here?" Amber shook her head as she walked towards Vera, who hadn't look up from her computer, but only broke a gentle smile. That woman was full of gentle smiles- the comforting kind that made her so popular and loved among her clients. 

"Still a lot of work to do." Vera said softly, stopping only to take her hair out of her ponytail and shake it out. She extended her arms and stretched with a sigh, before tying her hair up once again. 

"I don't know how you do it." Amber said, sitting across from Vera. 

"The same way you do?" Vera asked, looking up as she noticed the coffee that Amber brought her. "OH, THANK  YOU."

"Yeah... except this is my job. Like my job-job." Amber said.

"This is my job, too." Vera replied, going back to the computer. 

"No, this is the job you do after you leave your job-job." Amber said with a grin. "You're here evenings and Saturdays... when do you get any rest?"

"When do you?" Vera asked, pointing to the clock on the wall. "It's after 5pm."

"I had some extra work to cover." Amber said with a sigh, "You know, Vera. We appreciate your help- you know as well as anyone how important our work is to the people we serve but... you have to make sure to take time for yourself."

It was true, Vera was always here, which was strange considering she had a full time job. It was always the same, as soon as she left her parent's office where she worked on the legal team, she was here. She'd been providing them with pro bono legal services since almost the moment she passed the bar exam. Before then, she'd worked as an intern long after her internships were completed. Vera had demonstrated a keen interest and deep passion for helpings those less fortunate, specifically the immigrant community. An asylum case could easily take up to 100 hours of time and Vera was never one to turn down a case. 

"I can't stop." Vera said with a sigh, taking a sip of coffee. "I only wish I could be here as long as you are."

"You know the doors are open. I'd be happy to have you as full time staff." Amber replied. Vera ignored the comment, laughing it off but she'd thought it about hundreds... thousands of times. She loved the work she did here, and it was true that she often wished she could be here more. 

While her intention in going to law school was always to specialize in corporate law and work for her parents, Vera had found early on that her real passion was in helping people.  

"You know I can't abandon my parents." Vera said and Amber frowned. 

"Abandon them?" Amber said, shaking her head. "You're 24... almost 25, and you told me yourself that they have a high powered legal team on staff full time."

"Yeah, that's true." Vera said, "But it's complicated."

Amber nodded. She'd heard this enough times. Vera had an unwavering sense of loyalty, particularly to her family, especially to her parents. That was probably how it should be, after all, Amber had met the Reids before and knew they were good people with good intentions. She'd known Vera for almost ten years now, having met her as a volunteer when she was a freshman in high school along with her sister, Romy. Back then, Amber was a new attorney, just starting out with the organization, a non profit that provided legal and social services for immigrants. Romy was the beautiful and perfectionist overachiever, while Vera was a kind and dedicated giver. She took an instant liking to the both of them. 

"Well, I'm done for the night." Amber said, standing, "But please, promise you won't stay late."

"Not tonight. I'm just finishing up some things- probably be gone before 7." Vera said, smiling at her as she walked out.