Broken Strings

Eight

"Fine, you're right. But really, you and Travis have to come visit me once I leave in September." 

"Sure." Even if she wasn't entirely positive that she and Travis would still betogether in September. 

It wasn't that she didn't like Travis or was foreseeing an inevitable breakup, but they had just never talked about things long-term. Their relationship was spoken of in hours and days – not weeks and months. As if it wasn't guaranteed that they would be together that long. 

That suited Ginger just fine. She wasn't tied to anything, could leave and never look back if she had the funds and the mental willpower to go. A serious relationship meant roots. It meant staying here in Oklahoma where maybeshe'd take over Mr. Kaufman's accounting firm like her mother had suggested. Even if she hadn't even spoken to the accountant yet about what his job was like, she already had a guess as to what it was that she'd endure if she followed that route. 

A life spent hunched over a desk, punching numbers, never seeing anything more than the inside of an office building ...Ginger was already bored. 

"Speaking of Travis, how'd he do at thatrodeo? He's back home, right?" 

Ginger nodded and lowered her camera from where she'd been angling it through the foliage towards a squirrel climbing on a tree. "Yeah, he got back from Amarillo the other day. He came in second which he said he was happy with." 

"You two doing anything to celebrate?" 

"Not tonight. I've got to work this afternoon, remember?" 

"Right," Cassie said with a glance towards her watch. "Guess we should probably be heading back soon then, huh?" 

Ginger nodded. "Probably. Annie will kill me if I'm late." 

Cassie snorted. "No, she won't. You're her favourite employee. She likes you even better than Beth, and that's her own niece!" 

"It's only because I'm willing to take every single closing shift and extra overtime. Anything to pad my bank account." 

"You still looking into art schools? There are good ones in New York." Cassie nudged Ginger's arm with her elbow. 

"I know," Ginger said dryly. "Because I'm the one who told you about them. My parents are pushing me to apply to this accounting program at the University of Oklahoma. Apparently, Mr. Kaufman is looking for someone to take over his business when he retires. My mom wants to set up a meeting between he and I next week." 

For a moment, Cassie said nothing. Then, she burst out laughing. The birds and other wildlife in the woods around them fell silent. "You're not serious? Ginge – If you go into accounting instead ofphotography, then you're making the biggest mistake of your life." 

Ginger tried not to let her relief show, but it was nice to have someone else confirm her thoughts. Sure, it was only Cassie who, since they had become friends in preschool, had been Ginger's biggest supporter. Even when Ginger's dreams seemed crazy or outlandish, it was always Cassie who told her that she could do it. 

And so it was Cassie's words that replayed over and over in Ginger's head throughout the start of her shift at Annie's Diner. The restaurant was mostly empty – odd for aSaturday. But Ginger supposed the weather was nice, summer feeling as if it were in full-swing though it was onlythe first weekend in June. 

Her mind kept drifting back to the wildlife refuge, wishing that she could have stayed longer, rather than babysit a near-empty diner. 

Instead, she wiped at a spot on the counter. Over and over until it was gone. She checked on her one table – a family with two little toddlers – and then went back to absentmindedly cleaning.