Not a thing to eat. Two days passed since Emma lost her job. She had taken the last fifty dollars to put time on her phone. Hope was fading fast while waiting to hear back from the doughnut shop. At least she had the basics to feed to Mia. It was a good thing that child wasn't a finicky eater like some kids her age. Last night she was more than happy to eat a can of o' spaghetti while Emma settled for an egg sandwich. After buying that phone card, it set her back even more. Hopefully, she would find work soon and then she'd make up the difference she owed on her rent. In the meantime, she paid the local food bank a visit and was able to acquire a bit of food for the table for the week. She hated having to go to such a place to ask for food, but what was she to do, no job meant there was no money to pay bills.
Still, she had no word from Noah either. Had he run out on her after all? She had tried his cell phone number several times but only got his answering service. Was he avoiding her? She racked her brain trying to think of reasons why he wouldn't want to talk to her. This wasn't like him. Maybe there was another woman involved. No, that couldn't be it, could it?
Don't doubt yourself or Noah. Don't start now. We have to get through this box of lemons. Mia is counting on you, she told herself. Why didn't she believe things could get better?
When Mia got out of school, they would go for a walk to the park. That was sure to empty those thoughts out of her head and pull her out of this rut she was in. Being around a friend or two might help. Someone, she could bend their ear and give her a bit of sympathy or better yet, advice.
Mia was more than happy to go to the park after school. She didn't mind having to walk the two blocks to get there. Emma wasn't much of an exerciser. Most times she would drive to everywhere she needed to go. Right now, she was better off saving her gas as much as possible, especially if she were to get a call for an interview.
"Mama, I want to swing."
"Just be careful. I will be right over here sitting next to Kendra."
Mia ran off to swing with her friends without a care or worry. The innocence of being a child, what Emma would give to have a life where she could play all day and never have a worry or care? Such was life, especially when it was filled with lemons.
"I don't know what to do," Emma said. "I can't find work anywhere."
Kendra began to rattle off a bunch of businesses looking to hire, unfortunately, Emma wasn't qualified for any of the positions. "You could try the hospital, they might need a housekeeper."
"I don't feel that would be a good fit for me."
"You need to find something. Why not take whatever you could find for now and keep looking for what you want?"
Emma sighed. Kendra made it sound easier than done. She should never have dropped out of school, by lacking even a GED, made it all the harder to find another job. Why wouldn't the doughnut shop call her back? Her cell phone didn't vibrate once since filling out the application.
"You should ask Noah to help you find work. I'm sure he has connections somewhere."
"I haven't heard from Noah. It's not like him to go this long without at least calling me."
"Oh – and you tried to call him?"
"Of course I called him. All I get is his answering service."
"Something must be up. Maybe Noah is busy with work. There's been a rash of fires breaking out. Last weekend there was a five alarm fire just down the street from me. A firefighter got hurt in that fire when he saved a child. They never released the guy's name. Maybe Noah got stuck covering the man's shift for him while he recovers."
"Yeah, perhaps." The thought didn't help Emma feel any better. Noah should have called her by now to let her know what was up with him. It had better not be another woman. "I guess I should get Mia home for her bath. I'll see you sometime tomorrow and let you know how I make out with my job hunt."
"Keep your chin up, girl. When a door shuts, a window always opens, just keep looking for that window."
"I will." Emma doubted there were any windows open in her life right now. If she found one, she would shove that box of lemons out of it and never look back.
"Mama, can I have some lemonade when we get home?"
Emma cringed. For some reason, she was beginning to hate anything to do with lemons.
"Yes, sweetie. I think we have some Ade left at home."
A smile formed on Mia's face while she joined hands with her mother. By the time they got home, thankfully her daughter had forgotten all about her prior request as Emma drew the bath water.
Tomorrow was another day, maybe the window would open, and Noah would show up to fix the day. In the meantime, Kendra was right, she should look into the housekeeping position at the hospital. That was a business that tended to have a few benefits attached to the job. She was running out of time anyways. The longer she went without a job the further in debt she would find herself. Desperate times called for lowering your employment expectations. As far as the pay scale went, this job couldn't possibly pay any less than the market paid.
Friday's mail brought a pile of bills that needed to be paid along with the second notice for the other half of the unpaid rent. She probably should pay the manager a visit and let them know what was going on in her life and why the rest of the rent money was late. This wasn't the first time in her life the rent money was delayed. The last time was Christmas. Emma allowed her finances to back up while she bought the last minute presents that were on layaway. Her choice was either to pay off the layaway or let the items be canceled instead. The later would have cost a restocking fee that she really didn't want to pay. Mia really was hoping for those gifts from Santa. It would break Emma's heart if she had to give in and let those things go back on the shelf. They would indeed be gone within a day. Then there would be no hope of ever having the chance to give Mia a Christmas children dream of.
Management was a little angry with her, but Emma recovered financially within a month or two. All she needed that time was her income tax refund.
Income taxes weren't for another six months. The apartment manager wouldn't wait that long. There had to be a way she could come up with the rest of the rent money. Maybe babysit for someone. That would be easier said than done, but you never know. She would put a note on the community board at the library. She was going there this afternoon to do a bit of job hunting over the internet. The first job she would apply for would be the housekeeping job. Hopefully, they hadn't filled the job yet.
She checked her phone one more time on her way out the door. Still nothing from Noah. If only she had asked him for the phone numbers of his family. But she hadn't wanted to pry into his family life. That was prying, wasn't it?
Emma worried about him. It was as though he had fallen off the earth. A visit to the fire station might give a few answers, but should she really be invading his workplace in search of him. Trust, she must trust that he would be in touch soon. He had too. Didn't he?
Their relationship had been built on trust. Noah andEmma told each other everything, right down to likes and dislikes, wants and needs, desires and hates. Emma had never been this intimate with anyone in her life. That was why his disappearance bothered her. None of this was like him. She really needed to start asking questions, but would that be a breach of trust?
Noah entered Emma and Mia's life a year and a half ago. His interaction with her daughter always made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. He treated her child as though she were his own and Mia loved him. If something happened and their relationship ended, how would she explain this to Mia?
Don't go there, Emma decided. She had enough problems trying to find a new job as soon as possible. Her life was still sucking lemons, and there was no window in sight.
The library was large with several cubicles offering laptops connected to the internet. A notice posted at the desk said no more than a half an hour of use for the computer services. Apparently, a college student or two had commandeered a couple of laptops for the use of playing video games. This wasn't the intended purpose of the service the library was offering to the public. By imposing a time limit, gamers might be discouraged.
Emma spent most of her time searching for job postings. Still, nothing she was qualified for. The librarian's voice drifted across the room as she spoke with another local patron about the recent fire Kendra had spoken of. The two women never mentioned a name, just that the firefighter injured in the fire was in critical condition. They weren't sure he was going to make it.
That must be it. Noah was probably working double shifts to cover for the injured guy until they could find a replacement for him. That had to be it. Of course, Emma trusted Noah, why after all this time should she doubt him now?
On her way home, she passed the fire station. She paused out front only for a moment in thought. The garage doors were closed. Maybe they were all in a meeting. They had those from time to time. If only Noah would call her. Pray, let him call her, she needed him. Mia needed him too.
She tried his cell number one more time before walking away, still no answer. Damn it, Noah, where are you?