Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“Ada, you’re looking lovely this morning as always.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m one of the residents,” I shot back good-naturedly. “Your schmoozing won’t work.” I also didn’t appreciate him thinking I was hard up for compliments. Like he’d taken pity and decided to throw me a bone. No thanks.
He placed his hand over his heart like I’d wounded him. “I would never try to schmooze you,” he declared, and I arched an eyebrow. “Well, okay, I would appreciate if you’d let me take some time off next month. I’ve booked a holiday, and—”
“Of course, you can take time off. I’ll check the roster and make sure there’s someone to fill in for you. Just let me know which days you need.”
“Great, you’re the best, Ada,” he smiled wide then dipped to give me a kiss on the cheek.
“Uh, Lewis, you really shouldn’t—” I began to say, but he was already gone.
My admin assistant, Rina, walked towards me with a big grin. “There’s no use talking to him. I’m pretty sure that boy came out of the womb and immediately began flirting with the midwife.”
“Right, but I’m his boss. He can’t go around kissing me on the cheek.”
“I can get Alf to have a word with him. He has that whole wise, father figure vibe. Maybe the message will get through.”
“Yeah, maybe that would help. I know Lewis means well. I just worry about him doing it to the wrong person, you know?”
“You can’t save everyone from themselves.” Rina sighed as she pushed open the door to her office, which was right next to mine.
“Too true,” I agreed.
“By the way,” she went on. “I heard you caught Little Miss Madam taking her break in your office last Sunday.”
The same way Philomena and Jackie referred to Cathal as “Himself,” Rina often spoke of Hannah as “Little Miss Madam.” Again, I didn’t need anyone taking my side in the breakup, but it was still nice to know some people preferred me to Hannah, especially since her cheerful demeanour made her a favourite with the residents.
I resisted a smile. “She was midway through a coffee and a jam bun when I walked in. I swear I never saw her so pale. I didn’t go too hard on her, though. Her job is a lot more exhausting than ours.”
“You’re far too understanding,” Rina said, shaking her head. “If it were me, I’d have given her a right scolding.” I chuckled, and my coworker shot me a smile before her eyes gentled. “How have you been?”
“Not great. But I’ve got a handle on it,” I replied, unsure if that were true, especially since I was about to spend the night in my car.
“If you ever need to talk,” Rina said, and I nodded before dipping into my office and closing the door. I buried myself in tasks, spending the first half of the day working on the staff roster. After lunch, I was on the phone to our medical suppliers, and then just before I clocked off, I did a quick walk around the building to check in and chat with a few of the residents.
The day felt so normal that by the time I was sitting in my car, I almost drove back to Dad and Leonora’s house. Pain sliced through me when I remembered it was no longer my home. I just wanted to drive back, get into my PJs and cook something comforting for dinner. But it wasn’t to be. My dinner consisted of the cold pasta salad I’d packed that morning and some raisin and oatmeal cookies for dessert. I’d parked in a free spot next to the library. A part of town that tended to be quiet at night. After that, I searched on my phone for any new rooms to rent in my price range and sent endless emails expressing my interest before reading a few chapters of my book. At least I could escape into a Scottish historical romance and try to forget where I was.
It was dark out when I changed into two pairs of tracksuit pants, one layered on top of the other, a jumper and an oversized hoodie. It seemed like a good idea to layer my clothing to keep warm. I’d purchased a sleeping bag yesterday after work from a camping store, which I hoped would keep me from freezing to death.
Then I moved some stuff around so I could flatten out my seat and turn it into a makeshift bed. As expected, it wasn’t very comfortable. My leg ached already, and it was only night one. What state was I going to be in if I had to go through a week of this? A month? Longer?
I wasn’t sure how I managed to drift off when my phone alarm started beeping at six the next morning. I felt like death warmed over. Despite my layered clothing and the sleeping bag, my face, hands and feet were like icicles. On instinct, I began rubbing my hands together to warm them. All the car windows were completely fogged up, and I just felt so horrible. I didn’t want to be here, but I had nowhere else to go.