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“Come in here.” Stella opened the door to a room Avery had yet to see. To be fair, she’d only seen the elimination room and the interview space, leaving most of the upstairs uncharted.
She stepped before Stella and slipped into a bare room with a couch and phone plugged into the wall.
Stella held out a piece of paper. “Here’s the number for you to call them back. In this circumstance, the producers are okay with breaking protocol for outside phone calls. Please take your time. You have some privacy in this room.” Stella stepped towards the door.
“Will you stay?” Avery hated that a tear was threatening to fall. She hated showing weakness and absolutely loathed asking for help, but wasn’t ready to face the unknown alone.
“Of course.” Stella turned back into the room, walking over to squeeze her shoulder.
The paper was hard to read with her shaking hands, and she pushed the wrong number the first time she dialed. Starting over, Avery tried again with no better luck. She let out a frustrated breath and tried to calm down enough to read the numbers correctly.
“Let me.” Stella took the paper, entering the number with ease. Avery felt her thighs press against her own as they settled on the couch, waiting. The ringing seemed to extend a lifetime as Avery waited for someone to answer.
“Valley Manor, this is Greta speaking.” The familiar tones of Avery’s favorite nurse finally answered.
“Greta, it’s Avery,” was all she was able to get out before silence grabbed her tongue, unable to ask the burning question. She felt a hand, solid and warm, slide onto her thigh. Avery looked down, feeling the heat spread where it stayed.
“Avery, thanks for getting back to us so quickly.”
Avery listened to Greta explain why she’d called. She wished the phone was cordless, finding the coiled cable restricting her need to pace. As she listened to the treatment options Greta was laying out, her body sank into the couch.
“Thanks for letting me know. Do you think the surgery is safe?” she asked.
“That’s the doctor’s recommendation. It sounds like the best option, but we can’t move forward without your consent,” Greta calmly replied.
“Okay, you have my go-ahead. I’m glad to know she’s okay for now, and in great hands.” Avery twisted her head to look at Stella, who was giving her a tentative smile. The light lit up her red hair, casting a ring of fire around her head. Her eyes danced at the relief in Avery’s words. Avery’s heart clenched at the sight.
“There is one more minor thing…” Greta added hesitantly.
Avery gripped the phone. She wasn’t sure if she could leave the show if her mom needed her. The whole reason she was doing this was to provide herself some breathing room. Sweat dripped down her back as she waited for Greta to continue.
“One of the documents you signed last time you were here was the agreement to the price increase. Insurance won’t pay the difference, leaving you short five hundred dollars each month. I can pass you to Nicola in the billing department if you have any questions.”
The room swam as she tried to think about how she’d missed signing such an important piece of paperwork. She had set up recurring payments for the exact amount of the bill to cover the expenses for the time she’d be gone but hadn’t realized there was a different amount.
“Shit.” Her voice quivered at the word. Just when she thought she’d get some breathing room, another wave crashed over her head.
“…The payment is behind this month. We’re still waiting for five hundred dollars, and it will continue to be short each month you’re gone.” Greta’s regret came through as she finished the bad news.
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Avery tried to keep the panic at bay, but Stella’s hand, still on her leg, did most of the heavy lifting. It was humiliating having her hear about her money troubles. On the flip side, she was grateful to have the comfort.
“I have some money, but I only authorized the specific amount to be taken out while I’m away. I’ll fix it when I get back. Is that okay? Can she stay there until my obligation here is completed?” Avery held her breath as she waited for Greta to decide her fate, not unlike every few weeks with Quinn.
Avery was tired. She was tired of having others decide her fate. Tired of scraping by, or getting ahead only for the next catastrophe to knock her back down. She turned her head, memorizing Stella’s features.
“Of course. We’ll keep a log and know you’ll pay when possible.” Greta continued, but Avery wasn’t paying close attention. Once she knew she had a little more time to figure something out with the money issue, she became lost in Stella’s aura. “…Mr. Sunshine’s bed alarm is going off. I should check on him. Stay safe, Avery, and we’ll talk to you after you win it all.” The dial tone sounded before Avery could respond.
After gently replacing the receiver on the cradle, Avery stayed silent and connected to Stella, not wanting to break the moment.
Stella had other ideas because she whispered, “I hope your mom is okay.”
“Thank you.” Avery matched her tone. Still, she didn’t want to get up. Caught in the downswing of high emotions and drowning in Stella’s light, she did the only thing she could at that moment. Leaning over, her lips connected with Stella’s. Butterflies swooped in her belly at reconnecting after so long.
Avery’s heart soared at the reciprocation she felt from Stella’s lips. It wasn’t like the first time they kissed, which had been filled with desperation and passion. This was a summer breeze, the first snowfall, leaves changing on a tree. It was future inspirations and past hurts. It was perfect. The show, money anxiety, and concern for her mom melted away as she sank further into the kiss.
Stella was the first to break apart. Avery almost chased her retreating lips, but the cool air helped clear her mind.
“I feel like I should apologize, but I’m not sure I can since I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you again.” Avery’s voice sounded like it was shouting in the quiet room, though she knew she was talking barely above a whisper.
