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you have one too, she always makes sure you feel heard. There are no
stupid questions here. Really. I’m sure she’s super excited to meet you. We
hardly ever get turnover here. It’s just that Dean, the guy you’re taking over
for, his wife had twins and after her maternity leave was up, they decided to
move back to Pittsburgh, where they were from, to be closer to her parents
so they could help out with the kids, so his job came open.”
“Oh. I-I see. Yes, I’m very lucky. And excited.” The words were flat and
dry to her own ears, but they were passable to Tina, who just smiled her big,
bubbly, bright smile.
“I’m off, then. See you at one. I’ll come get you at ten to just to help you
find your way there. This place isn’t big, but it can be confusing. The
hallways don’t make a lot of sense. I feel like a mouse always trying to get
out of the maze. If the prize was cheese, I’d pass every time. I love cheese.”
Oh God, I would have been a beast to this girl in high school. Arabella
was glad she was meeting Tina now. She could appreciate her—her
lightness, her effortless joy. It would have grated the hell out of her teenage
self, but her adult self, the one who had been through the trials of college,
of her parents losing their jobs, their house, and her dad nearly going to jail,
of having to support her little sister, of being the one to take care of the
family, was now humbled enough to be grateful for Tina’s wonderful
kindness.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. It does look confusing.”
Tina raised a hand. Arabella actually waved back too.
“Oh, and I love cheese as well,” Arabella admitted right before Tina
stepped out of office.
She responded with a big grin that made the two lip rings in her bottom
lip twinkle and then she was gone.
Arabella’s new office was huge. The lighting overhead was soft, not the
harsh fluorescent lights of most places. The windows were huge and a nice
touch, letting in tons of natural light. Everything was neat and tidy. A brand
