I suck in a deep breath and paint on the best smile I can muster. “Nothing you need to worry about.” I fold the notice and tuck it into the front pocket of my bag and stand. “Let’s get you to school…wouldn’t wanna miss Fun Friday.”
Mav cocks his head to the side, studying me with eyes far wiser than his four years. Finally, he nods once and then darts down the stairs.
“C’mon, Mama. Miss Jenna said we’re doing Play-Doh today. I wanna get there before Caitlyn mixes all the colors together.”
“That would be a tragedy,” I murmur as I unlock my car.
He doesn’t waste a second climbing into his booster seat, buckling the chest clip before waiting for me to finish. “What’s tragedy mean?”
I come around to the back and clip each side of his buckle together, making sure he’s snug and secure. “It means really sad.”
He nods. “Yeah, it would be really sad, so come on! Let’s go! Step on it, Mama!”
Despite the worry and sadness gnawing at me, I smile. It doesn’t matter how bad things get; this kid is my light. He’s every good thing, and no matter what my landlord says, I will find a way to make things work for us. Even if it means calling Phoenix.
Because Mav deserves it. He deserves everything.
“Mama, can we listen to Paw Patrol?”
I nod and grab the auxiliary cord, plugging it into my phone so that his songs can come through my car speakers.
Before I know it, we’re three songs deep and pulling into the school parking lot. I snag the first space I see and cut the engine. “Ready?”
Maverick unbuckles himself from his seat and grabs his backpack. “Ready.”
I walk him to the door and sign him in, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Make good choices today, Mav.”
He narrows his eyes at me and nods. “You, too, Mama.”
I stand and watch until he’s out of sight before turning and heading back to my car.
The drive to my landlord’s office passes in a flash, and before I know it, I’m parked outside and ready to plead my case.
“You’ve got this,” I say as I approach the mirrored glass door. “You didn’t do anything wrong. He’ll listen—he has to.”
I suck in a deep breath and pull the door open, stepping into the musty lobby.
“How can I help you?”
“Hi.” I swallow and wipe my hands on the front of my jeans. “I was hoping to speak to you about my lease.”
“Complex?” I rattle off the name and he nods. “Unit?”
“Three-twelve.”
“Ah, you’re all set to move in Monday, but I’m afraid I can’t get the keys to you until the current tenant vacates.”
“I…” Dread drops inside of me like a stone sinking to the bottom of a lake. “I’m the current tenant.”
He clears his throat. “Oh. Right. Are you here to turn in your keys early?”
I shake my head, willing myself not to cry. “No, sir—”
“Call me Chase.”
“No, Mr. Chase, I’m here because I don’t understand why I’m being evicted.”
He clears his throat and shuffles around some of the papers littering his desktop. “Ah. You didn’t re-sign your lease.”
“What?” I rack my brain, trying to make his words make sense.
“It’s up today, and you never re-signed.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing you can do?” I ask, wondering how I could have screwed up this massively. “Nothing at all?”
He leans back in his swivel chair, resting his hands on top of his rounded belly. “Wish there was, but like I said, when you never turned in your lease agreement, I figured you weren’t renewing. The new tenants are moving in on Monday. My hands are tied here.”
“But…” I pause and pinch my eyes shut, refusing to cry in this dingy, mothball-smelling office. “I don’t even recall receiving a new lease to sign.”
“Be that as it may, you still need to be out by Sunday.”
“Are there any other units available?”
“Afraid not.” Mr. Chase makes a big show out of checking his watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another meeting to get to.”
“Right.” I curl my fists and dig my nails into my palms until I feel the skin break. “Thanks.”
He stands and walks me out into the lobby. “Best of luck to you.”
“Yeah, sure.” I shoulder open the door and step out into the parking lot. “Whatever.”
If I had the time, I’d cry. But as it is, class starts in ten minutes and I’m a solid fifteen from campus. So, it looks like my impending breakdown will just have to wait until later.
Plus, it’s not like crying ever solved anything. I ought to know.
I barely make it through my first class of the day—Accounting 101. Instead of paying attention to the professor, I spent the hour obsessing over the morning’s events while discreetly scrolling my phone for somewhere to live.
From the looks of things, I either need to find a way to make a lot more money or… well, there is no other option, because everything available costs triple what I’ve been paying.