“I just want you guys to be safe.”
“We’re safe!” my dad said while rolling himself into the kitchen. He had a baseball bat laying across his wheelchair, and when he came to a stop, he hefted it like he was going to hit a home run. “If any of those punks try to break in again, I’ll be ready.”
“Dad, no,” I said while taking the bat away from him. “The last thing you need to do is get into a fight. What if they have a gun?”
He grinned at me. “Then I’ll pretend like I’m a helpless paraplegic, and when they get close, I’ll roll over their toes with my chair.”
I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “Youarea helpless paraplegic.”
“A person is never helpless, no matter their circumstances,” he lectured. His face lit up. “You look beautiful today. More than usual, of course.”
“I had a job interview.”
“Oh, that’s right!” he said. “At that big place downtown! How did it go? How long until you hear back?”
“Ginny, you got the expensive beef!” Mom complained. “Eighty-twenty ground chuck is just fine. You can’t afford to splurge on things like this. Unless the interview went well…?” She raised an eyebrow.
I made my face into a mask of disappointment. “Actually, the interview went horribly. My lack of degree hurt my chances. And then Iliterallyhurt my chances by slicing open the interviewer’s hand.”
“How did you manage that!” Mom asked.
“Let’s just say being prepared isn’t always a good thing. But it went about as well as you can imagine. He bled all over the conference table, and was upset. He practically shouted at me to leave.”
Dad grabbed my arm and pulled me down into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Keep your chin up, kiddo. There will be other opportunities, I promise.”
“Actually, there won’t be other opportunities,” I said, keeping my face blank. “They called me while I was at the grocery store. I start on Monday.”
The good news caught them both off guard, and it took several seconds before my dad began shouting excitedly. Mom wrapped me in a tight hug even though her hands were covered in raw beef.
“Mom, hands! Don’t get any on my jacket!”
“We should celebrate,” Dad said.
I reached into one of the grocery bags and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “My thoughts exactly.”
“We don’t need fancy champagne,” Mom complained. “You shouldn’t be spending so much money until your first paycheck. And you should have gotten the cheaper beef!”
“The bottle was five dollars,” I replied.
“Still, though.” A smile cracked through her scowl. “My daughter. Working downtown in a big skyscraper.”
“I’m so proud of you.” Dad reached up to cradle my face. “I told you good things happen to good people eventually. Didn’t I tell you?”
“You sure did, Dad. I’m glad I listened.”
“The money is good?” Mom asked.
“The salary range they told me is good,” I said while opening the champagne. “I don’t know the exact number. Allison said she would send me the official offer letter tonight.”
Mom snatched the bottle out of my hand before I could finish removing the wire cage from the top. “You don’t even have an offer yet! We should not be celebrating! We will jinx it!”
I laughed and took it back from her. “I got the job, Mom. The rest is just details.”
She added the ground beef to a pan, which immediately began sizzling. “I do not like counting chickens before they are hatched. What if they decide to pay you next to nothing?”
“The salary range is more than enough, especially for an entry-level position.” The champagne made a loudPOPas I removed the cork. “And more importantly, they’re giving me a signing bonus.”
“Signing bonus?”