Page 41 of Don't Quit the Day Job

I suppose so.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

You do realize it doesn’t matter what you find out, right? I still have to do my job.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

And I still have to live with myself.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

You’re an interesting one, Lila Haversham.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

Is that a good thing?

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

I guess we shall see. Sweet dreams.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Re: My bagel

Thanks! To you as well.

I roll over and get up off of the mattress, then walk over to the window to look outside, then I look back into my empty apartment. I don't have any furniture. I don't even really have plates or pots, but the place is mine. A feeling of happiness surges through me as I realize that I'm doing it. I'm living my life as a single, independent woman. A momentary glimpse of nostalgia enters my brain as I think about Zara and how I miss her. How I've not really been an adult without her in my life.

"You're finally a grown woman, Lila," I say to myself.

I feel suddenly overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I’m entering new territory. It feels weird and wonderful, and I’m hopeful for the future. I move back to the bed and pick up my phone to read the email thread from Max asking me to bring his bagel for breakfast tomorrow.

I roll my eyes as I wait for a response to my last email. It's late and I'm kinda shocked that he emailed me in the first place, but also kind of excited. I lick my lower lip and realize that it's dry so I head to the fridge and pull out a bottle of water. I twist the cap and drink it down halfway before regretting that I'm drinking water so late. I don't have the biggest bladder, so I know that at about five o'clock in the morning I’m going to have a decision to make: get up and go pee or lay in bed and hope that I can hold it in.

My phone beeps again and I grin, wondering if it's Max, but it’s Zara’s name that pops up on my screen.

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