Page 144 of 7+Us Makes Nine

Getting the job I wanted was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, so here I was, spending hours on the internet looking for anything remotely good. I wanted to be an aide in Washington, but the employers either wanted someone with many years of experience or they offered too low salaries. I was in dire need of money, but I had rent and bills to pay and accepting something super low didn’t cut it.

The Skype ringtone ripped through the air, pulling me out of my thoughts.

It was my mom. I bit into my lip, having no clue what to tell her when she asked me about my job search. I didn’t want to disappoint her. She knew about my recent internship at one of the local political parties, but I didn’t tell her that it had ended a month ago.

Setting a smile on my face, I accepted her call, and an image of an attractive brunette in her fifties filled my screen.

“Hi, Mom.”

Her smile was huge, her blue eyes crinkling with joy. “Hi, sweetie! It’s been a while!”

I was her replica because I had the same sea-blue eyes, heart-shaped face, tall body with curves, and chestnut brown hair. The only difference was that her hair was short, while mine reached my mid-back.

“Actually, it’s been three days.”

She tsked. “Feels like much longer to me! You know how much we miss you. Your dad keeps asking when you’ll come to visit us. You and your brother.”

“Soon, Mom. You know how busy it can be—”

“You always say soon! When is that? This year? Next year?”

I let out a small sigh. She could be a tad dramatic sometimes. “I know, and believe me, I miss you too, but I can’t travel right now.”

Her smile never wavered, but I could see the worry in her eyes. “I understand, honey. A life of politics is very busy and stressful, so it’s no wonder you can’t take a breather. Just don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

I wanted to snort. Overwork? I wished I had any work to begin with.

“I know. Thanks.”

“About that internship. Did they hire you as a regular employee?”

Me and my big mouth. Why did I tell her there was a chance they would hire me after I completed my internship?

“Actually…” I couldn’t lie about that. I couldn’t look her in the eyes and spurt out yet another lie. “They didn’t hire me. And I’m not their intern anymore.”

A frown replaced her smile. “Oh? Why?”

“I wasn’t the right person for them. Or so they say.”

“Nonsense! You’re the best! You’re smart, hard-working, responsible, and knowledgeable! How dare they?”

I melted at her words, grateful for having her constant support. She was always there to bring me up when I was down, and I couldn’t thank her enough for everything she had done for me.

“Well, I’m not the only one with those qualities, Mom. The competition is tough, and there aren’t many open positions. You remember what is was like for Carter. But that’s okay, because they weren’t the right campaign for me anyway. I worked for them in hopes of expanding my horizons and getting experience, but I knew I wouldn’t want to continue working for them long term.”

She didn’t respond immediat

ely, her soft gaze moving across my face.

“Don’t worry,” I hurried to reassure her. “I’m not without options. I applied for an internship at one local firm, and I have big chances of getting accepted.”

“Another internship? How about a job? You’ve already graduated and got your master’s degree, so why are you wasting your time on internships? You could ask your brother for help.”

Because anything was better than being jobless at this point. “As I said, I’m expanding my horizons. Leaning on Carter doesn’t help me do that.”

I could clearly see she wanted to say something but was holding out on me. In the end, she said, “You look tired, dear. You said you were okay the last time we spoke, but are you sure you’re okay? You can tell me anything, you know.”

I had no intention of telling her just how uneasy I was. She was already concerned about me more than enough. “I’m fine. I just stayed up late last night with my friends.”

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