Page 2 of A Doctor for Daisy

Rose looked over at Lily and Poppy and Daisy held her breath hoping she covered herself well. “That’s great to hear,” Rose said. “I don’t know that it would come to working in the plant, but there would be hours that you would have to go to the store and deal with customers that need pieces sized or altered in the jewelry section. I’ll deal with custom orders, but it would be helpful to have other clients taken care of too.”

“Again,” she said. “Not a problem. I like talking to people and I like working alone. I can be very adaptable. I’ve done it all. I think I’m trying to find that happy place. I don’t want you to think I’m being wishy-washy either. I’m just honored to be considered for the job and for a chance to learn and prove myself to you.”

“If we offered you the job,” Poppy said, “when could you start?”

“As soon as I could find a place to live,” she said. “I’ve got a friend in the area, about twenty minutes away. She told me I could crash with her in the short term if I need to, but her place is small. I’d be staying on the couch and that is fine either way. I’m not sure of the availability of apartments in the area, but I did search out costs to get an idea.”

It’d be tight she knew, but living with her friend short term would help. She was home with her mother now and just needed to be on her own.

“We could put a few feelers out if need be,” Rose said. “It’s been a long time since one of us has rented anywhere, but we do know people.”

“That would be great,” she said. This was going well in her mind and she was trying to stay calm.

Hours later she was at her friend Mindy’s house. She hadn’t planned on staying the night, but the interview just went on and on in the most wonderful way possible.

“Daisy,” her mother said on the phone. “It sounds as if it went well if you are still there?”

“I’m at Mindy’s. I’m glad I brought a change of clothes with me just in case. I’m not sure why I thought of it but am glad I planned it out. After my interview with the three sisters, Rose took me for a tour of the plant and then out to lunch.”

“That sounds promising,” her mother said. There was no excitement in her mother’s voice and she was kind of glad she was able to make this call and not see her mother’s face.

“I know you don’t want me to leave home,” she said.

“It’s not that,” her mother said. “It’s just that I’m going to feel like I’m losing my best friend. You lived on your own for a bit but were close by.”

She’d moved out a few years ago and had roommates, but one by one she’d lose people as it was so hard to afford. She’d finally given up trying to find more people to live with and went back home feeling like such a loser.

Helping her mother with bills was better in the long run, though her mother never wanted to take her money.

At twenty-six years old there was no way she wasn’t helping her mother with expenses when the woman raised her alone since she was eighteen.

If her mother could do it, then Daisy could too.

“I won’t be that far away,” she said. “Just a few hours. You can come and visit.”

“You’re sounding like it’s a done deal,” her mother said. She heard the sniffles too. Shit.

She wasn’t sure if this was because Daisy was moving out as her daughter, or as her mother said, her best friend.

She’d lost count of how many times in her life she’d wished it was more a parental relationship than a friendship, but she supposed she and her mother grew up together.

“I’ve got a good feeling,” Daisy said, then went on to explain how the interview went. “I just need to figure out a living situation.”

“Could you stay with Mindy?” her mother asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. Mindy was in the shower now and it was something she was going to talk to her about. “There is time yet and I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“I only want what is best for you, Daisy. I’ve always wanted that. Maybe you can make more out of your life than I did mine.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a great mother and so strong and I’m proud of you.”

Though she believed the part about her mother being strong and being proud of her, she wasn’t so sure she believed the part of “great mother.” It was more like great friend.

Her mother laughed. “I’m proud of you too, Daisy,” her mother said. More sniffles. “I need to run. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She was glad to hang up the phone just now, but there was a lot of guilt over her decision to move if she got the job.

“How did it go with your mom?” Mindy asked, coming out of the bathroom of her tiny apartment. Daisy would be sleeping on the couch tonight. She hated to even ask to stay for more than a night but had to at least have a plan.

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