siempre

day job

It has been two years since the passing of her parents, and Emilia has done everything she needed to in order to take care of herself and her brother. Since she had a bachelor's degree in law studies, she was able to land a job at a local law firm. The only downside was that she would never be able to move from her secretary position due to her lack of required degrees for other opportunities. Nonetheless, it was a steady job that paid most of the bills. 

Emilia had dreamed of becoming a lawyer ever since she wrote for an assignment high school. The prompt asked the students what they thought their purpose was in life, and it dawned on Emilia that she could change lives. Time and again, she would witness the immigration process and the injustices that it entailed. She wanted to break the trend, and provide a better, more efficient way for those seeking to move to the United States. Her parents always supported her in this because they knew she would be the perfect person to help others. 

Of course, all of that was put on hold since their passing. It's always a question in the back of her mind of when she could start her studies again. Without fail, as soon as Emilia gets ready to go back, something major happens-- a large medical bill, buying a newer used car, working two jobs. It seemed as though becoming a lawyer was not in her deck of cards after all. But still, she hoped. 

While being a secretary is not the most rewarding job, it often allows Emilia time to sit and breathe, especially on the slower days. Her life has been spinning ever since she moved to the United States and she was just starting to catch her breath. The office is nice-- with wooden desks, marbled floors, and fancy couches for clients. Some days, Emilia feels like she doesn't belong there-- it is a little too nice. The space is always clean, but it's also always cold. Texas heat is nothing to play with, but it feels like a tundra in the office. All. the. time. Emilia is always the only one with a jacket on. While the people who work with her are nice, she tends to lack commonalities with them. They are all either married, divorced, or have kids (or all three). And unfortunately, she is very much a minority being one of the only females. The only other woman is an older lady named Janet, who always seems to be asleep, but apparently gets the job done. She is also the only Hispanic there, which makes things awkward sometimes; mainly when clients confuse her for a janitor. Yikes. But it's a quiet workspace, which is just what Emilia needs some days. While working, Emilia often thinks about the office she would one day own and how it would look. She imagines colorful walls and plants all around. Maybe there will be a water and coffee station, and possibly snacks, because who doesn't like snacks? 

"Got these for ya," her boss drops a load of paperwork on her desk.

Nothing like a stack of papers to bring her back to reality. 

"Okay. I'll get right on it." 

"I gotta dash early today, but make sure to have them filed by 2, alright?" He walks into his office.

"Yessir." Emilia stares at the papers. 

She seriously needed to go back to school. 

The clock reads 9:24. She has all day to file the papers. Before diving into the fun pile of files, Emilia glances at her phone. A message from Moy. 

Can I plssss go?🥺

He is still begging to go on the camping trip. Emilia shakes her head, leaving the message for later and she begins filing the papers.