Roommates

Chapter 40

Following Jeff into his office, Aurora took in the decor on his off-white walls. He proudly displayed photos of his family, spanning decades of memories. The frames, polished to a gleam, held images of his three grown children and their kids, creating a visual timeline of familial love and joy. The warmth emanating from these pictures was almost tangible, as if the smiles and laughter could leap out and fill the room. Jeff was a true family man, and his office radiated that undeniable truth.

Against the back wall hung a large photo frame capturing a family portrait of close to a dozen related families. At the center stood Jeff, his wife, their kids, and their grandkids, all dressed in coordinated yellow outfits that seemed to glow under the office lights. Beside them, a single woman with her three daughters formed a striking contrast in icy blue. A young Chloe stood next to her little sisters and mother. She was a vision of frosty beauty. Her blue dress seemed to amplify the coldness in her eyes, eyes that stared out with a hardness that made Aurora’s stomach churn. That was the Chloe she knew.

Blue always was her color— callous and cold. Aurora found herself pulling a disgusted face, staring into her heartless eyes. Chloe didn’t even bother to smile for the photo, her expression as rigid as her demeanor. It was as if her mother dragged her to the event. Chloe never turned down a photoshoot, but this one seemed to be against her will. Maybe she didn't want to be seen with the only people she hasn't abused.

She truly was a piece of work.

Aurora needed to move on before she ruined her own birthday. Other people have ruined her birthday every year since she was a child. This may be the first year Aurora actually enjoyed this day.

On Jeff's desk was his computer, a sales sheet, and a photo of his wife. Aurora’s heart swooned at the notion of one day having her wife’s photo on her desk. She was momentarily caught off guard by her own imagination, envisioning a picture of Evangeline next to her laptop. The clarity of the image in her mind was startling, her heart swelling with unexpected emotion.

His tilted computer screen also displayed a family photo as the background, behind his minimized web browsers. It was his work family. Jeff, Evangeline, and Trey stood in front of the store with an old sign that must have been updated recently. It could only be a few years old, yet it held millions of stories. They all looked so young. Jeff had so few laugh lines in the photo compared to now.

"Have a seat," Jeff started, closing the door behind her. Aurora obediently sat on the wheely chair on the outside of his L shaped desk. He took the chair opposite of hers. "Aurora, you're an amazing employee."

Aurora blushed at his praise, but subconsciously argued it. She was mediocre at best. "Thank you."

"You exemplify kindness, critical thinking, and organization." Jeff leaned forward, clasping his fingers around one another and looking into her eyes. As much as Aurora hated eye contact, she respected her boss enough to fight the urge to look away. She felt a familiar tightness in her chest, the kind that always appeared during these one-on-one meetings. "I'd like to offer you a job as a supervisor. Seeing that it's your birthday, I'd love to offer this to you as a gift from the company."

Swallowing her insecurities down like a bitter pill that got caught in her throat, she nodded to accept the offer. "Thank you so much, Jeff. This means the world to me."

"You'll get trained each day this week by a different supervisor, so that you can see how each of them does the job. You can create your own system that works for you." Jeff couldn't help but notice her bouncing her leg. He had coached many nervous Nellies and he was well versed in young minds. "I know this feels overwhelming, but this is an incredible opportunity. It's not too difficult and you're a smart kid."