How to help a shopaholic (nanowrimo13)

Step 22

Get a job

"Morning!" Matty said when he walked into my room with a tray full of food - of course his special sandwiches not missing. "Morning!" I replied cracking a smile. He place the tray on my bed before sitting down next to me. Then he explained, looking towards the tray "I thought I would prepare some breakfast for you the last time!" That was so cute that I couldn't believe it "Aww, Matty, thanks! That is a great idea of yours. Can you believe it has already been three weeks? It all seems so unreal. And look at the change I made! All thanks to you." He cracked a sad smile and nodded "Well I can not believe it either. But it is not all my work! You yourself changed and that was the most important thing of all of that. I am really proud of you that youi managed all of it so well!" There was a sad feeling creeping inside of me.

I couldn't imagine Matty not being around all the time anymore and making sure that I won't buy clothes. And I didn't want him not to be! He became an important part of my life and imagine this life without was weird and painful. I wasn't sure if I had some kind of crush of him or just considered him as a really really really good friend. One way or another it would hurt letting him go!

"There is one last step I have planned! It is about making your dad proud too. When we really talked for the first time you told me that you thought he wasn't proud of you and that it may have been because you didn't had a job. I thought about getting you a job! Is there any place in New York where you would like to work?" I gave it a thought before nodding.

There was only one place in the world where I wanted to work!

"There is! I don't know if I have chances though, but I will try. Could you join me? I will arrange a meeting for today, but I am not sure if I will be able to manage it without you!" I pleaded and was happy when he nodded. "Sure I will, Sammy! So you go and call and then tell me when we will be leaving okay?" he suggested. I agreed and we quickly finished breakfast before I got up and made a phone call.

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The woman remembered me and gave me a meeting in one hour. That meant I needed the perfect dress. I remembered that my mum had once given me an outfit telling me "Wear this if you ever apply for a job! They will love you!" I searched in my closet for the green blouse and the black flared bottoms. Once I had put them on I searched for the fitting leather wedges and the handbag. With a deep breath I walked over to the safe and opened it. There were only two things missing. The four-leaf clover necklace and the long, raindropslike earrings of my mother. I felt different when I had put all of them on and turned one last time in front of the mirror before nodding to myself and walking downstairs. I knew it was going to be weird to go back to that place again but I had no other chance!

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"Samantha Tomson! Look at you, beautiful lady! You have grown up so much!" I heard a woman say from behind me and turned around to see that it was Lydia Gregory who was somehow the boss of this. "Lydia! It has been ages. Thanks that you have time for us so quick!" I answered and we both hugged each other. Then I looked over to Matty "That is Matty Tylers, he is a really good friend of mine and my coach." They both shook hands before Lydia nodded "Alright! Let's get inside my office it is way better to talk in there then in the hallway!" We followed her and walked past various people I was sure I remembered from somewhere. I flashed them a smile when they greeted me or just nodded in my direction. "Why does everybody know you?" Matty asked when we had stopped because Lydia had to answer a few questions to a man. "My mum used to work here. She had always brought me with her and Lydia over here was my mothers best friend! She had always told me "One day you will work here! Just knock on my door when you are ready!" After my mom had died I thought that this time would never come and she understood that but you really helped me and I believe that I am ready now!" Matty looked surprised and obviously didn't see that coming. But all I had said was the truth. "Well that is something! It is good that you finally are ready to work with your mother death and stop shutting it out of your life completely! And I am happy to help! You will see, your dad will be more than proud with you!" I flashed him a smile just when we arrived in front of Lydia's office. I remembered that it always looked fancy - I mean after all she was working at a fashion magazine! - and there was always a smell of cherry in the air. It was her favorite smell and obviously also her favorite fruit and she always had a bowl full of them on her desk which I would always steal and bring to my secret hideaway to eat all of them. At the memories of the good old times I started laughing. Appearently Lydia remembered them too because she turned around and flashed me a smile.

I knew it wasn't a mistake to wait all those years before coming back here. But I also knew that it wasn't a mistake to come here today. I knew I was ready and I knew there was nothing that could stop me - well except of Lydia saying "No!" to my job requestion!

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"Well you seemed to have really impressed her. I mean sure the job was kind of promised to you but I don't think she would have given it to you if you wouldn't have been interesting for her!" Matty stated when we left the building. I nodded and smiled at the memory of our conversation. She kept talking on and on about how much she loved my style and that I would be perfect as a writer. I was supposed to visit fashion weeks, write about the newest styles, women problems in general and got to travel a lot to try new things. My job would begin next week and I couldn't wait till it started. What made me the most happy though was the fact that she had recognized that I was wearing my mothers outfit. To see that she hadn't forgotten my mother after all those years made me joyful. I knew that she was still in touch with my dad and always visited my mothers grave. Once a year she would travel to Costa Rica to the beach all alone because she and my mother always used to go there. "It was! And thanks for encouraging me to do so! I can not wait to finally tell my father. I just hope that he will be proud of me!" I answered and flashed him a smile. "I bet he will be! Wow that was the last step can you believe it?" Matty answered returning my smile. I shook my head "No I can't! But promise me one thing?!" He nodded "Anything!"

"Don't step out of my life completely, okay? We are friends aren't we. And even if the coaching ends I still want us to be friends!" He nodded again and let out a sigh "Right, we are friends. I won't, I promise!" That got a smile out of me and it made him smile too.

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When we were back home Matty had disappeared into his room and I decide to watch some TV in the living room. When I had just decided to watch some kind of reality show my phone went off. It was a call from my dad and I quickly answered it.

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"Nothing much, Sammy... I just..."

"Are you okay dad? You aren't crying are you?"

"No, no I am not! I just received a call from Lydia. She is apologizing for spilling everything to me before you did but she was so proud. Did you really got a job?"

"Yes dad I did. Matty had helped me a lot over the three weeks and I finally learned to live with mum's death. That however also meant I was finally able to accept the job offer Lydia had made me years ago."

"That is so great! I think I have a lot to be sorry about. I didn't realize until today why you didn't go to college. It wasn't until Lydia had shared her thoughts with me that all made sense to me. And I am really really sorry for that, let me tell you that! And that I made you do the coaching when the only reason why you went shopping so much was me! I am so sorry. I know I messed things up, but please forgive me for all my mistakes, Sammy!"

"Dad it is okay! I forgive you but actually there is nothing to forgive. It was you way of dealing with moms death and you had every right to do so! Plus if it wouldn't have been for Matty and the coaching we would have never came to talk about all that like we just did!"

I was close to burst out in tears and I could tell my father felt the same way because of his sniffers coming through the phone speaker.

"I am so proud to you and I love you, Sammy! That's all I ever wanted you to know."

"I love you too, dad!"