ooooooo
1
I checked my phone again in disbelief. 95 degrees was a hellish temperature for Massachusetts in late spring, but at least the blistering heat nicely complimented my inner turmoil. More and more, it seemed like a few small choices I had made years ago were now hurtling me toward a destiny beyond my control. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that change is inevitable and can even be good. Yeah, right.
Wiping the sweat from my brow, I returned to the task at hand and slid one last box into the backseat of my car. "Is this really it?" I muttered to myself. It was shocking to see my entire life stuffed inside a hatchback. I was bound for a friend's apartment across town for a bit of couch surfing, but hopefully not for long. Having freshly graduated at the top of my class from MIT, I was already getting inundated by job offers—some thousands of miles away. God-knows-where beckoned to me, waiting impatiently for my next set of small decisions. A few more deep breaths.
Despite the mental anguish, my transition from college girl to working woman had progressed with relative ease. My options were plentiful and promising. I had been waiting patiently for the other shoe to drop. And it did.
I was about to turn the key in the ignition when my phone began to buzz. My sister was on the line. It was rare for Judi to call before texting first. Something was wrong. I swallowed and held the phone to my ear. "Judi?"
"Sam. I...God, I don't know how to say this."
I readied myself for the worst. "Just say it, Judi."
"Dad's dead," said Judi, her voice weak.
"What?" I honestly thought I misheard her.
"His lymphoma came back. Stage four. I swear, I had no idea. He'd been in remission for years and I...I had been meaning to get back home the past few months but shit's been crazy around—"
"Dad's dead?" I interrupted. I was too stunned to cry.
"He swore he was going to his follow ups. I shouldn't have trusted him. Why did I trust him?" Judi's voice began to trail off.
"Oh my god," I muttered, nearly dropping the phone. "Where are you?"
"I just arrived at the house," said Judi, snapping back to alertness. "You should be here, Sam."
"Okay, I'm coming," I reassured her. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
I ended the call and slumped my head against the steering wheel. A surge of conflicting emotions roiled through my insides. Anguish. Hopelessness. But why guilt?
Why relief?
2
Devastated, I put my career on hold and moved back to El Paso to help Judi deal with the aftermath of our father's death. After seeing the sorry shape of the ramshackle farmhouse we grew up in, I decided to attempt some renovations. My sister kept herself busy by attending to hills of jumbled and incomplete estate paperwork my dad had left behind.
It wasn't long before every ambition I once held slipped away. I had rooms to paint and molding to hang. After languishing for nearly a year in my childhood home, I received a certified letter from a firm less than 50 miles away. I didn't know much about CITADL (Celestially Indeterminate Technologies: Advanced Development Laboratory), but their parent corporation, POROS, was a massive energy conglomerate. Their proposal kindled my curiosity, but I didn't give the job offer much consideration.
Not long after I received the letter from CITADL, Judi decided to move back into the house. Although there was plenty of room for both of us, I realized it was time to get on with my life. CITADL's offer was far larger than any I had been considering in years past and would allow me to stay in the area should my sister need help with the remaining renovations.
