"Yes, you told
me," Haley said, trying not to let her exhaustion show in her voice.
A sob caught in her
throat. She should have given up on this quest a month ago. Lately, it seemed
she persisted more for Gabe and Xanadu than for herself. And yes, maybe to
prove something to her parents. After all, they insisted all religious people
were hypocrites, working off some horrid guilt complex, trying to earn their
way into a heaven that only existed in their minds. Stopping her quest now to
work for the Arc Foundation would be admitting they were right: religious
people were only in it for some fleeting psychological euphoria.
She had to prove
what she believed was real, no matter how much it hurt.
"Y'know, my
lawyer -- my ex-lawyer -- he suggested mediation. All of us get together, talk
things over."
Her phone buzzed.
She lowered it enough to see a text coming in, while the second woman on this
morning's call responded.
"I will pass
your suggestion on to my superiors."
"Why can't
you--"
"Do you
honestly think someone with any authority would be answering the phone?"
The chuckle in her voice was warm. If Haley had been in a better mood, it might
have invited her to smile and join the joke. "I can't make you any
promises. I'm sorry."
"No you're
not. You wish I'd just shrivel up and blow away."
"Why do you
want to work with us?"
"Haven't you
read my cover letter?" She closed her eyes and wished there was a wall
close by to bang her forehead into.
"Seriously,
why do you want to work with us? I'm working on my counseling degree, and from
a student's point of view, you have a lot of issues pushing you. Maybe part of
your... your discomfort through all of this is that you don't really want this,
but you're holding on as a matter of honor."
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