Mia closed the door to her room and leaned against it, her hand still on the handle.
For a moment, she just stood there. Breathing. Listening to the quiet.
Then something inside her cracked.
She moved to the bed and sat down slowly, her hands gripping the edge of the mattress. Her chest felt tight. Her throat burned.
She'd held it together downstairs. Kept her face neutral. Her voice steady. Said all the right things.
I understand. Yes, ma'am. I'll start preparing.
Professional. Obedient. Grateful, even.
But now, alone in this small room that wouldn't be hers much longer, the weight of it pressed down on her all at once.
A few hours ago, she'd been on the phone with Kim, laughing about something stupid one of the other staff had said. Telling her how good things were. How lucky she felt to have landed somewhere stable. Somewhere warm.
"They're nice here," she'd told Kim. "Margaret looks out for me. The work isn't bad. I think I'm actually settling in."
