Three Angels and Me - Episode 3 - Job Hunt (continued)

The daycare is chaos.

A kid starts crying because his sock "feels wrong."154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwESAuNKXT
Another kid is eating glue.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg0odLXy27
Someone is yelling about dinosaurs.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfGfUsSBfV
Someone else is yelling about different dinosaurs.

Ellie stands up abruptly.

"I need to go."

Zadie looks up from finger‑painting with six toddlers.

"Already?"

"I think the kids are winning."

Zadie nods solemnly.

"They always do."

Ellie hands her the sticky treasure.

"This is yours now."

She walks out.

***

The flower shop is calm. Peaceful. Soft music. Soft lighting. Soft everything.

Ellie steps inside like she's entering a sacred temple.

Ana is already behind the counter, tying a ribbon around a bouquet with surgeon‑level precision.

"Welcome to my domain."

Ellie smiles nervously.

"It's... really pretty."

"It's controlled. That's the important part."

Ellie nods like she understands the religion of Control.

Ana hands Ellie a bucket of roses.

"Just move these to the front display."

Ellie takes one step.

Just one.

The bucket tips.

Roses everywhere.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgprHFjYOU
Water everywhere.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIRx1WwLgF
Ellie freezes like she's committed a felony.

"I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine."

Ana says it calmly, but her eye twitches.

Ana hands Ellie a single flower.

"This is a ranunculus."

"A... ranu‑nuck‑you‑lus?"

Ana closes her eyes like she's praying for strength.

"Just... don't say it out loud."

A customer approaches Ellie.

"Hi! Do you have any recommendations for a birthday bouquet?"

Ellie panics.

"Um. Flowers?"

The customer blinks.

Ana swoops in like a protective hawk.

"She meant peonies. She absolutely meant peonies."

Ellie nods aggressively.

"Yes. Peonies. Definitely. Those are flowers."

Ana tries to teach Ellie how to wrap a bouquet.

Ellie's ends up looking like a Chipotle order.

Ana stares at it.

"...Why does it look edible?"

"I panicked."

"Okay. New plan. Go ring someone up."

Ellie freezes.

"I don't know how to use the register."

Ana blinks.

After two hours, Ellie is wilted like a forgotten daisy.

"I think... I should go."

Ana nods, gentle.

"You lasted longer than I thought."

Ellie smiles, small and proud.

***

The library is peaceful.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0emZFAK4cF
Soft lighting.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7glXZXjkCJ
Soft carpet.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1NDFUbuAX
Soft people.

Ellie steps inside and immediately relaxes.

"Oh. This is nice."

Ruth stands behind the front desk, wearing her "I run this place" cardigan.

"Welcome to my kingdom."

Ellie smiles.

"I think I can do this one."

Ruth pats her shoulder like she's blessing a child.

"We'll see."

Ruth hands Ellie a small stack of books.

"Just shelve these. Alphabetical. Easy."

Ellie nods with confidence.

She walks into the stacks.

She sees a book with a pretty cover.

She sits on the floor.

She starts reading.

Time passes.

A LOT of time passes.

Ruth eventually finds her.

"Baby... what are you doing?"

Ellie looks up, guilty.

"It... called to me."

***

Ellie tries to whisper to a patron.

It is not a whisper.

"THE BATHROOMS ARE... UM... I THINK... OVER THERE?"

Everyone turns.

Ruth winces.

"Indoor voice, sweetheart."

"Sorry."

***

A patron approaches.

"Excuse me, where are the DVDs?"

Ellie panics.

"I-uh-um-maybe-hold on-RUTH!"

Her voice echoes through the entire library.

Ruth appears instantly, like she teleported.

"They're to the left."

The patron leaves.

Ellie looks like she wants to sink into the carpet.

***

Ellie hears someone talking too loudly.

She turns, ready to be helpful.

"Shhh!"

The person she shushed turns around.

It's Ruth's husband, Daniel.

He looks betrayed.

"...I was asking where the stapler is."

Ellie dies inside again.

***

Ellie wanders into the nonfiction section.

Then the biography section.

Then the genealogy section.

Then... she has no idea where she is.

She texts the group chat:154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUXSeikrme
"I'm lost in the books"

Zadie:154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQO56mM6nr
"omg are you in narnia"

Ana:154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpRVez9230
"stay where you are"

Ruth:154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2Uwi5vjWa
"I'm coming"

Ruth finds her sitting on the floor again, reading a random book about mushrooms.

"Baby, this is not the job for you."

Ellie sighs, defeated but honest.

"I know."

Ruth helps her up.

"You lasted longer than I expected."

"How long was it?"

"Thirty minutes."

Ellie groans.

***

In the coffee shop, Ellie sits alone at a corner table, notebook open, staring at her list of failed jobs. She looks small, tired, and a little wilted.

She pokes at her iced coffee like she's trying to sink into it.

Lena is behind the counter, wiping down the espresso machine. She glances over - just a quick flick of her eyes - and notices Ellie's whole defeated posture.

She hesitates for a second, then walks over.

Not sitting.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwc0O05Vp8
Not leaning in.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX6WhahV0U
Just... standing nearby, polite and gentle.

"You okay?"

Ellie startles like she wasn't expecting to be perceived.

"Oh-um-yeah. I'm fine. Totally fine. Just... thinking."

Lena nods, not pushing.

"Long day?"

Ellie swallows.

"...Kind of."

Lena glances at the notebook - not reading it, just noticing the scribbles.

"If you ever need a quiet place to sit... you can come here. We don't mind."

Ellie's cheeks go pink.

"Thank you."

Lena gives her a small smile - soft, warm, not too much.

She glances down at Ellie's notebook.

"We're hiring, by the way. If you're... looking."

Ellie's eyes widen.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK990NBUzu
She wasn't expecting that.

"Oh. Um. Maybe. I don't know. I'm not... very good at things."

Lena shakes her head gently.

"You might be better than you think."

Ellie looks down at her hands, flustered.

"I... could try?"

"If you want. No pressure."

She hands Ellie a tiny application slip - not pushing it into her hand, just placing it on the table.

"You can fill it out later. Or not. Either way's fine."

Ellie nods, shy and overwhelmed in a way she doesn't understand yet.

"Okay."

Lena gives her one more soft smile, then goes back behind the counter.

Ellie stares at the application like it's glowing.

Her heart is doing something weird.

She does not know why.

***

Ellie stands behind the counter in an apron that's too big.

Lena is beside her, showing her how to steam milk.

She's close, but not too close.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmFlqDlIBI
Ellie is hyper‑aware of every inch.

"Just tilt the pitcher a little-"

Ellie tilts it too much.

Milk sprays everywhere.

Lena jumps back, laughing softly.

"Okay. Maybe... less tilt."

Ellie's face is bright red.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Really."

Ellie tries again.154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwnj9sh4sU
The milk screams.

Lena gently takes the pitcher from her hands.

"Why don't you try running drinks instead?"

Ellie nods, relieved.

She picks up a tray of drinks.

Her hands shake.

She spills one.

"I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay. It happens."

Ellie looks like she might cry.

Lena steps a little closer, voice soft.

"You're trying. That's what matters."

Ellie nods, flustered.

"I... don't think I'm good at this."

Lena hesitates - not wanting to hurt her, but not wanting to lie.

"...It's not the right fit. And that's okay."

Ellie's shoulders slump.

"Yeah. I figured."

Lena gives her a small, warm smile.

"You're good at other things. Really good."

Ellie blushes, confused by the warmth in her chest.

"Thank you."

Lena nods.

"You can still come here. Even if you're not working here."

Ellie smiles - tiny, shy, real.

"I'd like that."

154Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gvzC3EvaQ

ns216.73.216.38da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically