10. A New Beginning

It all happened faster than Ruby had expected.

After sending her response, she had spent the next few days glued to her email, the nervous energy thrumming beneath her skin. Each notification, each ping from her phone made her heart jolt, a cocktail of hope and terror. She imagined a thousand scenarios: some where they politely rescinded the offer, others where they confirmed a mistake had been made.

But the response came quickly, a confirmation of her virtual interview, scheduled for the following week. Her stomach twisted with nerves, but there was something else too, a flicker of excitement she had almost forgotten how to feel.

The interview itself felt like a blur, a video call with a smiling woman who asked about her experience with people, her ability to handle long work hours, her comfort with being away from home for extended periods. The red-haired woman had stumbled through some of it, but her eagerness and desperation had shone through. When she got asked why she wanted the job, Ruby had hesitated for a moment before answering honestly:

"Because I need something different. I need to break out of this cycle. I want to see the world, to experience something new. I want to work hard, but I want it to mean something."

The answer seemed to land. The woman's warm smile had widened, and a few days later, a second email arrived in Ruby's inbox.

She had the job.

Just like that, something that had felt like a desperate, last-ditch attempt had become real. A contract followed, listing her responsibilities: guest relations, assisting with events, helping passengers navigate the ship. The ship itself sounded incredible: a massive vessel named the Ocean Odyssey, sailing to destinations she had only ever seen in travel documentaries.

The departure date was set for just over a month from now. Time to prepare, to pack, to complete the necessary forms and formalities. A whirlwind of logistics followed: paperwork, medical checks, onboarding information. It was overwhelming, but the exhaustion that came with it felt different. This wasn't the weight of monotony. This was the rush of a new beginning.

For the first time in months, her apartment didn't feel like a prison. It felt like a temporary space, a place she was preparing to leave behind for something greater. Each morning when she woke up, there was a purpose, something to do, something to prepare for.

The weight that had hung over her for so long began to lift, slowly but steadily. The guilt she had carried: every missed rent payment, every time Natalie had quietly covered her bills, every moment she had felt like a burden started to loosen its grip. She would no longer need to rely on her sister's generosity, no longer feel like a weight dragging someone else down.

She was getting her independence back, piece by piece, day by day. She didn't have to sit behind a desk and feel her soul drain out of her. She would have responsibilities, of course, but they were hers. Her choice. Her adventure.

There was a thrill in imagining it: standing on the deck of a ship, the sea stretching out to the horizon, the wind in her hair. Meeting people from all over the world, learning their stories, seeing places she had only dreamed of. Ports in the Caribbean, European cities, islands with names that sounded like poetry.

She had spent hours researching the places she would visit: Gozo, Dubrovnik, Santorini, Cozumel. Names that had once been abstract now felt like possibilities, like destinations on a journey she was finally taking.

Sometimes, late at night, she sat on the edge of her bed with her laptop open, looking at photos of the ship itself: massive, gleaming, a floating city. Pools and lounges, theaters and restaurants. Places she would work, places she would explore on breaks. It all seemed surreal. Impossible yet undeniable.

Her reflection in the mirror had changed, too. She still saw the tiredness, the remnants of sleepless nights, but there was a lightness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. The fire that had dimmed was flickering back to life.

She felt a burst of something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in month: pride. She had fought through the worst of it. She had come close to giving up, to sinking back into the routine that had suffocated her, but she hadn't. She had taken the risk, made the choice to try again.

She called Natalie the day after the contract was finalized, her voice trembling with excitement.

~ Ruby: "I got the job."

Her sister's response was immediate, joyful and relieved, a burst of pride that washed over Ruby like a wave.

~ Natalie: "I knew it! I knew you could do it! Oh my God, Ruby, I'm so proud of you!"

The weight of her sister's words settled in her chest, warm and affirming. Ruby blinked quickly, tears pricking her eyes, but this time they were different. It was tears of relief, of gratitude.

~ Ruby: "I can finally stop making you pay for everything. I can finally do this on my own."

~Natalie: "Rubes, it's not about the money. I just wanted you to be okay. But I'm so glad you're finding your way back."

The young woman's fingers tightened around the phone, her grip steady. She knew it wasn't all fixed. She knew there would be hard days: days of homesickness, of exhaustion, of doubt. But there would also be days of adventure, of freedom, of stepping into the unknown with her heart pounding and her eyes wide open.

The month ahead would be chaotic: packing, planning, preparing for a life that would be foreign and unfamiliar. But for the first time, she welcomed the chaos.

She was no longer just surviving, she was living again.

And for the first time in a long while, the future didn't feel like a threat. It felt like a promise.

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🛳️ 🛳️

🛥️ 🛥️

⛴️ 𝑵𝒐 𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓 ⛴️

🚢 🚢

⛴️ ⛴️

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Packing for the cruise felt surreal.

Each piece of clothing folded and placed into her suitcase carried weight, symbols of the months she had spent trapped in her apartment, of the doubt that had held her hostage, of the uncertainty that had clung to her bones. But now, they felt lighter. The suitcase wasn't a reminder of what she couldn't escape; it was a gateway to something new.

The red-haired young woman spent days sorting through what she would take with her: a mix of practical clothing for work on the ship and personal items that connected her to home. Comfortable shoes, plain black pants, polo shirts. A couple of dresses for evenings when she wanted to feel more like herself. A thin stack of paperbacks that Leah had dropped off, her friend's familiar scrawl written on the inside covers: "For when you need a break from reality."

By the time the suitcase was closed and zipped, the apartment felt almost foreign. The familiar space now seemed stripped down and temporary, a place she had outgrown, a room she was ready to leave behind.

Her departure date fell on a Monday, so she decided to spend her last weekend at her sister's house, one final visit before she left for months. Natalie had insisted, her voice filled with enthusiasm when Ruby mentioned it over the phone.

~ Natalie: "Yes! Stay the whole weekend. It'll be a send-off! Isla will be thrilled."

The redhead had laughed, the warmth of her sister's excitement flooding through her.

~ Ruby: "Alright, alright. I'll bring the snacks."

When Friday arrived, Ruby rolled her packed suitcase to Natalie's front door, the weight of it trailing behind her like a shadow. Before she could knock, the door flew open, and Isla's delighted squeal cut through the air.

~ Isla: "Auntie Wuby!"

The little girl launched herself at her aunt, chubby arms wrapping around Ruby's legs. Ruby laughed, bending down to scoop Isla into her arms, pressing a kiss to her niece's cheek.

~ Ruby: "Hey, bean! I missed you."

Isla's giggles were pure and unfiltered, her eyes bright and adoring. It was the kind of love that didn't demand anything in return, just joy, just connection.

A wide smile broke across Natalie's face. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaping around her face. She looked at Ruby, a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

~ Natalie: "You made it! Come in. I hope you're hungry."

Ruby stepped inside, the familiar warmth of her sister's home wrapping around her. The smell of baked bread and roasted vegetables filled the air, the scent weaving with the sweetness of vanilla candles burning on the kitchen counter. It felt like home, like a place where everything made sense.

Jake, Natalie's husband was already at the table, grinning as he saw her.

~ Jake: "Hey, world traveler! Ready to sail the seas?"

Ruby rolled her eyes but laughed, setting her suitcase by the wall.

~ Ruby: "I'm trying to be. We'll see if they don't throw me overboard first."

Jake chuckled, his laughter easy and warm. He had always been good at making her feel like family, never just Natalie's little sister, but someone whose presence mattered.

Dinner was lively: Isla babbling between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes, Jake asking about the cruise and the ship itself, Natalie making sure everyone's plates were full. The meal was a blur of conversation and laughter, the warmth of family seeping into Ruby's bones. For the first time in a long while, she felt present, grounded, like she wasn't running from anything.

Later, as the evening wore on, Ruby found herself on the living room floor, legs crossed beneath her while Isla pressed plastic tea cups into her hands. The little girl wore a lopsided plastic tiara, the crown tilting precariously over her curls.

~ Isla: "You have to drink it, Auntie Wuby. It's for a pwincess."

The young woman smiled, raising the cup to her lips with exaggerated elegance.

~ Ruby: "Of course, Princess Isla. Only the finest tea for royalty."

Isla giggled, her eyes sparkling, and Ruby felt her heart swell. The child's innocence, her unfiltered joy, was a reminder that the world could still be simple, that not everything had to be a struggle.

When Isla was finally put to bed, the two sisters found themselves curled on the couch, mugs of tea steaming in their hands. The house was quiet now, the warmth of the day settling into a comfortable stillness.

Natalie glanced at her sister, her expression gentle but searching.

~ Natalie: "How are you feeling? About leaving?"

The younger one stared into her tea, watching the steam curl and dissipate. The nerves simmered beneath her skin, but they no longer felt like a threat, they felt like anticipation, a rush of possibility.

~ Ruby: "Honestly? I'm nervous. But I'm excited too. It's... it's the first time in a long time I've felt like I'm actually moving forward."

Natalie's smile was soft, proud.

~ Natalie: "You deserve this, Ruby. You've worked through so much. I'm just... I'm so proud of you."

The young woman blinked quickly, the weight of her sister's words settling in her chest. There had been so many moments she had doubted herself, so many days she had questioned if she would ever be more than a burden. But this felt like a step toward becoming someone she could believe in again.

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🛳️ 🛳️

🛥️ 🛥️

⛴️ 𝑵𝒐 𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓 ⛴️

🚢 🚢

⛴️ ⛴️

🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️

The weekend passed quickly, too quickly. It was filled with more tea parties with Isla, more late-night talks with Natalie, and laughter that carried through the house like a melody.

When Monday morning arrived, the weight of goodbye pressed against her ribs. Natalie hugged her tightly at the door, Isla clinging to Ruby's leg, her eyes wide and glistening.

~ Isla: "Don't go, Auntie Wuby!"

She knelt down, hugging the little girl, her heart twisting.

~ Ruby: "I have to, baby. But I promise I'll come back, and I'll bring you something special, okay?"

Isla sniffled but nodded, her grip tightening. Ruby's throat tightened, but she smiled through it, pressing one more kiss to Isla's head before finally stepping away.

🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️

🛳️ 🛳️

🛥️ 🛥️

⛴️ 𝑵𝒐 𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓 ⛴️

🚢 🚢

⛴️ ⛴️

🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️

The dock was crowded, a blur of people and luggage and movement. The sun was high, glittering off the surface of the water, reflecting in sharp, golden shards.

The ship loomed before her: massive, gleaming white, a world unto itself:

The <>

Ruby stood still for a moment, her suitcase beside her, the weight of it grounding her. The sun caught her red waves, lighting them in a fiery halo, and the breeze carried the scent of saltwater through the air. Her green eyes, reflected the blue expanse stretching out before her.

Her heart pounded, a rush of excitement and fear, an electric pulse that made her feel alive. She was no longer the girl trapped in her apartment, drowning in guilt and regret. She was no longer a burden, no longer hiding behind her sister's support.

She was here, standing on the edge of a new life, ready to leap.

Taking a breath, she grabbed her suitcase and stepped forward. Toward the ship, toward the open water, toward everything she had been afraid to believe she could have.