Chapter 14 – The Weight of Reality

Ella sat at the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the peeling paint on the wall. She had lost count of how many times she had sighed that day. Since losing her job, life had become a cycle of searching, hoping, and disappointment. The money she had saved for college was far from enough, and without a job, she had no way of adding to it.

She checked her phone again—no new messages from any of the places she had applied to. Just a missed call from Ava and a string of unread messages from Ryan.

Ryan: Ella, answer your phone.

Ryan: If I don't hear from you soon, I'll assume you've been kidnapped by aliens.

Ryan: Or worse… you've stopped eating again.

Ava: Ella, please talk to us.

Ava: I know things are hard, but we're here for you.

Ella let out a breath and forced herself to reply.

Ella: I'm fine, just exhausted. I'll call later.

Ava's response was immediate.

Ava: Liar.

Ella shook her head, smiling slightly despite her stress.

The Relentless Job Hunt

The next morning, Ella woke up before sunrise and left the house early. She walked into every café, bookstore, and supermarket she could find, asking the same question.

"Hi, are you hiring?"

Each time, the answer was the same: "No, sorry."

After hours of searching, she stopped by a small restaurant to check if they had vacancies. The manager, a middle-aged woman with a stern face, barely looked at her before shaking her head.

"We're not hiring," she said flatly.

Ella hesitated. "Even part-time? I can do anything—washing dishes, cleaning tables—"

"I said no." The woman's tone was final.

Ella swallowed hard and nodded. "Thank you for your time."

She walked out, her feet aching, and sat on a nearby bench. She wanted to cry, but what good would that do?

With no job in sight, she threw herself into helping at the bakery.She woke up before dawn to knead dough, watching her mother's tired hands guide hers. She loaded trays of freshly baked bread onto the shelves, her arms aching from the constant lifting. By mid-morning, she was at the market, standing under the scorching sun, selling bread to hurried customers.

"Ella, you should rest," her mother told her as she kneaded dough early one morning.

"I need to help," Ella insisted, pressing her hands into the sticky mixture.

Her mother sighed but didn't argue. She knew Ella wouldn't stop.

At the market, Ella stood for hours selling bread. Some customers were kind, while others haggled aggressively.

"You're charging too much," an old woman snapped one day.

Ella forced a polite smile. "Ma'am, these are freshly baked, and we use the best ingredients."

"Still too expensive."

Ella sighed and lowered the price slightly, knowing they couldn't afford to lose customers.

At her father's workshop, she swept sawdust and helped sort wood and even learned how to assist with basic carpentry work. It wasn't much, but every extra hand counted.

One day, her father noticed her slowing down and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to do all this, Ella."

"I want to help, Dad."

He nodded but looked at her with concern. "Just don't forget to take care of yourself too."

She nodded but didn't answer.

At dinner one evening, Mia frowned as she stared at Ella. "You're not eating enough."

"I'm fine," Ella muttered, taking a small bite of bread.

Mia crossed her arms. "No, you're not. You barely eat, you barely sleep, and you look… tired all the time."

Their mother sighed. "Ella, she's right. You've lost weight."

"I'm just busy," Ella said, forcing a smile.

Her mother reached across the table and took her hand. "I know you're trying your best. But you don't have to carry this burden alone."

Ella squeezed her mother's hand but said nothing.

The physical labor was exhausting, but the emotional toll was worse. She watched as her younger sister, Mia, focused on her studies, knowing she had no choice but to put her own education on hold for now.

That night, she finally answered Ava's call.

"Finally," Ava said. "I was about to book a flight just to shake some sense into you."

Ella chuckled. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Ava said. "How are you, really?"

Ella hesitated, then sighed. "I'm… managing."

"Ella."

"I just feel stuck, Ava. I keep trying, but nothing's working out."

Ava was silent for a moment before saying, "You'll find something. And in the meantime, you have us."

Ryan's voice suddenly interrupted. "You didn't invite me to the call? Rude."

Ella laughed. "Ryan, you're on speaker?"

"Of course. Ava forced me to be here," he said dramatically. "But listen, Ella. You're strong. And you're going to get through this."

Ava: Ella, you need a break. I'm serious. You'll burn out at this rate.

Ryan: If I were there, I'd drag you out to eat something. You need to take care of yourself!

Ella closed her eyes, letting their words sink in.

She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but for now, she held onto the one thing that kept her going—hope.

To Be Continued...