Valerie opened her wallet, unwrapped the few crumpled bills inside, and let out a deep breath. Money was running dangerously low, and finding work in Chicago was proving harder than she’d ever imagined. She made a metal selection from her essentials list, trying to calm her racing heart. The freezer held a package of chicken thighs and some frozen hamburgers. The pantry had rice, pasta, and a box of tea bags. For now, she could get by with just a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread from the corner store.

“Mom, where are you going?” Little Tessa ran out of her room, her big brown eyes searching Valerie’s face with concern.

“Don’t worry, honey,” Valerie said, forcing a smile to hide her worries. “Mom’s just going to look for a job. But guess what? Aunt Zoe and her son Parker will be here soon to hang out with you.”

“Will Parker be coming?” Tessa’s face lit up, her hands clapping with excitement. “Will he be bringing Muffy?”

Muffip was Zoe’s tabby cat, a fluffy ball of affection that Tessa adored. Zoe, her neighbor, had offered to look after Tessa while Valerie went to her job interview at the city center and a food distribution company. Getting to the office in Chicago meant a long commute, much more time on buses and trees than the interview itself would take.

It had been over two months since Valerie and Tessa moved to Old Town. Valerie berated herself for making the impulsive decision: uprooting her life with her young daughter, spending most of her savings on rent and groceries, all in the hope of landing a job quickly. But the Chicago job market was brutal. Despite her dual university degrees and her relentless determination, finding a stable position felt like chasing a mirage. In the small hometown of Peoria, Illinois, her mother, Lida, and older sister, Emma, ​​relied on her as the rock of the family. She wasn’t exactly good at managing without her.

“Muffy will stay home, honey,” Valerie said gently. “He doesn’t like road trips very much. But we’ll visit Aunt Zoe’s house soon, and you can hug him all you want.”

“I want a cat too!” Tessa pouted, crossing her arms.

Valerie shook her head with a soft laugh. Tessa always felt this way when she touched the pets. Back in Peoria, at Grandma Lida’s house, she’d left Shadow, her slender black cat, and a small, yappy dog ​​named Peat. Tessa played with them whenever she visited, and now she missed them terribly.

“Honey, we’re renting this apartment,” Valerie explained. “The owner doesn’t allow pets.”

“Not even a goldfish?” Tessa asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

“Not even a goldfish.”

At the moment, pets were Valerie’s biggest concern. She was completely focused on one thing: finding a job. The last of her savings was dwindling, and each day brought a new wave of anxiety. At least she’d paid six months’ rent in advance, but that had left her almost broke.

The doorbell rang, pulling Valerie from her thoughts. Zoe and her five-year-old son, Parker, were at the door. Zoe, as usual, was carrying a Tupperware container of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a slice of her mother’s famous lemon pound cake. Like Valerie, Zoe was a single mother, but she lived with her parents in a cramped apartment nearby. Saving up for a place of her own in Chicago was like trying to win the lottery.