Me & You By Contract

sswalk, her white curls bright beneath the July sun. Chicago heat shimmered above gridlocked traffic, lea

er scooter, which clattered loudly

ounding brick buildings. She caught the woman's fragile arm and pulled with all her might. The SUV rushed past so close th

sagged heavily against Emily, breathing in shallow, frigh

r me?" Emily asked,

d. Emily fumbled frantically

, holding the woman's co

tilation. Emily sat with her elbows pressed against her knees, trying desperately to settle her shaking hands. The grillework of the speeding SUV kept flashing behind h

her phone and c

er answered. "An elderly woman collapsed near th

trained. "Daniel is already asking about dinner

w. I'm

lowering her tone. "He's been complaining again.

like heavy stones

k soon," Emi

efore Olivia could hear the

stable. Her blood sugar had plummeted, which caused her sudden collapse. The near accident

est. It didn't erase her exhaustion, but she

te pillows, her hair fanned out. When she saw E

her voice raspy but cle

," Emily replied, standin

ly's hand. Her fingers were cool, but her grip was s

rmth in the woman's voice

lyn," she said.

y Car

chosen book by book, the narrow financial margins, the cozy reading nook built from salvaged wood, and the regular customers who came for reco

alone?" Evelyn

er's family.

ut she didn't pry further. Instead, she

strong for a very long time," Evelyn obse

against the lump in h

mily. You're waiting. T

ng open. Two women in immaculate, tailored dresses and a tall man in an expensive designer suit entered the room. Their deference

enly acutely conscious of her sw

mised, her eyes twinkling. "I don

lyn walked right in

mischievous sparkle, running her fingers along th

ly. "Not with money. You don't seem the type

out loud. "Tha

he shop, its regulars, and the challenges of keeping it open. Evelyn listened with genuine, deep interest, remembering tiny detai

would arrive to find the older woman already seated in the armchair with two cups of

casually mentioned a

ely, I think," Evelyn sighed, looking at Emily s

up, narrowing her eyes.

ently. "A girl like you might

t off, but the

sister's apartment and heard Daniel'

She's not contributing enough, and I am tired of

voice strained. "She's my s

she really cared about you, she

ng, her house keys digging sharply into her palm. She wanted to wal

voice cracking. "But she's family. She has nowh

lt. She can f

wn, counted to thirty, then entered with a neutr

ense hurt in an entirely different way. Her sister loved her, but Emily knew

speration, Emily picked up her p

tantly, her voice completely

mi

ly's heart hammered wildly against her ribs.