Page 3 of Until Joy

“You were up in my attic, reading books and talking about seeing the world, and meeting new people since you were just a sprout. And yet, here you are, hidin’ out in a pantry.”

I gave a wet laugh. She was right.

“But seeing the world didn’t work out all that well,” I pointed out.

“So what? Since when did my Joy let one little fall stop her from getting back up and continue running the race?”

I didn’t know what to say, and she patted my cheek.

“Sugar, you need to get back up again. You’re suffocating here, and it’s time to go.”

Something cracked open in my chest, not breaking exactly, but like a window being forced open after being painted shut for over two years. I sucked in a deep breath that smelled of flour, but it filled my lungs for the first time since I’d come home. But then familiar panic flared, and my throat choked up. “Little Grandma—” I started hoarsely.

She held up her hand with a glint in her blue eyes.

Ah shit. I knew that look.

“No arguments, my little love. You know I’m right.”

“I can’t leave my family. I can’t leave you,” I protested.

“You know you need to leave this town, sugar. Your family will always be here to visit.”

“Where would I even go? What would I do? Little Grandma, I don’t even know what I want to be when I grow up,” I wailed.

“You’re going to Murfreesboro.”

I frowned. “Where’s Murfreesboro?”

“Years ago I had a very good friend in Murfreesboro. She’s like me, a passel of kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. I talked to one of our mutual friends, Miss Laverne, a couple of days ago, and this morning she called back. We have a job lined up for you.”

Oh God.

Little Grandma was looking as smug as when she got a bingo at the American Legion Hall.

“Her great-great-granddaughter, July Silver, is a vet. The best in Tennessee, according to Laverne. She has a clinic and needs a night shift kennel assistant.”

“A kennel assistant? Little Grandma, I’ve worked retail, and been a receptionist, and worked overseas as an au pair, but a kennel assistant?”

“And which one of those jobs has been your calling?”

I looked down. “None of them,” I muttered.

Little Grandma got that look in her eye that she sometimes got, like she was seeing something the rest of us couldn’t. “You’re going to need that backbone of yours, sugar. Trust yourself.”

“But a kennel assistant?”

Was that whiny voice mine?

“I don’t expect this to be your calling, either. But this will get you out of Jasper Creek. It will give you time to think about what you want to do with your life. Sugar, I believe in you. You need some time and space to think about what you want. You’ve got to think about your end game and what things you need to do to get there.”

“I’m confused. According to everything I’ve read, I’m supposed to concentrate on what makes me happy.”

Little Grandma threw back her head and laughed. “That’s horse-pucky. If you do that, you’ll just tumble through life, not reaching your goals. I knew what I wanted, and therefore I did things to reach my goal.”

“What did you do?” Something told me this would be fascinating.

“That’s a story for another day.” She reached into her dress and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here’s July’s phone number. She’ll get you sorted for the job, and Alice has figured out where you’re going to live. July is expecting you next week.”