Valerie opened her purse, counted the few crumpled bills inside, and let out a long sigh. Money was running out dangerously fast, and finding a decent job in Chicago was proving harder than she’d ever imagined. She mentally ran through her list of essentials, 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 manage 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 for Valerie’s face with concern.

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

“Is Parker coming?” Tessa’s face lit up, her hands clapping with excitement. “Are they bringing Muffin?”

Muffin 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 a job interview downtown at a food distribution company. Getting to the office in Chicago meant a long commute, much longer on buses and trains than the interview itself would last.

It had been over two months since Valerie and Tessa moved to the Windy City. Valerie berated herself for the impulsive decision: uprooting her life with a 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 two college degrees and relentless determination, finding a stable position felt like chasing a mirage. Back in her small hometown of Peoria, Illinois, her mother, Linda, and younger sister, Emma, ​​relied on her like the bedrock of the family. They weren’t exactly good at managing without her.

“Muffin will stay home, sweetheart,” Valerie said gently. “He doesn’t really like road trips. But we’ll be visiting Aunt Zoe’s soon, and you can cuddle him all you want.”

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

Valerie shook her head with a soft laugh. Tessa always got like this when pets were mentioned. Back in Peoria, at Grandma Linda’s house, they’d left Shadow, their slender black cat, and now a small, barky dog ​​named Peanut. Tessa used to play 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 this point, pets were the least of Valerie’s worries. Her mind was entirely 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 had paid six months’ rent in advance, but that had almost left her penniless.

The doorbell rang, pulling Valerie from her thoughts. Zoe and her five-year-old son, Parker, stood 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 their own in Chicago was like trying to win the lottery.