Positive

Selina stared at the little white rectangle as the second pink line appeared, It was bright and clear not even faded.

“Positive,” Selina whispered.

She was in a state of shock, her hand was trembling, her knees were not balanced and she sank to the edge of the bathtub. 

“No” she whispered.”No, no, no..”

This can not be happening, not now, not again.

The tiles felt cold beneath her foot but panic crawled up her spine, fast and hot. She pressed her palm to her forehead full of regret.

She bought the test this morning after days of ignoring the symptoms. The sore Breast, nausea, and irritation, calling it stress.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes but didn't drop, she could not afford to cry. She has cried over bills, when Stormy got sick and nights she went to bed hungry just for Stormy could eat.

Now This 

Selina grabbed the side of the sink and pulled herself up, She looked so pale and older than her age in the mirror. Her eyes looked hollow, she had lost so much weight and her lips were dry.

“What will I do,”  she whispered 

Stormy's voice echoed in the sitting room “Mom I want more cereal”

She swallowed her saliva.

She calmly poured cold water on her face and patted dry, She put the test in her pocket, She walked out with a practiced smile, She poured what was left into the empty bowl, and sat in front of her table watching her eat.

Stormy had no idea that her mother's world was breaking.

Selina had just started getting stable, She had begun to believe maybe things could be better. But now…

There are no job opportunities, the cafe owners had warned her, and she might have to cut hours next month. House rent will be due in a week. She had only seventy dollars in her account. 

No support, no savings, and no family to turn to.

The man responsible for the baby, was a stranger, A person she couldn't recognize, A person she didn't even know his name. Only the feel of his body and the steadiness of his voice.

She had disappeared before dawn, thinking it would be easier that way. Now she had a baby growing inside her.

Selina spent the rest of the morning in a haze. Her hands move like they've been controlled automatically(washing dishes, changing Stormy's clothes, folding laundry). But her mind wasn't stable.

“Can I keep this baby,” she thought to herself.

She loves Stormy more than anything in this world, but raising her had been like stepping into a hot charcoal. Another child would double everything.

She didn't want to resent her baby, but she didn't know if she could do it alone again.

Days passed by, Her pregnancy symptoms became worse, She started having mood swings, She had been trying to maintain her posture when the aches got too sharp, She would smile at the customers when her eyes wanted to close, She even snapped at a customer a day before, Her manager gave her a warning.

One night, Mercy saw her while sitting and folding laundry on the floor.

“Is something wrong,” she said, “It shows on your face that something is bothering you. " 

.

Selina tried to laugh it off “I'm just tired”

Mercy looked at her and said “You deserve better than that café, You know, you are educated, you have a brain”

The words sat on Selina's mind after Mercy had left. She came to think of it, she was educated, Smart, and she had experience. “ I'm tired of settling for less,” she said to herself.

She can't be able to survive much longer like this, She didn't want to only survive but wanted better.

She wanted better for Stormy and herself.

By the end of the week, her decision was firm.

She decided to keep the baby and she handed in her resignation letter, after her Saturday shift. Her heart was beating fast as she did. Her boss looked stunned as she did but all she could say was “Good luck”.

She went home with no job, no savings, and a child to feed. But for the first time in weeks, she was a little bit relieved. 

The next day, she sat in the sitting room with a notepad, jotting down job listings on the web.

That was when she saw, Kings International ( A real estate and finance company) Professional and respectful.

A company with Dozens of branches, towering headquarters, and hundreds of employees.

Selina rested back in her chair.

She had the experience. 

So she sent her application letter to the company, She wrote the most honest, passionate cover letter of her life, She didn't lie, she only said the truth. 

On a cold Monday morning, While preparing Stormy for school,  she received a message that says,” Thank you for applying for the customer care position at King company, we have reviewed your application and would like to invite you to an interview to discuss further your qualifications and interest in joining our team, and you are to come for the interview on Monday” 

Selina was stunned, She stared at her phone screen. Her heart was pounding, her fingers were trembling, and for the first time in a long time, she felt seen. 

“Mommy” Stormy said softly, “My other sock”. She apologized and quickly attended to her, leaving her phone on the couch.

Her interview is in a few days and Selina has been preparing. Mercy offered to babysit Stormy. And they planned her outfit using whatever they had. She ironed her outfit carefully, She had a bag she had kept for a long time, which was given to her by her grandmother as a gift, She decided to take the bag for the interview, She was determined to make it count because that was all she had. 

On Monday morning, she asked God for his blessing, She was praying and hoping to get the job.

As she stepped from her ride, her eyes widened at the towering glass skyscraper above her, Selina's heart was racing as she stood in front of the shiny building, gazing up at the words "KING INTERNATIONAL" carved in silver across the glass. A world she could only glimpse from a distance and now she was walking through its door. 

The building was everything she had always imagined, the high ceiling, the polished marble floors, and people walking like they had somewhere Important to be.

She smoothed her clothes by running her hand through them, took a deep breath, and walked toward the reception desk.

Good morning, she said politely. “I'm Selina James and I'm here for an interview.”

The receptionist glanced at her and smiled brightly, and typed something into her system. “Yes, you are scheduled with Miss Juliana Hart in HR. Take the elevator to the third floor.”

Selina replied with a steady voice. “Thank you.”

Inside the elevator, she kept talking to herself. “ This is my shot, no matter what happens, I've got to try.”

The third floor was quiet and professional, Her heels clicked softly against the sleek floor as she found the door labeled JULIANA HART- HUMAN RESOURCES.

She knocked gently, and a cool voice told her to come in. 

Selina opened the door and stepped in, her gaze set on Juliana who was dressed in a fitted suit and had silky brown hair. She studied Selina from head to toe, and just like that Selina felt the heat of silent judgment on her skin.

“You are here for the customer service interview” Juliana was already unimpressed.

“Yes, Selina James.”

Juliana asked her to sit and picked up Selina's resume glancing at it quickly.

“You've worked in a roadside café? She asked with a thinly veiled disbelief.

“Yes,” Selina said carefully but I also have experience in clerical work. 

Juliana didn't look up “That is not quite a corporate experience.”

Selina was trying to keep her calm, “ I'm confident, I'm a fast learner, I've handled customer complaints, answered phone calls, and managed schedules..” 

Juliana cut her off, “Miss James”, I'm sorry, this is not the kind of company that accepts unqualified people, We’re professionals, high profile, and we make sure our clients are always satisfied with our services.

Selina was speechless.

Juliana took a glance at her modest outfit, Cheap shoes, and bag, and her simple hair again.

The words sting Selina like a bite of a viper, She forced herself to breathe, to keep her composure. But won't let her guard down here, she was trying to hold back her tears.

“I understand,” she said calmly, reaching for her bags.

Juliana was already shifting her attention elsewhere,” Best of luck Miss James.”

Selina stood up to leave, Her heart was full of disappointment.

Just as she turned to open the door, the door opened by itself, and a tall, handsome, muscular man walked in with a file. “Juliana I need the updated…..”

His voice trailed off the moment his eyes fell on Selina.

Time stopped.

Selina froze, she was not able to breathe normally.

It was Darius, the guy from that night.

He looks stunned, confused, and something unspoken passes across his face.

He looks straight at Selina.

He said in disbelief “Selina.”

Juliana blinked, “You know each other?”