Business was terribly slow.
Guinevere stood at the counter in her grandma's small store, looking at the nearly empty cash box. A few bills were inside, not enough for a week of food, much less a big hospital bill. The numbers echoed in her head like something awful. She had counted them over and over until she couldn't see straight, but the total was always the same.
Not enough at all.
A sad joke compared to what the doctor had told her.
She had taken over her grandmother's shop, to try raise money for her. She had chosen to help out in any way she could and she thought of he family shop her grandmother had used to sustain them for so long.
Her own job couldn't even match up the quick check she was searching for. Nothing seemed to want to work for her .
Her throat felt tight, and she held her chest like she could push the worry back down. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back. Crying wouldn't solve anything. Crying wouldn't save her grandma.
She had counted how many times she had done that in the past few days and it solved nothing for her.
She just needed… more. More money. More assistance. More time to do it.
But she had none of those things at all.
Guinevere sat on the old stool and put her head in her hands. For a second, she wished she had someone to count on, someone stronger, someone who could help her. But Bavkgy was struggling. He was working two jobs, sometimes so tired he couldn't even speak. She knew she couldn't add this to his load.
She couldn't add to anyone's problems.
The world seemed to be pressing on her from all sides, trying to take her breath away. Every thought in her head said the same thing: You're all alone.
But she didn't want to think that was true.
She sat up straight, wiping her eyes. No matter how hard everything felt, one thing was stronger than her fear:
She would not let her grandma die on her watch.
She was ready to do whatever it took, whatever she had to give up.
Feeling very lonely, Guinevere picked up her phone. She wanted to hear someone's voice, anyone's voice. She called Bavkgy first, hoping his voice would calm her down.
It kept ringing.
And ringing.
And ringing.
He didn't answer.
She tried again.
Still nothing at all.
Her shoulders dropped. He must be busy, maybe working extra hours again. She couldn't get mad, but she still felt let down.
After a deep breath, she looked through her contacts and called Lina.
"Please answer," Guinevere quietly spoke.
This time, the phone rang for so long she thought it would go to voicemail. Just as she was about to give up, someone picked up.
"Guin?" Lina asked, sounding a little out of breath. "Sorry, I was in the bathroom. What's going on?"
She almost cried when she heard that, but Guinevere held back the tears. "Can you come over? To the store? I just need someone here."
There was silence, then Lina sighed quietly. "Okay. I'll be there soon."
Guinevere felt like she waited for many hours.
People came in and out, buying something small here or there. She smiled at each one, but as soon as they were gone, her face became tired and worried again. She couldn't stop moving her hands; she kept twisting them, folding them, and holding the edge of the counter.
She kept thinking about what the doctor had said.
No cure.
Very serious.
Costs a lot.
The shop door made a noise as it opened.
"Guin!"
Lina came in quickly, her soft brown hair moving and her bag hitting her side. She looked closely at her friend's face, with worry showing in her eyes.
"You don't look good," she said quickly.
Guinevere tried to smile. "I don't feel good."
They sat together behind the counter, and she told the whole story, from fainting to what the doctor said, to not having enough money. Lina listened, nodding sometimes, but Guinevere could see her friend looked a little uncomfortable.
She didn't want to hear this.
Guinevere quickly wiped away a tear. "I just… don't know what to do. I'm trying to think of any way to get money."
Lina took her hand and squeezed it. But she sounded happy in a way that seemed a little fake.
"Hey, hey… don't be too sad, okay? You'll get worn out. Really, Guin, you need to relax. Take a break. Stop thinking about it for a night."
Guinevere sniffed. "I can't. I shouldn't."
"That's exactly why you should." Lina moved closer. "There's a party tonight. Good feeling, good music, lots of people. It'll help you forget things for a few hours."
Guinevere blinked, surprised by what she said. "A… party? Lina, my grandmother is in the hospital."
"Yes, and you sitting here worrying won't make her better," Lina said gently but firmly. "You're worn out. You're stressed. And you're going to faint if you keep doing this."
Guinevere looked down at her hands, not sure what to do.
Lina pushed her shoulder a little. "Come on. Just a few hours. I promise, it'll be worth it."
Guinevere breathed out slowly as they didn't speak for a moment.
Maybe… maybe she did need a break. Even if it was just for a little while. She felt like she couldn't breathe, and she was scared that if she stayed in this shop any longer, she might fall apart.
And Lina was right she couldn't help her grandmother if she broke down.
"…Alright," Guinevere said quietly after a while. "Just for a little bit."
Lina smiled big and hugged her quickly. "That's my girl."
Guinevere tried to smile back, but it didn't really show in her eyes. She looked around the small shop, the memories, the shelves her grandmother used to arrange carefully.
She hoped that tonight would give her even a little bit of strength.
Because she needed it very much.