A Fresh Start

Katie’s face turned into a splotchy mess that could’ve given Thom’s stiff competition.

“I will not stand for such insubordination!”

Grace stood up slowly.

“And I won’t stand for such bullsh*t. I quit.”

Katie’s mouth dropped open.

“What? Grace, what’s gotten into you?”

“Apparently, some self-respect. I’m tired of having you all dump everything on me. I’m tired of putting in so much and getting nothing back. I’m tired of being overlooked for everything, even when I’m one of the best editors here, and one of the most hardworking people here. I’m sick and tired of it, Katie, and I’m not doing it anymore. I quit. Consider this the beginning of my two weeks’ notice. Don’t be shocked if you don’t find me putting in unpaid overtime over the next two weeks.”

Leaving Katie agape, Grace whirled around dramatically and stormed off. When she reached the door, she turned around as if something had struck her.

“I’m taking the rest of the day off. Do you know how much leave I’ve accumulated? You can either cash it for me as part of the severance package, or you can let me take it for the next two weeks. Take your pick and email me today. I’m quitting, Katie. Find somebody else to take care of all the sh*t.”

Feeling triumphant, Grace walked out, reached her desk and grabbed her bag.

She grinned – an evil grin. Sitting down at her computer for a moment, she sent her work for the day – a good eleven hours of work, for an eight hour day, after she’d done about three hours – to Thom, marking Katie.

She added a quick email.

Since I’m taking the rest of the day off, sending you the day’s work that was assigned to me. I trust that you can handle reassigning it.

To reiterate, I quit.

Yours,

Grace

Well, that was done, she decided, and she packed her stuff and walked off, without even stopping to say bye to anybody.

The righteous indignation and anger kept her fueled up enough to walk all the way to a park. She got an ice cream and walked in. Taking off her shoes, she walked on the grass, and narrowly escaped stepping in dog sh*t.

Well, she’d done it. She had quit.

That also meant that, in some part of her mind, she had made her decision about what she wanted to do a while ago.

She didn’t want to work at Keys anymore. She didn’t want to be taken for granted by people who weren’t half as good as she was, who didn’t put in nearly as much effort as she did.

Now she had an option.

Sure, it was an odd option. But it was one that had far more potential than working at Keys could possibly have.

She knew she was making a decision that she might end up regretting. But then, wasn’t that part of every decision? You never knew how things might turn out.

Still, she called Violet.

“Gracie, what happened?”

Gracie felt tears come, unbidden, and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

“Mama… Mama, I just quit my job and walked out.”

“Good for you.”

Grace was surprised.

“What? But I quit my job!”

“They were driving you to unhappiness and pushing you too hard. I’ve been hoping you would quit for a while now. Gracie, you shouldn’t feel as if you must now take the other… offer, because you have no choice. You always have a choice. You can move in with me, if you like, till you’re back on your feet and find something else.”

“Is that what you think I should do?” asked Grace, her voice small.

“I’m not telling you what you should do, baby. I just don’t want you to feel as if you don’t have an option. Whatever you decide, do so with power. Do so knowing that it’s your choice. You have a choice. You will always have a choice, as long as I’m here.”

Grace managed a weak chuckle.

“You’ll always be there.”

“Damn right I will be. Whatever you decide, I’m with you, my dear. Don’t worry about that for a minute. Whatever you decide. I love you, Gracie.”

This time, she couldn’t swallow the tears.

“Oh Mama, I love you, too,” whispered Grace.

“Come over tonight, if you want to. If you want to be alone and wallow, that’s okay, too. But whatever you decide, I’m glad you quit that job. I’m very glad.”

Grace said goodbye and hung up, feeling a bit comforted.

She knew, in her heart, that she had made that decision days ago. She had made it – otherwise, she would never have done what she’d done that day.

She would’ve grumbled, buried the resentment and got on with her work.

Grace had to face the truth.

Unconventional or not, she’d made up her mind, and she was going to follow through with it.

It might not be romantic or a fairytale, like her fantasies. It might not be ideal.

It might, in the end, even be real, though she hoped, in the most secret compartment of her heart, that it might turn real.

She was going to marry Alan Barden.