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“I don’t have much money left. I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess I could always go back home.”

She pictured Tea, South Dakota. It wasn’t a bad place, but it was small and full of people that didn’t expect much of her. They thought moving to the nearby city of Sioux Falls was the height of sophistication.

She wanted so much more. In the short time she’d lived in San Diego, she’d met so many people, learned lots of different things, and had experiences she wouldn’t have had access to back home. The thought of returning seemed worse than being homeless.

“As long as I have Mildred the van, I’m not really homeless,” she reasoned. “But I don’t think we’ll tell anyone back home about that. They wouldn’t understand. Especially because it’s winter. They’d expect me to freeze to death, except that’s unlikely.”

She looked up at the bright sun overhead and perfect clear blue sky. “Winter is so nice here. I never want to deal with snow ever again. It was forty and rainy yesterday and today it’s sixty and sunny. No wonder everyone wants to live here.”

The street she was parked on was moderately busy. She people watched as she thought about what to do next. San Diego was abig place, there had to be a job here somewhere. Should she look for a job as a short-order cook? She’d never officially done that before, but she’d cooked so many meals for her large family that she might as well have been one.

As the oldest of eight siblings and daughter to a pair of busy veterinarians, many daily responsibilities fell to her. Even as an adult, she’d never moved out. She cooked and kept house for her parents while also working and helping several of her siblings who’d married and started having children of their own.

She’d come to San Diego to get away from all that. If she returned home, she’d end up sliding right back into the role of free babysitter and on-demand cook. She loved her family but didn’t want that life anymore.

“Not unless I’m on the verge of dying,” she vowed. “I’m not going back unless it’s my absolute last option.”

Stating her intentions out loud made her feel much better. “I know what we should do,” she declared. Standing up, she held Babette with one arm, grabbed the bit of twine she was using as a leash, then shut and locked the van’s back door.

“Let’s go for a walk. We can ask around for jobs and enjoy this beautiful day. Maybe we can even find you a real leash and some food. Sharing my human food can’t be good for you.”

Setting Babette down, she tied the twine to the makeshift collar she’d made out of several pieces of string braided together. Babette was such a good girl she remained still until the leash was on, then pranced at Mila’s side as they walked.

They were stopped several times so people could coo and pet Babette. The little dog soaked up the attention. After the third person called her “absolutely adorable” Mila swore Babette started strutting like a runway model!

“We should start charging people to pet you,” Mila mused. “We’d make a fortune!”

She went into every restaurant, bakery, and bar they passed and asked if they were hiring. No one said yes, but that didn’t discourage her. Almost everyone rejected her with a smile and that made it easier. It also helped that many of them wanted to pet Babette and said to check back in later when the evening manager was there.

“Ten no’s and two maybe’s,” she said as she and Babette turned a corner onto a busy street. There were a bunch of bars and restaurants on either side of the street. “Look at this! There has to be a place that’s hiring!”

Feeling renewed hope, Mila ignored her thirst as Babette investigated a tree. “We’re going to find something, I just know it.”

Babette stopped sniffing and gave a little tappy dance before falling in next to Mila. Her little doggy tongue was flopping out on one side, and she was panting a little. “I think we both need some water.”

Looking down and talking to Babette while walking wasn’t the best idea. She almost bumped into a young woman with several children. All the kids immediately wanted to pet Babette.

“Be gentle!” the tired-looking mom said quickly as the three kids crouched down around little Babette and jabbered excitedly about how cute she was and asked Mila all kinds of questions she couldn’t answer.

“I’ve only had her a day,” she admitted to the mom.

“Well bless you for adopting her,” the woman said. “I’m Linda. This is Justin, Sally, and Nic. Where are you walking to?”

Linda reminded her so much of the best parts of home that Mila didn’t mind pausing her job search to visit with the friendly mother.

They chatted about all kinds of things. Linda told her about losing her husband to cancer earlier in the year and how much she and the kids had been struggling since then. That made Milafeel comfortable enough to admit that she was trying to find a job but not having much luck.

A woman popped her head out of a nearby door. “Linda? We’re ready for you.”

“Thanks!” Linda said to the woman and leaned over to pick up Nic, the smallest of her children. “They’re trying to help us get into subsidized housing,” she explained with a nod at the building next to her. “They might be able to help you. Why don’t you come in and meet everyone?”

“Yes, anything would be good,” Mila agreed. She picked Babette up and followed Linda and her little family into the building. It was a beehive of activity with people at tables everywhere either talking or working on laptops.

“Who’s this?” the woman who’d called Linda in asked.

“Rissa, this is my new friend Mila,” Linda explained. “She’s trying to find a job. Can you help her too?”

“Sure,” Rissa said without hesitation. “Stay here for a moment.”