Valerie opened her wallet, counted the few crumpled bills inside, and let out a deep sigh. Money was running dangerously low, and finding a decent job in Chicago was proving harder than she’d ever imagined. She mentally tallied her list of essentials, trying to calm her racing heart. The freezer contained a package of chicken thighs and some frozen hamburgers. The pantry had rice, pasta, and a box of tea bags. For now, she could get by with just a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread from the corner store.

“Mom, where are you going?” Little Tessa came running out of her room, her big brown eyes searching 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 here 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, their neighbor, had offered to babysit 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 that 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 Chicago’s job market was brutal. Despite her two college degrees and relentless determination, finding a stable position felt like chasing a mirage. In their small hometown of Peoria, Illinois, her mother, Linda, and younger sister, Emma, ​​depended on her as the rock of the family. They weren’t exactly great at managing without her.

“Muffin will stay home, honey,” Valerie said gently. “He doesn’t really like road trips. But we’ll visit Aunt Zoe’s house 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 that way when pets were mentioned. Back in Peoria, at Grandma Linda’s house, they’d left Shadow, their slender black cat, and a small, yappy dog ​​named Peanut. Tessa played with them every time 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 moment, 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. She had at least paid six months’ rent in advance, but that had left her nearly penniless.

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