Valerie opened her wallet, counted the few crumpled bills inside, and let out a big sigh. Money was running dangerously low, and finding a decent job in Chicago was proving harder than she’d ever imagined. She made a mental tally of her list of essentials, trying to calm her racing heart. The freezer contained a package of chicken thighs and some frozen burgers. 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 ran out of her room, her big brown eyes searching for Valerie’s face with concern.

“Don’t worry, honey,” Valerie said, forcing a smile to hide her nerves. “Mom is just going to look for a job. But guess what? Aunt Zoe and her son Parker are coming soon to hang out with you.”

“Is Parker coming?” Tessa’s face lit up, her hands clapping with excitement. “Will they bring Muffin?”

Muffin was Zoe’s tabby cat, a fluffy ball of affection that Tessa adored. Zoe, her 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 more than two months since Valerie and Tessa had moved to the Windy City. Valerie reproached herself for that impulsive decision: uprooting her life with a young daughter, spending most of her savings on rent and groceries, all betting on getting a job quickly. But Chicago’s job market was brutal. Despite her two college degrees and her relentless determination, finding a steady position felt like chasing a mirage. In her small hometown of Peoria, Illinois, her mother, Linda, and younger sister, Emma, depended on her like the rock of the family. They weren’t exactly good at getting by without her.

“Muffin will stay home, honey,” Valerie said softly. “He’s not a big fan of road trips. But we’ll be visiting Aunt Zoe’s house soon and you can hug 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 had left Shadow, their slender black cat, and a small, barking dog named Peanut. Tessa played with them whenever she visited, and now she missed them terribly.

“Honey, we’re renting this apartment,” Valerie explained. “The landlord doesn’t allow pets.”

“Not even a goldfish?” asked Tessa, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

“Not even a goldfish.”

Right now, pets were the least of Valerie’s worries. Her mind was totally focused on one thing: finding a job. The last of her savings was dwindling, and each day brought a new wave of anxiety. At least she had paid six months of rent in advance, but that had almost left her penniless.

The doorbell rang, jolting Valerie out of her thoughts. Zoe and her five-year-old son, Parker, were at the door. Zoe, as usual, was carrying a tupperware of homemade chocolate chip cookies and a slice of her mother’s famous lemon pound cake. Like Valerie, Zoe was a single mom, 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.