Twenty-Eight
“At least it’ll only be three weeks between thinking and knowing,” Melissa had told Hal, but she had to give up entirely before she heard about the fellowship at all. She was honest with herself about such things, and she never won anything. Not ever. Except a raffle. Once she’d won third prize in a raffle.
Melissa already knew she hadn’t got the fellowship. She’d been told over the phone, and also told that an email would arrive within two weeks, informing her if she was successful. Until then she’d be put on the back-up list, she was told, and heard nothing and nothing and nothing.
Hal was no help. He was busy with his mother and with an ongoing argument at work. “That’s not a good reason,” Melissa heard him say. “You can’t make decisions in that way. Rethink this or I sh
