I chatted with Anya a while longer and learned a bit more about her situation and family. As it was getting late, we traded contacts and said our goodbyes.
Soon after she left, my mother came home from work.
Thankfully, she made no comment whatsoever about any smell of blood. It had wafted away in the interim.
Her exhaustion made my heart hurt. "You just got better recently, mom. You should take it easy instead of putting so many hours in. If fatigue gets you down again, none of this will have been worth anything."
"I'm fine, honey." My mother shook her head with a smile. "I know myself better than you do. If I feel anything bad at all, I'll make sure to rest."
"You really don't need to work this hard, mom. I can make money now, too. We'll be able to pay our debts off in no time."
I
