Ella sat at her small kitchen table, the harsh light of the overhead bulb casting long shadows over the cluttered bills spread in front of her. She rubbed her tired eyes, trying to focus, but the figures were blurring together. The past few months had been one long string of unpaid dues, missed calls, and constant reminders that she was barely keeping her head above water.
The most recent bill, a hospital statement from her mom's care, sat in the center. A substantial sum had been accrued, and the note at the bottom was clear: Final Notice. The hospital wanted their money now, or they would cease her mother's treatment. Ella's fingers trembled as she ran them across the paper. How could she ever pay this? How could anyone? The weight of her mother's medical bills had been crushing her, and her account was empty.
Her mom had been in a coma for years and every day felt like an eternity. Ella had already drained the last of her savings to keep her mother in care. Her friends had helped when they could, and her family—well, that was a different matter entirely.
The phone buzzed on the table, jolting her from her thoughts. She glanced at it, already knowing who it was. The hospital. The same unrelenting voice on the other end.
"Ms. Marquez, we've noticed your balance is overdue again. Your mother's treatment is at risk of being suspended unless the payment is made immediately."
Ella swallowed hard, fighting the lump in her throat. "I… I don't have the money right now. I've been doing everything I can."
"We understand your situation, Ms. Marquez, but we cannot continue treatment without payment. Please make arrangements as soon as possible."
The line went dead, and Ella lowered the phone, her hand shaking. Another call, another reminder of the inevitable. She wasn't sure how much more she could take, the walls closing in on her from every side.
Her eyes flicked to the calendar on the wall. Rent was due tomorrow. The rent she didn't have. Her landlord had already warned her that he wouldn't be so understanding next time. The thought of him knocking on her door, demanding payment, made her stomach churn.
She didn't know how to fix this. She didn't know how to pull herself out from the hole she was sinking into. And yet, every day, she woke up, took a breath, and tried again. But the strain was starting to show—she could feel it in her bones, in the hollow ache deep in her chest.
Ella's hands stilled, and for a moment, she allowed herself to collapse back into the chair, staring blankly at the bills. She was overwhelmed. She couldn't keep pretending that everything would get better on its own. Her mother needed help, but she was running out of options—and fast.
It felt like drowning—only no one was reaching in to save her.
Ryan certainly wasn't.
She bit the inside of her cheek at the thought of him.He had barely said two words to her this morning. Probably off drinking again. He'd even taken the forty bucks she had left on the counter for groceries.
The one person who could help her, the one person who had the resources, was her father. But the thought of going to him made her stomach twist.