The Truth About Hope

“Yeah. He said she was just the help, and if she didn’t know her place, she’d be easy to replace.”

Priscilla choked back a sob. “Your father pays very well, and even with all the help I get from Molly’s grandmothers, I need the income for her.”

Hope knew how dedicated Priscilla was to her daughter, and she was fully aware of Molly’s special needs. “You won’t lose your job,” she assured her, and the plan she’d formulated on the drive home gelled in her mind. She had to leave her father’s house, not only because of Einstein, but because of her friends. She couldn’t let Priscilla or any of them suffer on her account. She was about to tell them about her decision, but if her father found out that they knew, he would just as likely fire them both.

No, she couldn’t take them into her confidence. “I’ll think of something,” she said vaguely. She turned her attention to Morris. “I can’t take Einstein into the house with me until I get things sorted out. Could we set up a space for him in the garage again, like you did when he was a puppy?” She forced a rueful smile. “But this time so he can’t escape?”

Morris ran a hand along Einstein’s back, as he lay at their feet. “That won’t be necessary. He can stay here in my apartment for as long as you want. If he’s here or out in the back, your father won’t know.”

“I appreciate it. Please keep him out of everyone’s sight,” Hope added as she stood, Einstein clambering up beside her. She hugged them both. “I promise it won’t be long.”

She already knew the issue would be resolved in a week. She and Einstein would be gone the day after she turned eighteen.

CHAPTER SEVEN

HOPE WAS UP early the morning of her birthday. Her father was throwing her a party, mostly for his business associates and their children. She hadn’t really made any friends at school, but she’d given her father the names of some of her classmates for the invitation list. He’d offered to fly Aunt Clarissa to San Jose for the event, but Hope had declined, knowing it would’ve been too awkward for everyone involved when she left the next morning. She’d wake up early, tell her father over breakfast and be gone by nine.

She’d spent the past week preparing as much as possible. After seeing the conditions at the two animal shelters she’d visited to rescue Einstein, she realized more than ever that she wanted to work with animals. She found a posting online for a veterinary assistant in Monterey that appealed to her. She was excited when she was actually put through to the person who’d be hiring for the position. They had a short telephone chat, and Hope was asked to come for a formal interview. More from opportunity than design, she was going to Monterey, California.

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