“Why,” he repeated, “did you drop out of college, Ms. Delacourt?”

His tone demanded an answer but it was complicated and personal, bringing up memories I still dealt with nearly three years later. The question was an invasion of my privacy and I knew I didn’t legally have to answer, but I found my lips moving anyway. “My parents died.”

There was a long pause this time as I stared at my hands, trying not to cry – a difficult task, given the nerve-wracking situation I’d gotten myself into. Would they be ashamed of where I am now? I wondered, swallowing back tears. They had sacrificed so much to let me get ahead, most of which I hadn’t discovered until after their death and I was forced to live with their choices.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Jeremiah said after a long moment of silence while I struggled to regain my composure. He cleared his throat, and I glanced up to see him sit back in his chair. “What brought you down to Jersey City?”

I thought I detected a note of concern in his voice but still couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Even though the question was personal and none of his business, I still answered. “I lost my family’s house and had to move, an old college friend said I could live with her.”

“I see.” Jeremiah scratched his chin for a moment, then sat back in his chair. “Do you know why I’ve asked you to come, Ms. Delacourt?”

It was the question I dreaded and couldn’t possibly answer. Swallowing, I raised my head to meet his green eyes but my courage failed me. “No?” I replied, more a question than an answer.

He opened his mouth to say something, paused, then tried again. “Let me tell you how your day would have gone today prior to our meeting.” He folded his arms on the table before continuing. “You would have worked until half an hour before closing, when Mrs. Crabtree would have called you into her office. She would have explained that your temp work contract was terminated and today was your last day. You would be given your last pay check and escorted out of the building.”