Page 11 of Wish You Faith

“Which begs the question why you’re now a seasonal worker being paid a minimum wage when you have an MBA.”

“I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t need to know.” Rosie meant it.

Evan had probably not heard her because he kept on talking. “Seasonal work is flexible for me. If I need to leave after Christmas, then it won’t look bad on my resume because I finished the work. It wouldn’t be like I quit, you know.”

“I guess.”

“What about you? Do you only work at Christmas?” Evan asked.

“No. I work all year round.”

“You like it?”

Rosie nodded. “It has flexible hours.”

“That’s useful in case you need to deal with family issues, like health.”

“Yes, like when Mom was undergoing chemo. I was grateful to be able to take time off during the off-season.”

“She’s fine now, I hear.”

“Yes. She survived Stage 4, but the cancer might return at any time. When that happens, at least we’ll have health insurance—even though Mom has decided that if the cancer returns, she doesn’t want any more treatment.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s her choice. It’s a miracle already that she was one of the thirty-some percent of cancer patients who made it out of Stage 4 alive.”

Rosie could be mistaken, but was that a tear in Evan’s eyes? Or had he been stifling a yawn because she’d bored him with her sad family stories? Cancer was serious but also sad because time was running out for Mom. If her cancer came back, it was all over for them.

In times like this, Rosie wished that she had siblings to share the caregiving burden with. Mom knew how hard she struggled when she had to juggle work and care. However, she was happier now at Christmastown where every day was Christmas.

“Anyhow, it was difficult enough for me to be Mom’s sole caregiver. I don’t need more stress from work, you know? I love gardening—got that from Dad—and working in a nursery is relaxing for me. As long as I stay away from office politics and bickering, I’m fine at Christmastown. I don’t need a lot of income to live well.”

Evan nodded. “What was your major in college?”

“Plant biology for both bachelor’s and master’s.”

“They sound like a great fit for a tree farm.”

“Well, most of my time is spent managing the farm, so it’s not especially scientific.”

“I hear you. However, it’s not as stressful, right?”

“I love my job, love the people I work with, love the environment. What’s not to love about Christmas all year round?” Rosie smiled.

Evan didn’t answer. In fact, he looked a bit surprised and astounded.

“What?”

“I wasn’t sure it’s possible to find a job you love, even if it doesn’t exactly match your major, but here you are, a living example of such a thing.”

“Not only a job I love, but also can support my mom and me. Christmastown provides great healthcare and benefits. If I need to take Mom to the doctor’s office, it’s no problem for me to take the time off. We have plenty of overtime during our busiest season. In fact, I have enough time off to not work the week after Christmas, but I probably won’t.”

“Sounds like a low-stress job.”

“Stress is everywhere, Evan. It’s hard to avoid that in the marketplace.”

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