I waffle between wanting to send it immediately and wanting to give it to him in Boston. I’m holding out hope that if I can explain in person, Hugh will forgive me, which is more than worth the trip there. But I have a nagging feeling he’ll cancel his trip, which is why I keep checking the conference schedule to see if his name is still listed.

‘I know,’ I whisper.

Millie smiles a wry smile. ‘Can I tell you something?’

I nod.

‘I always thought you were destined for big exotic adventures with a hunk like that,’ she says, as she reaches across the couch to wrap me in a hug. ‘Why do you think I sent you over there?’

Usually, a comment like that would make me panic. But I’m boring, I would think. I touch the necklace Millie gave me with my fingertips. If I’m exciting enough to pretend to be a marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef, then I think Millie may be right. Maybe I’m destined for more than Columbus.

‘Unfortunately for my wallet, I’m starting to agree with you,’ I say, before taking a bite of sesame chicken.

Chapter 30

I go to my parents’ house on my way home from my first day back at work.

‘I’ve been thinking about something,’ I say tentatively, easing myself down on the sofa next to Millie. Even though I’m feigning nonchalance, not a second passed in my grey cubicle where I wasn’t thinking about how to present my idea to her.

‘Mmm,’ she says, still focused on the reality TV rerun.

‘I actually want your opinion.’ My heart flutters in my chest. My palms are damp. I’m nervous to ask this much of my sister, but I am determined to give it my best shot.

Millie turns towards me, resettling herself on the couch, giving me her full attention. ‘What’s up?’

I take a deep breath and spew the words out of my mouth as fast as I can. ‘I want to apply to your lab. I know you said that they’re overwhelmed, especially with you gone, and I’ve seen online that they’re looking for a lab tech and—’ I gulp down a breath of air, not wanting to stop talking until I get out everything I want to say, terrified that Millie will think this is a bad idea. ‘And I think I meet the qualifications, I have the degree. And I know you’re going to say it’s a backwards step for me, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I think it’s just a lateral move. I can’t work at Sunshine Foods forever.’