Reagan stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her childhood bedroom. Her parents had taken down the movie posters and trophies that had lined the walls and shelves since high school and repainted the walls a light gray. Being in this room felt like home, someplace safe and comforting, a place to stay and be with two of her favorite people in the world. But it had held a different tone over the past couple months since she’d moved home, one of sadness, uncertainty, and finality.

Right now, though, the room held a tone of the future, of what life would be after her dad was gone. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, noting the circles under her eyes and the few pounds she had gained. The khaki chinos and the navy blazer fit, but she didn’t dare button the blazer. Instead, she left it open, showing off her white button-up with navy polka dots. She only had one or two work-appropriate outfits with her, and she made a mental note to stop by her own place later in the week to grab a few more now that she’d be working several days a week.

She looked at herself one last time before going to the kitchen where her mom drank her coffee and read the paper. Reagan grabbed her keys off the counter and fiddled with them. “You sure it’s okay I go, Mom?”

Her mom set down the paper and took off her glasses. “For the hundredth time, yes, sweetheart. Everything will be fine, and I’ll call you if I need you.”

Reagan let out a shaky breath and kissed her mom on the cheek. “Have a good day.” She peeked into her dad’s room quickly to see he was sleeping peacefully. With a final glance, she left.

Once at the office, she familiarized herself with the client’s profile and lugged several boxes from their small storage room into the corner of the conference room. The table fit ten people, so she set the eight color options for linens on one side and the five styles of plates on the other. Before she could create any combinations, she needed to ask the client additional questions to get a better feel for the theme, if the client had one in mind.

Just as she glanced at her watch, she heard a knock on the door frame.

“Ms. Jacobs is here, Reagan. You ready?” Beth asked.

Reagan took a deep breath and looked around the room. Was she? Only one way to find out. “Yeah. Bring her on back, Beth.”