Interesting but not surprising. I have no trouble imagining Holly as the boss. I’d let her order me around any day of the week.

“What type of business?”

“Haven’t figured that out yet. Nothing big though. I want it to be compact and mine. Truthfully, my one-on-one time with Curt after my shift has been more educational than this joke of an internship. He shows me how he organizes his finances and directs all of us worker bees. We’ve discussed how he went about picking his location and his advertising strategies. I mean, you’ve seen how full the club gets. It’s like that every weekend, and he has special themes and events on the weeknights, so those pull in some steady business, too.”

“Would you want to own a club?” That doesn’t seem like the right fit in my mind, but if it’s what she wants, then I’ll bet anything that Holly can achieve it.

She shakes her head. “Oh no. Curt is a total night owl, loves working those late hours. That would drive me crazy if I had to do it for the rest of my life. No, I want something with relatively normal business hours. I mean, it doesn’t have to be nine to five, Monday through Friday. But I also don’t want to be getting to bed in the a.m.”

I nod but also cringe internally as I consider my future. My parents keep pretty normal hours now, but that’s because they’re well established. They’ve regaled me with stories from the trenches—when, as young lawyers, they slept in their offices because the big cases needed all the paperwork together or else the other sides could call foul. When they reminisce on their younger years, it’s with looks of fondness, as if they enjoyed that stressful period. All that I experience at the thought is dread.

The only benefit this disease has had is pushing off my eventual immersion in the world of law. Well, that, and bringing me into contact with Holly. Being around her makes me not mind my crap kidneys so much.

As I unenthusiastically contemplate my future, she also appears to be lost in thought.

Her shrug brings us both back to the present. “So, yeah, I haven’t figured it out yet. But I have time. Now’s just about gaining experience and saving.”

“Still, it sucks that you have to be at a job you hate for six hours each week.” And sucks even more that she can’t be here, sitting next to me, during that time.

Holly throws out a dismissive wave as she reaches for the teapot. “Gotta pay my dues. This is cold. I’m gonna make some more.” Her footsteps are silent as she walks out of the room in her puffy green socks, clutching the porcelain pot to her chest.

I’ve made sure to have an almond croissant and jasmine tea ready for her every time she comes over. Even though it’s part of the routine now, she never just takes them for granted. Instead, I get excited exclamations, a squeeze of my hand, maybe a hug or a kiss on the cheek. That last one is the holy grail. Her happiness makes the short trips to the bakery worth the hassle.