The Misadventures of Meghan (Chapter 3): "Homeward Bound" (Patreon)

"Why don't you come home?  Get outta 'sin city.'

"That's Las Vegas, momma."

"There's more than one.  Besides, I saw Zeke the other day.  He asked about you."

"Goodbye, mother!"

Meghan pressed the digital red button on her iPhone, ending the call.  Her Midwestern mother meant well, but Meghan didn't need a husband.  She needed a job!  The "past due" and "final notice" text messages from Verizon that popped up onscreen supported that assertion.   On the bright side, at least she wouldn't have to endure pestering phone calls from her mom for much longer.

Still, Meghan wasn't ready to admit defeat.  A good job would fix everything.  Something white collar.   Stocking shelves at the Home and Garden just wouldn't cut it anymore.

So, Meghan donned her favorite "working girl" outfit and canvased the classifieds.

Things didn't go well.  She ran into the same problem she had when she searched for employment months before--too few male managers and too many unmet qualifications.  When she mentioned during an interview that she was "looking for something professional to grow into," one particularly bitchy boss told her to "try a haberdashery."

Whatever that meant.

Eventually, Meghan moved back to the small town where she grew up with a heavy heart and a light purse.  "Just 'til I get back on my feet," she told herself, her mother, and anyone else that would listen, but as she unpacked in her childhood bedroom, with all its prepubescent trappings, she couldn't help but feel like a failure.

Her family treated her like a conquering hero, however, and a celebratory "welcome home" feast was prepared in her honor.  By the end of the meal, Meghan wasn't sure what bulged more--her little sister's eyes from all the scandalous big city stories, or her own belly from all the scrumptious homemade goodies.

At least her feelings of failure were wiped as clean as her plate.