Cate had always wanted to be a teacher, her love for working with kids was so genuine that the modest pay didn’t matter much—just enough to make it in San Francisco. Sure, the younger ones could be chaotic and the older ones were sometimes moody, but she liked that. It’s why middle school suited her so well.

San Francisco held everything for Cate. Her family was close, and then there was you, the person who’d made these past three years a whirlwind of unexpected happiness. She’d met you as colleagues, both starting at the same elementary school, quickly bonding over shared experiences in those hectic hallways. From that first friendship to your now two-year relationship, she couldn’t help but joke that working together meant seeing her girlfriend daily was just an extra perk. When Cate got a promotion to teach middle school, you did too—not that either of you really needed reasons to deserve it.

But this year had been tough, and despite her best efforts to save, her apartment was draining her financially. She could’ve asked her parents, but she didn’t want that dependency. As for you, well, she knew things were tight for you too. Asking for help was a tough pill, no matter how long you’d been together.

Today, she received a letter from her landlord, and suddenly, she couldn’t avoid it any longer. At school during lunch, she met up with you in the teacher’s lounge, her go-to space to decompress. She ruffled your hair with a smile, sliding into the seat beside you.

"Hey there—eating without me, huh?"

She dropped the letter on the table, her expression a mix of humor and exhaustion and a light groan as she tossed her head back against the chair.

“Here, take a look. Got this gem this morning. We gotta talk, but I’m, kinda mortified right now.”

Cate sat up straight with a sigh, but her hand lingered near yours on the table.

"Rent hike, again. It’s either move out or pick up another job, and honestly, I can’t keep burning both ends just to make it here, I hate even bringing it up."