Our eternal affairs

Hey, Anna," Cliff said, shaking her gently in her sleep. 

 "Mmmm," she murmured, not wanting to wake up.

 "Get up Anna, you've been out for seven hours. Are you that tired?" Cliff asked, with concern laced in his voice. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up abruptly.

"Seven hours? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Her voice was groggy as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes.

 "You said you needed rest so…" He trailed off, handing her a steaming cup of coffee and a white envelope.

 "This came in while you were asleep."

She grabbed the mug with both hands and muttered an "oh thank you," before taking a sip.

She purred gratefully as the hot liquid warmed her insides.

 "You alright now?" Cliff asked.

She nodded, taking another sip before asking. "What time is it?"

 "Five fifteen." Her eyes widened, and she almost choked on her coffee.

 "A. M?" She coughed out, spilling a little on the duvet. Her eyes flew to the time on her phone, and she heaved a deep sigh of gratitude. It was still the same day. "You're cunning, you know?"

When she was done with her coffee, she reached out, and opened the envelope, then froze. Her eyes hurriedly scanned the contents.

 "So what does it say?" He asked expectantly, balancing himself on the side of the bed.

Anna remained silent, her gaze fixed on the paper. She didn't notice the single tear that fell on her cheeks.

Her heart melted and she felt a wave of heat wash over her as her mind raced with thoughts.

Was this the beginning of the end? She asked, before looking up, wondering when she last prayed. Is God punishing me for my sins? 

 "Hey,.." He noticed her distress, and wrapped his hand around her, offering both comfort and security.

Then pulled out of the hug and took the paper from her hands. He read it out loud.

 "Dear Anna Gabadon, your employment with Martin's High has been terminated, effective immediately.

This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the gravity of its impact on your life.

We were informed of your diagnosis and unfortunately, your condition will require significant attention and care, and we cannot in good conscience permit you to continue in your role while shouldering such a burden..."

Both of them sat stunned, lost in their train of thoughts.

She couldn't believe they let her off like that without a warning. She was grateful they paid her hospital bills yesterday but then. How was she going to cope?

What really happened? Cliff thought.

He looked at her, his eyes searched for answers on her face.

 "You got anything to tell me, miss? Or you prefer I find out myself." His tone was firm but gentle.

Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly fixed her empty brown mug on her mouth, wishing she didn't rush the coffee earlier.

 "I'm serious, Anna." He grabbed the cup from her hands.

She touched her fingers together with her eyes closed, as if in deep thought. She knew she had to tell Cliff the truth, but was scared of his reaction. She kicked herself internally for falling asleep for so long. 

Cliff sensed something was definitely wrong. What was she hiding that was so important?

 "Yes, Anna?" he asked patiently.

Her response was a dismissive wave of hand. "Just leave me alone, I'll be fine." She threw the covers over face, shutting him out.

 "Anna, if you don't speak now, I'll do something nasty." Cliff meant it as a threat but was just bluffing.

 Her voice was muffled as she spoke up again. "I.. I'm ill… and I don't think I'll make it."

 "What do you mean?" He stammered.

Then she impatiently explained her situation, her words spilling out in a rush. Cliff listened, stunned. His heart squeezed at the thought of Anna dying. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

 "How can this be happening?" he asked, his mind racing, and he was slowly panicking. "So why aren't you in the hospital?"

 "He said my case was severe and the cost could run into millions. Cliff, I don't have that kind of money. I just paid my rent and other bills, I'm left with almost nothing and to make matters worse, I just got fired. So no job, no income." She answered, flicking the paper in his hand.

He glanced at the paper in his hand, his eyes scurrying over its content again. Fired? How could they do this to her? Even after knowing her situation. Was there no compensation for the misfortune or something?

He quickly calculated his own finances in his head but he didn't know whether it'll be enough. He suddenly remembered Uncle Jim and mentioned him. Anna's reaction was immediate. She paled and seemed to shrink away.

He heard how she was unkindly treated by the family, especially his wife, after the disappearance of her mother. 

He was relieved when she went to the university and got a pretty good job after that.

 "That's not even an option Cliff, I'd rather die than go to them for help." She spat venomously.

 "Yeah, you're right." Then he held her hands, trying to sound positive. "We'll get through this Anna, you're tough meat. We'll figure something out, okay?"

Anna's gaze softened at the fact that he was concerned about her, and didn't leave her all by herself. She started counting her blessings beginning with Cliff, but she truly didn't know what to do. 

 "How about seeing the therapist?" Cliff suggested, "maybe they can help us figure out what to do."

 Anna nodded and Cliff felt a sense of relief. At least they were taking action.

"I need to tell Sam about it first though." she said and stood up from the bed, moving to the bathroom.

Cliff pursed his lips, his face was twisted with disgust. Was she still going out with that douche bag? 

 "You guys are still together?" He asked in cool surprise.