Have faith Mikey recounts his father saying as he sits behind his plain white counter and waits for his phone to ring. They said they would call. Mikey shifts nervously on his kitchen stool and clicks his fingers. I did well in the interview right? I prayed right? I had everything they were looking for. I am made for that job.  Mikey decides to drink some water to cool the heat rising inside him, although the weather man said it would be a chilly afternoon 25 degrees,  but 16 degrees in his air conditioned apartment.

The phone rings. Mikey fumbles with the jar of water spilling most of its contents. Is it them? The company that holds my entire future in their hands?

He abruptly sets the jar down and dives for the phone, that instead slides off the counter onto the floor. Crap crap crap. He sprints to the other side of the counter. The phone continues to ring. Thank God. He picks it up and inhales before looking at the call. Its his mother Caroline.

....

"Yes Mom ?"
"Did you get it? " Caroline screams through the phone.

Mikey sighs."They haven't called yet"

"What? You said they would call by 5 and its a quarter to 6 now. Michael did you write down the right number? Did you right it clearly? You know your penmanship looks like a blind chimp writing upside down. "

Mikey rolls his eyes."It's not that bad mother. And yes I wrote it right and yes I wrote legibly... I even made the receptionist repeat what I wrote for clarity"

"Well maybe you didn't get it. These things happen Michael where they-"

"Caroline I don't need your negativity. They will call; I have faith".

"Have your faith Michael but have respect. I am your mother. I won't fill your mind with babbles of faith. That was your father's job. I am your reality check. If you didn't get it you didn't work for it... "

Mikey rolls his eyes a couple more times as she rambles on. How his father loved a faithless woman, he doesn't know. How she can be so negative to her own son. He has no clue.

"Look, Caroline, I have to go. They are going to call any minute... Goodbye".

"Michael don't you dare-"

Mikey hangs up. Stop calling me Michael. He feels that heat bubbling in his stomach. The one that makes him want to throw the nearest glass figurine at a wall and listen to it crash in satisfaction. But no. Mikey you are stronger than that. Whisper a prayer before the devil takes over. That is what his father always said. Mikey looks at the spilled water. That woman will not break my faith. He walks to the bathroom to grab a mop.  The phone rings again. Grabbing it carefully this time he looks at the screen. It reads Mills Architectural Firm. Mikey swallows hard.

"Hello?"