Rachel was warm and lovely, and definitely worked with an earnestness that I could only strive to achieve. She had a stellar sense of humor and was a wiz at all of the internal systems needed for scheduling, filing, and pay roll.

Still, it wasn’t something I was interested in.

The rest of the day would prove I had no interest in tech, manufacturing, or more stocks. The only thing that really sparked a bit of joy in me was the non-profit environmental sector that the company owned. I liked the idea of doing something that gave back, as it felt as though any sort of business could be overseen by better hands than mine, and any private business I tried to start would just be a drop in the bucket when it came to our income.

However, I hadn’t the slightest knowledge of environmental science. Their work was a little more scientific and engineering-based, and they got into things as technical as acidity levels in soil, the growth rates of algae in ponds, and the amount of aeration needed in a field to plant trees.

My mind toyed with it throughout the evening.

Roman and I talked about on and off. He was eager and motivated to help me find what it was I would spend my time on, but he couldn’t make the decision for me. It was up to me.

The next morning, after our workout, I decided to stay back at the house to think things over. He had another long day of meetings anyway, and I didn’t want to get in the way.

Thankfully, I wouldn’t be entirely alone. First thing in the morning, Lori texted me, asking if we could do lunch.

I sat at the table with a notebook and a tablet, doing as much research as I could to figure out what I wanted to do. I had dwindled away the morning and Lori’s arrival actually managed to sneak up on me.

"Whatcha doing?" Lori asked as she came into the room.

I don’t know why, but I felt a little embarrassed and pushed the notebook and tablet away. "Nothing. How’s your morning going?" I replied.

"Oh, so much to tell," Lori giggled. She joined me at the table and leaned in to dish out whatever she was holding in. "We’ve started to talk to some of Lauren’s friends and some of their cousins, trying to source a staff, you know? I forgot how catty women could be," she chuckled.

"Do tell," I smiled. I loved how passionate and excitable she was about her upcoming business. I hoped that some of that would rub off on me.

"There’s so much infighting that we accidentally unearthed," she snickered. "They have this pair of cousins, Angelica and Adelaide. They’re twins, and apparently they haven’t been on talking terms in the past year, and Lauren had no idea. Now they are fighting tooth and nail to be the one to help oversee our marketing side of things, as they both went to school for it. However, neither want to work with the other. It’s been constant texts, screenshots, and phone calls about the other. It’s all super petty things, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t entertaining."

"Sounds like quite the scandal," I chuckled. "Have you guys found an office space yet?"

"Yes! I’ll have to take you tomorrow to see it. It’s not furnished or anything yet, but it’s just perfect. It’s an upstairs office space downtown. It’s big, open, and has so much potential. It’s really a dream come true," she sighed happily. "I can’t believe that, in the coming weeks, I’ll have my own office and really get started on this company."

"I’m happy for you," I smiled weakly.

"What about you? What’s been up since dinner?" she asked.

Thankfully, Geoffrey entered to serve our lunches. He had prepared an autumn squash soup and hefty salads for the both of us. It was a momentary distraction, but as soon as he was away from the table, I noticed Lori’s eyes locked onto me with a gleam in her eyes.

"Well," I muttered. "I’m still trying to figure out what to do with myself. Turns out, I’m not cut out to be a housewife. I went to the office with Roman yesterday, to see if there was anything I was interested in. The only thing that really caught my interest was their environmental non-profit, but I don’t have any knowledge in the environment. I would have to go to school first."

"Well, what was it about the non-profit that got your interest, if it wasn’t the environmental part?" she asked as she started eating her soup.

I shrugged, feeling shy about my explanation. "I like the idea of doing something that gives back, you know? I don’t know enough about management or anything to really contribute to his business. And it’s not like money is really a concern, so it’s not as though I need to worry about making a salary or anything."

"That makes a lot of sense," she nodded. "So, we just need to figure out what sort of non-profit you would start."

"I’ve been doing research all morning," I replied, pulling my notebook back toward me. "There’s just already so many in the city, that I don’t know where I could make a difference. The best thing I could think to do is just cut most of them a check to help out, but that doesn’t really give me anything to do after the checks are filled out, you know?"

I gave her a weak, and kind of a sad, smile.

She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "You aren’t going to find the answer online, Hannah. Look within and figure out what it is you care about. That’s how you’re going to make a difference. When was the last time you found yourself really moved by something?"

She was right. I wasn’t going to find a purpose on a search engine.

We ate as I thought it over.

There was only one thing that came to mind, but I wasn’t sure about it. Exploring that would open up a lot of hurt that I had just started to heal. However, I think that it might be the only way to really live out my purpose and make the difference I longed to.

"Helping with the investigation," I stated finally. "That gave me a sense of meaning." I swallowed and said, "I think I want to start a non-profit to help women escaping sex work and abusive situations."

"That’s perfect!" Lori exclaimed. "Oh, that’s the perfect one. I think it’ll give the women you help a sense of comfort to know you have also escaped a situation. Kristen often seemed resistant to help because of no one being able to understand. You’ll be able to give women an advocate as they try to start a normal life."

"You really think that it’s a good idea?" I asked meekly.

"I think it’s one of the best ideas you ever had," she nodded excitedly. She moved her bowls out of the way and pulled a laptop out of her bag. "Let’s get started."

I was touched that she was so happy to help me. And more importantly, I felt that spark that I had been seeking for so long.

Together, we started research as to what all a non-profit for women would need.

Optimally, we would need supply sponsors, companies that would be willing to donate a steady supply of needed products like toiletries, clothes, and so on. That would be something we could possibly source with Roman’s manufacturers. We would need a staff of advocates, counselors, and volunteers. It might be a good idea to start a sort of shelter. The running idea was to find something sort of like an apartment building and convert it into a place where women could come to get away from the abuse, have safety, and start piecing together a new life for themselves.

We were really starting to get a clear picture together. We hadn’t even looked for places, but I could see it in my mind. A big, first floor office that would have rooms for group therapy, a dining room that would provide three meal services a day, offices for private therapy, a financial support office, and upstairs apartments that women could live together and support one another.

That could be problematic, as they could be in survival mode and would fight. We would have onsite security officers to assist in any disputes.

I couldn’t have felt more alive than I did in that moment. I found my purpose. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Looking up to her I grinned. "I can’t wait to share this with Roman."

"I can’t wait for you," she smiled and stood. "Oh, how exciting would it be if we found you a place near where Lauren and I will be? We’re just down the street from Roman."

"You are?" I blinked.

She nodded. "How perfect would it be for us to all still be close together, even though we’re all doing our own thing?"

"It would be perfect," I breathed.

I couldn’t wait for Roman to get home. I hoped that he could help and make it all come true.