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answering.
    “Fiona?” Mr. Doyle said, as his voice came over the line for the first time.
    “Yes. Hello Mr. Doyle.”
    “Oh good, I’m glad I got you. Sorry about calling so early in the morning like this. And please, it’s Colin.”
    I’d already begun to pace back and forth as soon as I picked up the phone. With every word he spoke, I bit into my lip and squeezed my free hand tighter and tighter.
    “It’s fine,” I began. “No problem at all. Mr. D... Colin.”
    “Good,” he replied. “Yes, well. I’ve got a bit of news for you. I'm afraid it’s of the good and bad type though.”
    “Mmm, hmm,” I muttered. Flexing my jaw in response, I bit down so hard with my molars on the inside of my cheek, I almost split my mouth open.
    “Are you all right, Fiona?”
    His words lingered in my ear for a moment. Was I? Aside from the overwhelming feeling of lightheadedness that struck me in that moment, I seemed to be. Just in case, I plopped down into a kitchen table chair and pulled my legs up to my chest, hugging them close.
    “Yes, I’m fine,” I lied. “I'm sorry, Colin. Please continue.”
    My hesitation hadn’t gone unnoticed. He followed mine with a moment or two of his own.
    “Um, how about we start with the good news?” he said with a rising tone.
    Great, way to go Fiona. Now he’s going to think you’re an absolute nut.
    Cursing myself as I thinned my lips at my behavior, I let out a slow exhale. I did my best to make it subtle enough that I hoped it wouldn’t give him more cause for concern.
    “That sounds good.” I replied. “I’m um, sorry about that Colin.”
    “Don’t mention it, Fiona. It’s understandable to be a bit nervous.” Reassurance laced his words, calming me as he continued. “Fiona I must say that of all the applicants we had for the position, you were far and away the best. So, without any further delay, I’d like to offer you the position.”
    Without thinking, I slapped my flannel-covered hand to my mouth, stifling a gasp. I fought for breath as feelings of relief coursed through my veins. At the same instant, I sensed the heat of tears rush into my eyes. It threatened to put an end to my ability to reply without gulping air at the same time. But, mercifully, my swell of emotion went by unnoticed for the moment, as Colin continued to speak.
    “And that’s the good news,” he said, as he readied himself to deliver the more unfortunate half. “The bad news is that we need you to start… today. I’ve received information that the company is moving forward with a major new project. After you go through a brief employee orientation, the CEO will address the team members, which includes you. It's all hands on deck, Fiona.”
    I shot to my feet. My tears gave away to rush of anxiety as the reality of achieving my goal hit me. What if I screwed up my first day, week or month? I’d always been the smartest person I knew. Now, at Hawkins, that was far from the case. Everyone in the lab, including Colin, was as smart, if not more so.
    “Fiona?” Mr. Doyle asked. “Are you there?”
    Cradling the phone to my ear, I pulled my free arm up, pressing my hand against the opposite cheek.
    “Mmm, hmm. Yes, sir,” I stammered. “Thank you, Colin.”
    “It’s my pleasure, Fiona. We can’t wait to get you in here and working with the rest of the team. Now how soon can you get here? The CEO will address the team at ten.”
    “Oh I…” I began. “I’ll get ready right away. I can be in by nine. Is that all right?”
    “Yes, Fiona. That’s terrific. I’ll schedule your orientation. That should still give you ample time to get to the briefing.”
    “Okay. Thank you again, Colin. I’m so appreciative.”
    “It’s our pleasure to have you on board. All right then, so I’ll see you at nine?”
    “Yes. I’ll be there.”
    Soon afterward, we said our goodbyes. My near panic attack avoided for the time being, I put the phone down on the kitchen table and turned to tell