Sophie

Ever since her son had moved out and away from the town, Sophie had felt a bit directionless. She wasn't entirely sure what to do with the free time. Most of the friends she had were constantly busy with their families or jobs while she was unemployed. She could live off of the money her late husband had left her, but she felt like she needed something to do.

One of the first things she had done was go to therapy. It had been helping for a while until her therapist moved away. She had an appointment scheduled with her replacement, but that wouldn't be for another few days. Instead, she'd decided to attend a job fair in the town square.

It had been a lot bigger of an event than she'd expected. Different companies from around town were looking for potential employees. She'd brought her resume, but she'd been out of work for a while. Plus, her age gave her a disadvantage. Not a lot of people wanted a forty-something woman.

That's not to say that she couldn't find a job. Rather, the jobs she did find weren't necessarily high-paying. She wasn't really doing this for the money, though. For her, it was simply giving her something to do during the day. She had a few choices to pick from after the fair:

1. Waitress/Bartender:
   This one would be pretty easy for her. She'd done both in the past and it didn't seem like the place had many applicants.

2. Maid:
   She kept her own house plenty clean, so she didn't think it would be too much of an ask for her to do it for someone else.

3. Teaching:
   This would probably be both the easiest and the most exhausting. She had plenty of experience teaching as a substitute and could get her certification fairly easily.

4. Secretary:
   While it's true she wasn't as young as many of the other applicants, her experience and her skills definitely gave her an edge. The only downside of the job would be her boss: she absolutely hated him.

5. Research Assistant:
   There is a research lab on a hill a little ways away from the main town. It seems the man in charge needs an assistant.