Isobel squealed with delight as she and her parents removed their respective treasures from the family's blue Chevy Malibu. While his wife and daughter walked into their house, Steve pulled the mail from the box on the curb. Leah Mason smiled as her daughter raced upstairs in a swirl of lace and ribbon. Isobel was definitely her mother's daughter with dark eyes and midnight hair that often sat atop her head in a pair of pony-tails. The girl's complexion was slightly paler than her mother's, cinnamon hue. Her face was a cute combination of Leah's exotic beauty and her father's more Romanized face. Leah sighed. She loved her husband but Steve's job problems were putting a real strain on their lives. The pretty filipina made a good living as a fashion buyer, but it wouldn't cover their mortgage or pay for Isobel's school and ballet lessons. Soon Steve's severance package would run out. If he couldn't find a job in the next month, they might lose their house.
Leah noted the ashen look on her husband's face as he walked into the kitchen. Steve said nothing, simply handing her a letter from Century Mortgage. Four words in red ink jumped out at her: "Denied for insufficient income." The Mason's had recently applied for a loan modification on their house. The family had lived in the red brick three bedroom ranch north of the city center for nearly five years. Unfortunately, their loan was due to jump nearly $800 a month, making tough times even more difficult. They needed the modification to go through. Now even that hope was dashed.
"What are we going to do Steve?" Leah asked, anxiety and frustration filling her voice.
"I have two interviews this week, honey, I know one of them will pan out," he replied, trying to sound hopeful.
"They had better, or we may lose our house because you can't keep a job!" Leah said in a soft, cold voice.
Steve opened his mouth to retort, but thought better of it. "No reason to make things worse," he thought. Turning on his heel, he left the room with his wife's words echoing in his head.
