He looked at her with tired amusement. "You should work at the foundation."
"I already have a full-time position keeping you from being foolish."
When he asked whether she thought he should pursue the housing possibility, she answered with the directness he expected. "If you were offered a chance to apply for a better job, would you refuse because somebody mentioned it to you first?" He said no. "Then why is housing different? You don't owe the world another winter of suffering to prove you're a hardworking father."
Everett did not answer immediately. His mother had raised him to believe that accepting charity was a last resort, and he had absorbed the belief long before he understood how much it depended on circumstances. Clara, more practical, had believed that communities existed partly so people could lean on one another when the ground shifted. Everett wondered whether he had confused honoring her memory with making her daughter's life harder than necessary.
At the foundation office, Leah greeted him without the curiosity he had expected. She wore a knitted cardigan and had a table covered with folders, pens, and a small bowl of peppermint candies. She reviewed his income, checked the utility statement, and asked about his work history. Everett answered honestly, including details that embarrassed him: how often one temporary employer canceled shifts, how much of the previous month he had spent on a necessary car repair, and why the current apartment no longer met his daughter's needs.
Leah explained the difference between emergency support and longer-term housing assistance. The heating payment could be considered quickly because of the risk involved in a winter interruption. The foundation's family-home program required additional checks, including income eligibility, housing stability criteria, a site visit, and confirmation that the applicant understood the terms of the tenancy. No one could promise that a particular home would become his merely because it had been mentioned at the luncheon.
"We have a renovated property available," Leah said. "It's modest, and it hasn't yet been matched with an eligible family. If the review supports it, you'd be considered under the same guidelines as other applicants. I don't want to give you false certainty."
"I appreciate that," Everett replied. "Certainty is expensive these days."
She smiled. "So is pretending to have it."
They also discussed the maintenance position. It was a full-time role supporting several foundation-operated buildings, with predictable hours, health benefits, paid leave, and training in building systems Everett had not yet worked on. The position was open because a longtime technician was retiring, and the foundation's facilities department needed someone who could respond to repairs without treating residents as interruptions. Everett's experience with appliances, troubleshooting, and tenant communication seemed relevant, but he would need to interview with the facilities supervisor and demonstrate his technical knowledge.
He asked whether Serafina would decide who got the job. Leah shook her head. "The hiring panel makes that decision. Ms. Vale can bring attention to an applicant, but we still need someone who can do the work. The people living in these buildings deserve competent maintenance."