A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and to my fantastic beta reader, Rosalie! This is a short chapter that's just designed to introduce two new characters and to let you know the current status of Anna's ring.

Chapter 6: Luella – Frustration

Kaylee starts crying when we're still five blocks from home, and I feel like joining her. It's been another frustrating day – trudging through the sticky heat of summer for hours, going from business to business looking for anyone who might be hiring.

They were all sympathetic, of course. Everyone is these days, but that doesn't mean they have any job openings, and we're getting desperate for some type of income.

"It's all right, Kaylee," I murmur as soothingly as I can, rocking her on my hip, but the truth is that things are far from all right. We're three months behind on our rent, and while the landlord has been generous about giving us extra time to pay, there's only so long he can let us slide. If Micky and I both stay out of work for much longer, we'll have no choice but to join the families that stay in the federal building every night.

That wouldn't be so bad, I suppose. It's certainly better than living in a hand-built shelter on the street the way most everyone did while NUSA was still in power. But we'd lose the little bit of privacy we have now, and I know how hard that would be on Micky. He's always needed his privacy.

The irony is that my little family was considerably better off before NUSA was ousted, though I honestly don't know why that is. It's certainly not true of anyone else I know, or of the population as a whole. But somehow Micky always brought in pretty good money in those days.

I frown a little, wondering again just what work he used to perform. He doesn't talk about it, and it's obvious he's hiding something, but I try not to press. He'll tell me when he's ready, or so I hope. Honesty is important, after all.

Micky is already home when I arrive, hauling Kaylee with me. By now, she's screaming with hunger, and I seat myself quickly so I can nurse her. Micky leans over, brushing a tender hand along the peach fuzz on our suckling daughter's head before giving me a kiss. I can't help smiling. He always makes me happy, no matter how rotten my day might be.

"Any luck today?" I ask hopefully. I get my answer in the way his face falls.

"No," he says with a sigh. "You?" I just shake my head.

He nods a little, looking away, and I can tell he's fighting his disappointment. "I'll check farther west tomorrow," he says quietly. "There's bound to be something eventually." But I'm not so sure.

"Micky…." I bite my lip. "I think we need to face reality. What if we don't find anything?"

He turns away, balling his hands in aggravation. "What choice do we have? We've already sold everything we can."

"Not everything…" but my voice trails off at the look of fury he gives me.

"We are not selling your ring!"

I sigh. I know how much it meant to him that he was able to give me an engagement ring when so few people can afford one. And I treasure it – I really do. It's my most prized possession, with its beautiful gold band and sparkling diamond. But it's still only that, only an object.

"Micky, it's just a ring," I whisper. "I mean, it's important to me, of course, but only because it came from you. I'd rather have you, and our life together, than any piece of metal."

But clearly he isn't ready to go down that road yet. "We're not that desperate," he growls, whirling away from me and pacing across the small room. And I know there's no point in arguing further right now. When he gets stubborn, he stops listening to reason, and reason is the only way to win this particular debate.

"Okay," I say softly. "For now, we'll just keep looking for work." He turns back to me, and I meet his eyes. "But if we don't find something before next month's rent is due, we need to consider alternatives."

He doesn't answer.

A/N: To answer a guest reviewer, this story will continue for a while. There will be several more chapters in Pittsburgh, and then some in Philadelphia, followed by more in Chicago. I've been updating at least once a week (usually more often) and hope to continue that schedule. I'm updating it in parallel with my "Becoming Determinant" story.

That said, please take a moment to let me know what you thought of this chapter. I know it's short, but hopefully it worked anyway.

P.S. For anyone who didn't see this recommendation in my "Becoming Determinant" story, I recently came across an AU "Divergent" fic that's really good and that doesn't have nearly as many reviews as it deserves. If you haven't seen it yet, I strongly recommend you check out "Bitter Cold" by Mugglesarah.