The first time Minnie spoke to me was on the production line. We worked across from each other for six months twisting doodads into gizmos until our calluses had calluses. It was as boring as it sounds. Minnie lifted her head to meet my eyes and asked what I typically do over my break.

 I said I usually met up with a friend from a neighboring department, Jeanette, and Laura to get coffee. Minnie glanced at Laura, who worked a couple people down the line from us. She asked if she could tag along because she was newer in town and didn't know a good coffee shop to save her life.

 Since then, I'd been content with my job: twist this into that, mark it down, this into that, mark it down, but every now and again, I'd catch Minnie's eye and we'd smile. On our breaks together, the four of us talked about our lives. Minnie and Laura both worked with computers and code in their free time and were here to save money for the rest of college. Minnie only recently switched her major from marketing to programming, so she told us about where she was in her studies. I listened intently to her stories and noticed that she pinched her brows whenever she had coding questions for Laura. Minnie is what made work bearable.

 One day, my boss pulled me aside after my shift to ask about my studies in engineering and an internship I did under a small company listed on my resume. From then on, I monitored automated devices under a different department of workers that operated them. I fixed and cleaned the machines, I marked down which were fixed and cleaned, and reported the status of each.

 I never saw Minnie after my promotion since my breaks ran at a different time. I missed the way she scrunched her brows with programming questions and how they slowly smoothed out as she began to understand. The way she talked about her place in the world made me want to find mine. I decided to catch Minnie after her shift and ask if she'd like to go out with me. To my luck, she said yes.

 We met on coffee runs, hung out after work, and visited each other's places for two years before we realized we wanted dreams far away from where we stood. Once on the walk home from a coffee date, I admitted I wanted to own a cafe like that someday, someplace filled with life. Minnie had doubts she could make it in programming and admitted that Laura intimidated her.

 "She's already looking for a second job in programming and she's going to get it because she's so good. I just wish I could be at that level already." I pulled her close as she rested her head on my shoulder, "I know it takes time I just don`t want to be here, George."

 We made a promise. After we saved enough money, we'd search for an apartment together and apply for jobs until we got accepted to ones that we wanted and supported us more than this one.

 We just wanted comfort.

 One night, I came to her apartment and slumped on her bed, upset that I had to let go of Jeanette. Her department was slowly being replaced by a person handling a device. If they didn't have enough experience in programming, there wasn't a place for them anymore.

 "Good." Minnie said as she came to rub my back, "she deserves better." She assured me that Jeanette was an amazing artist with a brilliant mind. She'd have no trouble finding a new job.

 "Thank you." But we knew she didn't want to leave or end up sending resume after resume, hoping her experience here was enough to get a well paying job. And I was the bearer of this bad news.

 My boss hadn't told me that I would have to fire my former coworkers until a teen on the production line held a doodad the wrong way, twisted, and cut her palm on the metal. We had to start replacing people on the line with more devices and operators. At least when a person was called in, I could see on their face that they already knew. The prospect of being fired was looming over them. All I had to do was pull the plug so they could leave, not having to worry if it would happen tomorrow.

 Today, after going into work, my boss told me that at the end of the day, we would have to cut more employees.

 I nodded and went back to doing my rounds fixing, cleaning, and making reports. At the end of the day, my boss walked me to his office. Minnie and Laura were sitting in front of the desk, sharing a look.  Minnie tilted her head as if trying to ask me why they were here.

 "George," my boss sat behind his desk and pulled out two folders, "I need you to help me decide which of these employees to fire and which should operate a device." Both of their faces dropped.

 The boss handed me their files and I wasn't sure what to do. I flipped through them as I thought. I already knew Laura had a lot of experience in programming and Minnie was getting better, but she didn't have the skill set Laura did. This was a good chance for either of them to have something on their resume that could help them get a job they actually want. Minnie deserved the future she wanted and I wanted us to be able to live together one day, but Laura was the better of the two and I can't justify throwing Laura under the bus just because I wanted Minnie and I to be happy.

 I pressed my hand to my forehead to avoid having to look either of them in the eye.

 "Sir, I–uh... I can't do this." I set down the files, "But if you want my opinion, I think you should keep both of them around in case a second slot does open up. Thank you for having me as an employee. Have a good day sir."

 I didn't spare him a second glance as I turned to leave and gave Minnie a small smile as I did so.

 The night air was cool against my skin as I pushed the front doors open. I heaved a sigh and hoped that Minnie was going to be okay as I trudged down the front steps.

 But before I could leave, the doors burst open behind me.

 "George!" She rushed to give me a hug that made me want to curl up in a ball as she rubbed my back.

 "Did you lose your job?" She pulled away and smiled the brightest I'd seen in a long time.

 "I quit, George. Thank you for doing your best to save my job, but I am done waiting for the day we get to start over," she cupped my face in her hand and caressed my cheek, "We've put so much into this job George, but haven't gotten anything out of it."

 She was right, of course. I smiled because she was right. I took her hand in mine and gave a small tug.

 "Then let's get out of here."

 After she rushed down the steps, we raced to the stairs leading out of the parking lot. We giggled to each other as I passed her, started up the steps, and let my hand hover over the rail the way I did as a kid. Minnie's steps pounded behind me as our breaths grew heavy. My hand glided over the rail and I looked ahead to see the end racing towards me. I was on my way, and I was past it, letting my hand lift off from the rail. I circled around to see Minnie following my steps, readying her hand for liftoff. When she reached the top, I picked her up by the waist and spun her around.

 I never did have a backup if I'd gotten fired from my job. There was just a dream out of reach and a number to hit before our life together began. We didn't know where we were going, but we were happy to leave that place behind, and, as Minnie said, to start over. I set her down and took her hand as we ran to the train station like it was our getaway ride. After we scrambled into a train car laughing, she squeezed my hand tight as if to admit she was scared.

 So was I.

 So I squeezed her hand back because I thought we were going to be okay.