Vanya #4
Laughing, Kai hugs me back and I breathe him in as I relax into his arms, thinking, ‘I can’t believe that after all this time, he just walked in like it was any other day.’
“I’m here to see Sylvia. I have an interview to be a volunteer here. For my social work degree,” Kai explains as I step back and walk back to the other side of the desk.
“Degree? When did West Point…oh, wait…the accident? Shit! Kai, I’m so sorry!” I exclaim, words rushing out of my mouth before I can stop to think about what I was saying.
Laying his hand on mine on top of the desk, “Dani. It’s okay.
I’ve dealt with it. I couldn’t go when I was supposed to and I decided not to reapply.
Dax and I decided to move into the city.
So, I’m goin’ into social work. I just finished up my first semester at UIC,” he explains, his voice calming me as he lays out his change of plans.
“Dax? He’s home? And you’re living together?” I ask excitedly. ‘I’ve missed so much,’ I think as I watch Kai, waiting for him to explain.
Kai smiles, blushing as he tells me, “Yeah, we just had a very private, very real first Christmas together. He’s doin’ a tattoo apprenticeship at Slavic Skin.
We live above it. I’ve been working there and livin’ above it for a while.
It made it easier for me to go see him while he was in prison.
I’m gonna cut some hours there to start volunteering here. ”
Smiling, I shake my head and smile as I say, “Dude, that’s amazing! And we need more people like you here. People that get it. We should grab lunch and catch up after your appointment with Sylvia. She’s gonna love you.”
Picking up the phone, I call Sylvia’s line and let her know Kai is here for his interview.
As I hang up, he scrunches his nose, “I wish I had time to have lunch today, but I already have plans to meet Dax for lunch before working the reception desk this afternoon,” he says.
“But, how about we exchange numbers and plan to have lunch and catch up one day soon? And who knows, hopefully we can do it here one day while working together.”
“I get it. It’s very last minute so of course you already have plans!” I ask. Holding my hand out I add, “Here, gimme your phone.” Smiling, Kai hands me his phone and I save my number, texting myself so I can have his.
Sylvia is walking towards us as I hand Kai back his phone. Introducing themselves, I sit behind my desk and watch as they head back to her office.
Kai
Reeling from running into Dani, I can’t help but notice that whatever had been going on with her last year seems to have settled down. Following Sylvia to her office, I shake those thoughts away to focus on my interview.
The interview doesn’t take long as we discuss my degree path, what I want to do and why I want to work here. As she goes over the job description and what they need for the kids I feel myself getting excited about working here. I love the place already and I know this is what I want to do.
As we wrap up the interview, Sylvia offers me a spot, saying that as long as the background check comes back clear we can set a start date by the end of the week. I’m buzzing with excitement as I head back out front.
Stopping to say goodbye to Dani, she shows me the picture of Bre, “Wow! She’s gotten so big,” I say, unable to hide how amazed I am by how big she has gotten since the last time I saw her.
“When did you see her?” Dani asks me, confusion in her voice.
“Oh, um, one of the times Seb had her, he stopped by the shop to see me and had her with him,” I explain.
She rubs her forehead and shakes her head, “Fuck, I didn’t even know,” sighing, she continues, “I went through a bit of a rough patch after she was born. Thought it was postpartum depression, it wasn’t.
I ended up in the hospital for a while, he musta been helping Mama with Bre,” she explains, sounding sad.
I look at her confused, “If it wasn’t postpartum, what was it?” I ask.
She looks around, lowering her voice as she says, “I’m bipolar. Long, long story. We’ll talk about all of that sometime.”
My phone beeps with an incoming text, glancing at it I see a text from Dax wondering if I’m gonna make it. Smiling, I look back at Dani and explain, “I gotta run, but you should come have dinner one night. We can facetime Mel? It’ll kinda be like old times.”
She smiles at me and nods as she says, “That sounds like a plan. Now, get outta here. Go see your guy, but you better text me, Fucker!”
Chuckling, I give her a final hug, promising to text her as I head out to meet Dax.
Walking into the diner, Dax stands as I walk towards him. Dropping a quick kiss on his cheek as we move to sit down. “How’d it go? You gonna be talkin’ to Andrei about cuttin’ your hours?” Dax asks.
I smile widely as I tell him about the interview. “It was amazing. I just need my background check to come back and I can start. Dax! I get to work with kids like us,” I explain excitedly.
While I gush about the amazing work Acceptance Alley does, the waitress brings over the drinks Dax had ordered while waiting for me to arrive.
Pausing to order, I take a drink and continue filling him in as she walks away, “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I’m gonna be working with Dani!
She works there too. I haven't seen her since my accident, but she seems to be doin’ good! ”
I can see the wheels of Dax’s brain turning as he asks, “Dani? Which one is that?”
I smirk at him, “The one that was always with Mel and me? The other redhead…”
I see it click for him as he nods. “Oh yeah! I still owe her a gift basket.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Nothin’, don’t worry about it,” he says, shaking his head with a chuckle.
Shrugging, “How’s your day been?” I ask as our waitress returns with our food.
I watch him growl a little, “If I have to do one more infinity symbol on a chick’s wrist….”
Reaching my hand across the table, I wait for him to put his hand in mine.
Squeezing slightly, “I know, I know…you just have to go through the process, Baby. Soon you’ll be doin’ some amazin’ work.
I already have one in mind that I want you to do for me,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows as I tease him with the possibility of tattooing me.
Dax shakes his head, a slight smile and excitement lighting his eyes as he says, “Better be good, Darlin’.”
We spend the rest of lunch eating and chatting about the upcoming dinner with Cas and Mylo, and add having Dani and Bre over to our plans. Dax pays for our meal as we discuss trying to get Mel to visit over my next school break. Heading back to the shop, hand in hand, I look at him and smile.
Walking into the shop, Dax pops up on his tiptoes, kissing me on the cheek as he says, “You got this Kotenok. I better get back and let Mads take her lunch before she gets hangry.”
I shoot him a wink as I head for Andrei’s office.
I knock on the door as I pop my head in the doorway, giving him an apologetic look when I find him on the phone.
He smiles, motioning for me to enter as he wraps up his call.
“I love you too Milyy, see you soon,” he says, looking at me as he ends the call.
As I sit down, he asks, “What you need, Molodoy?”