Chapter 25
Saturday morning thankfully rolled in with promises of reasonable weather for a run.
Kenya didn’t have to go far to help oversee the Fall Family Fun Run.
The roads were blocked off during the night, and this morning all she had to do was put on her leggings and bright-peach T-shirt and head downstairs.
She pulled her windbreaker off the hook by the door and stepped outside.
The warmth of that night still lingered with Kenya, even a week and a half later. It had been her motivation throughout the week as she worked on convincing Evelyn she would come through and as she dealt with Vance’s efforts to undermine her previous work.
“I guess I should be thankful for you, foot.”
Kenya looked down at the colorful running shoes she’d bought almost a year ago when she thought she would be able to run.
Her younger sister greeted her outside of her apartment with a tight hug, looking adorable in a ball cap and matching shirt with knee-length floral leggings under pink athletic shorts. Salome had her own eclectic style.
“Are you sure you’re good?”
“Yes, yes, of course, but the more people ask me that, I won’t be. I’m so excited to support you guys in this.”
They walked farther down the sidewalk and met Gary, who drove them in his beloved golf cart to the staging area where the rest of her family waited.
Her dad wrapped her in his arms. The peach looked good on him. He even donned a sweatband to match.
“We wouldn’t even be doing this if it wasn’t for you,” he said into her hair.
“I know, but that makes it even better that I get to watch and cheer you on at the beginning and cheer for you when you finish.”
She stepped from his arms and gave everyone else a hug of greeting.
“Look at all of you. Everyone looks so good.” Kenya didn’t have to force her grin.
The T-shirts she had specially designed were bright and vibrant.
How often did most of her family gather for something she organized?
Besides the wedding, this was one of the few.
Of course, Celise couldn’t make it since she was on a job, but at least they’d been able to get together at her cousin’s house.
Her mom tipped her head to the side. Uh-oh, she knew that look. But Mama wasn’t going to do that to her today. “I wish you were able to join us.”
Her dad nodded. “Because Lord knows if you hadn’t pushed us, we wouldn’t have even signed up.”
This race was a staple of their area. When their agency took on some of the events surrounding it, she jumped at the chance not only to help with the planning and implementation but also to run. There would be none of that for her here, at least not in the way she was used to.
But a special man was going to be taking her on a date to a wedding in a week. How times had changed. She’d gone from deep interest to suppressing all her feelings when it hadn’t worked out.
Now she wondered if it all was more real than they imagined. Because that kiss at the soccer game sure felt more real than most things in her life. And gave her the boldness to shoo away all the sympathy.
“It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ll be able to see you all doing well from here anyway.” She tapped the golf cart that Gary had volunteered to continue driving her around in.
“And is a certain someone going to be riding with you?” Salome gave her a cheeky look.
“Mind your business, little sis. Focus on your running game. I expect you to take over for me and at least end up in the top five percent.”
Salome looked horrified. “How about ten?”
Adanne shrugged. “I will shoot for top fifty percent.”
Her father shook his head. “You’ll be lucky if you see me cross the finish line at all.” He added, “From what I studied on the map, that new bakery I want to check out is right along the path.”
“Daddy!” Kenya exclaimed.
He sighed. “Don’t worry, I won’t let the Stewart name down.”
Mama stepped closer, closing her arms around her, patting her on the back. She appreciated the condolences and the loving care, but this made her too emotional.
Kenya responded with a few pats of her own on her mom’s back. “I’m going to be fine. I’m almost healed. I’ll be back running in no time. At least you guys can go run for me.”
This gave her the chance and the vantage point to make sure everything was in place from where she was at.
And this was the motivation she needed for the upcoming wedding.
Solomon had assured her everything would go well with Robert Bluestone.
Even though this wasn’t how she had intended these weeks on her calendar to go, at least she was still going to hit the bull’s-eye.
She was going to make a comeback from this setback.
How was that for an inspirational poster quote?
Not only would she become the next creative director, but she might even have someone by her side in the middle of it. And there he was now, looking handsome in athletic pants and a polo with the hospital’s logo as he strode over.
“Doctor.” Daddy reached out his hand and shook Solomon’s, a little extra hard, by the way his whole arm was shaking.
“Just Solomon.” He chuckled and turned to her mom, who narrowed her eyes and gave him a hug.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she said. “I hear you’ve been taking good care of our girl.”
Solomon turned to Kenya, but she wouldn’t coach him or give him a signal on what to say. Her mother could be referring to helping with the physical therapy referral, keeping her occupied, or the suspicion she had about their relationship.
Kenya didn’t know what to say either. But she knew she didn’t want this extended second date they’d been on for weeks to end.
But no need for all those thoughts now. She lifted her left hand, forming the L shape, and pointed in that direction.
“Okay, family, the starting line is that way. Solomon, if you would do me a favor and take a picture of all of us, then they will be on their way to hopefully do the Stewart name proud.”
Adanne raised her hands. “I guess the Pope/Pomponio name can be done proud too,” she said.
Kenya smirked at her cousin. “Except I don’t know how much since your other half is not here with you.”
Salome smiled. “I guess it’s okay since he’s got that location-scouting project and all.”
Adanne beamed at the mention of her husband.
Kenya glanced at Solomon, her heart quickening when she saw that he was already looking at her. Maybe it was just because he was waiting for her to get into the group shot as well. Or maybe, maybe, there was a certain something with them that would last beyond this moment—and her foot’s recovery.
Maybe when it was all said and done, she would be able to stand on solid ground, for more reasons than just getting good physical therapy.
“Go get in.” Solomon nudged her on with his head. “And make sure everyone is standing in a window,” he called out.
“A window?” She blinked.
“Find a spot between shoulders. So everyone can be seen in the photo.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest. “So intentional, Doctor.”
He grinned. “That’s the only way to be.”
She nestled in with her family. All of them were so strong, so smart, so much at ease with what they did.
They made her proud for just signing up because they normally did not crave getting up at the crack of dawn to run a race.
But she hoped she, too, could make them proud.
They had all put up with her random ways, her sporadic ideas, her spur-of-the-moment activities.
They had all been there to pick her up when she failed and to cover for her when her numerous risks turned out to be mistakes.
Oh, God—she grinned at the count of three—please help me make them proud.
After a few pictures, her family gave her thumbs-up and goodbye hugs as they left to take their positions at the front of the race. She gazed after them, wishing she could be there too. But this was no time for regret. Solomon stepped up next to her, nudging her side.
“You good?” he asked.
“Of course I am.” She sniffed. “I was made for this.”
Solomon jammed his hands into his pockets and looked out over the crowd, which was starting to gather near the finish line.
“You were made to stand on the sidelines?” he asked.
He’d meant his words teasingly, but they landed deeper than he probably intended.
A colorful and varied array of people gathered at the starting line.
Some wore matching shirts like her family did, while others were grouped together based on their work or organizational affiliations.
There were also some stragglers in the mix, not concerned about running together but about making a certain time.
She saw the cacophony of humanity laid out and shook her head.
No, she wasn’t meant to remain on the side and let the world rush by her. She lived to be in the mix of it.
“Never,” she said through gritted teeth, more to herself than to him.
“I didn’t think so, love,” he replied.
Had the world stopped?
Everything tilted on its axis.
She had a lot of trouble processing information. A long list of instructions were hard for her to grasp. She sometimes needed things repeated, and her mind often put similar words in place of the right ones. Did she just hear what she thought she did?
Because her brain liked to plug in full words after her ears heard just a few letters.
She wouldn’t forget the first time she heard capiche in a movie and loved it so much that she had inserted it in place of half of her C-words, frustrating the mess out of her mom because she was using it the wrong way.
But when she liked a word, her brain stuck it in every other sentence until it wore out.
Or until she expanded her vocabulary again with a new word.
Had Solomon just said a new word coming from him, for her?
Maybe he said, “Didn’t think so, look,” but that didn’t make sense. Or perhaps he said, “Lovely day” or “Let’s get going.”
She blinked.
The multitude of people seemed to be moving in slow motion as her brain and heart tried to process what had just come from his lips. Surely, he hadn’t said that word on purpose. But usually, her issue with replacing words happened with what she read or said, not with what she heard.
And it hadn’t been a long list. He didn’t say, “Listen, Lily’s lying” or “Lord, let’s linger here.” There was no alliteration to bring more confusion.
No, he had said, “Didn’t think so, love.”
Was that love supposed to be with his name attached? Like the end of a letter? Was there something that he loved seeing, and maybe she had lost the end of his sentence when her heart stopped beating?
All at once, everything ticked back together. She turned to him, but before she could confirm the answer that she wanted to believe, he gave her a wave. “I’m off to the medical tent. I’ll see you soon.” And with that, he left. The countdown continued.
The runners got ready on the “mark, get set,” and on the “go,” they took off.
While her eyes watched them start, her mind was a monsoon of implications, lingering on her exchange with Solomon. The word she thought she’d heard forming into the shape of him in her mind.