Chapter 31
THE OFFICE ELEVATOR door dinged open. The sound that used to give Kenya a thrill of excitement now filled her with dread. The place that had given her life for so long now felt like a prison of failure.
She walked down the white-oak luxury vinyl plank floor. Instead of her heels clicking like they normally did, her feet slipped quietly over the floor in ballet flats. Her physical stature was as diminished as her current work status.
She tried to keep her head up as she passed the rows of cubicles, keeping her smile tight and her face a mask. At least there was a safe place at the end of this hall.
Dedra would be there, and maybe somehow they could figure out a way to get things back on track, even if they weren’t on the level Kenya hoped they would be.
Kenya pushed open her office door.
Dedra was at her desk as usual but not sitting behind it. Instead, she stood in front of it. Her area seemed emptier than Kenya remembered. Her assistant was picking up items and setting them carefully in a box on top of her desk.
“Dedra, what are you doing?”
Dedra ignored her and continued to place items in the box.
Kenya stepped next to her friend, leaning close to her, willing her to lift her head.
“Don’t make me say anything.” Dedra’s voice fell flat.
Kenya picked up the candle that was about to be placed in the crate. “But what is there to say? Why are you moving your things? Are you getting relocated?” Her voice came out louder than she intended, more desperate than it should be.
Dedra retrieved the candle and set it forcefully in the box, wincing as it hit the bottom with almost breakable force. “Kenya, I’m getting moved to another team. With Vance taking on more, Evelyn wants me there to assist.”
Kenya reared back, the words stinging more than any slap. Ever since the accident, Kenya’s world had been tilting on its axis, and all she could do was stumble through it, one uncontrollable scenario at a time.
She took a breath. “Why can’t you help him from here?”
Dedra released a mirthless laugh. “I wish, because you know I love this space, but Evelyn wants me on their floor.” She averted her eyes, but Kenya still saw the truth that she already knew. The position of creative director was not hers and neither was Dedra’s consistent support.
She could deal with the topsy-turvy if it was just about her. But to have it affect someone she cared for? Kenya pressed her hand to her chest, unable to look her friend in the eye, shame infiltrating her senses so strongly she couldn’t see past the blur of it.
“I’m so sorry.” Her voice sounded far away, so weak.
“Don’t be.” Dedra’s voice softened. She dropped more items into the box until there was no longer the harsh sound of them hitting the bottom, each piece cushioned by the one that went before. “I’m still around. Just not in the same way as before.”
Dedra stepped away, her footfalls receding until the opening and closing of the door jolted Kenya out of her stupor and left her with the brunt of accusation. This was all her fault and there was nothing she could do.
SOLOMON SCANNED the waiting room of the Optima Clinic.
Their usual spot looked bereft and empty.
Even the fake plant seemed droopier than normal.
He should just call her instead of sitting out here in the waiting room foolishly thinking she would hobble through the front door like nothing had happened.
Instead, the receptionist had handed him a folder Kenya dropped off while he was at his morning shift at the hospital.
He hadn’t seen Kenya in over two weeks. He gave her space the first week, too caught up in his own doubts to say anything that would matter. The next week he caught her on the phone, but she’d rushed off, citing preparation for some investors’ tour.
He needed to see her. Hear her voice. At least take a step toward something before he dove headfirst into his studies.
Solomon took out his phone.
She answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Kenya.”
“Hey, Solomon.” He loved when she said his name, but the way it came out now was hurried.
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“Um, I actually don’t.”
“I understand.” He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice.
“I—” She paused, and he could hear sounds in the background echoing in what sounded like an emptier space. “But maybe we can find another time.”
“Are you moving?”
“Something like that,” she answered. Still her sweet voice but more distracted.
“I can tell you are busy, so I won’t hold you, but I wanted to check on the renewal party. We ended things in an uncertain way, but do you think you will be there? We finally confirmed the dates with the gardens for a month from now. They miraculously had an opening.”
He heard her inhale and exhale, her contemplation worrying him more than a direct answer.
Finally, “I actually can’t, Solomon. I’m still trying to figure things out. Work is changing, and my schedule is not as flexible as it once was. But I wish your parents much love, and . . . Solomon?”
“Yes, Kenya?”
She sighed, sounding resigned. Like she was saying goodbye. “I wish you all the love you are worthy of too.” Kenya hung up.
Solomon gripped his phone in his hand, fighting the urge to throw it across the room.
“Where’s our girl?” Jermaine’s question pierced through his stormy thoughts. “She has missed a lot of appointments.”
Solomon looked up into the face of his supervisor.
He didn’t answer but blinked, his eyes scanning the lobby.
The waiting area seemed more shadowed than usual.
Maybe it was the gray clouds blocking the sun or Jermaine’s shadow as he stood over him.
But he knew the truth. He’d hurt her more deeply than he’d intended and had cut himself in the process.
“Our girl is not coming today.” Solomon sighed. He dropped his head and pressed his hands together. The chair next to him squeaked as Jermaine moved the cream folder Solomon had set there.
“This yours?”
“Yeah.” Solomon opened the folder that had been left for him at the front and saw the familiar contents. Pages of vision boards, contacts, and venue information for his parents’ party deepened his frown. She couldn’t have left a stronger message of goodbye.
“You’ve been in a mood since you came in after lunch. Want to talk about it?”
Solomon’s mouth worked. Jermaine didn’t press him. Just let him sit in silence for a few minutes.
“I’m keeping you away from your next appointment.”
Jermaine stretched out his legs. “My current appointment was Miss Stewart, so I have time since she was a no-show.”
He released a breath and looked up. “Why did I let myself get so distracted?”
“Distracted from what?”
“Are you going to make me spell it out?”
“I want to hear you say the words because I am wondering what the most important thing to you is.”
Solomon sat up. “There is no question. I am only a week and a half to my NPTE exam, and I feel like I have barely studied in the past month.”
Jermaine shrugged. “You are not the only one who has crammed for a test.”
“But you know I’ve only been working under a temporary license that is contingent on me passing this test. I can’t afford to mess this up. I was focused and on a roll. I had good control on my time, and then . . . I got distracted.”
Jermaine chuckled. “So you are going to blame your lack of study on Miss Stewart.”
Solomon grunted in frustration. “No, on me. I let myself get distracted by her. My intentions snowballed and I messed up. In so many ways.”
“That’s good to hear. She didn’t force you to help her, get to know her, or fall in love with her.”
Solomon turned his head, the last comment making his stomach flip.
“You’re acting like none of us saw you in this little corner. As if a fake potted fiddle-leaf could hide what was really blossoming.” He heard the smile in his gray-haired supervisor’s voice. “Hey, Cindy!” Jermaine hollered toward the receptionist.
She laughed in surprise. “Yes, Doctor?”
“What is the one thing you know for sure when you see Dr. Anruchi and Miss Stewart out here together?”
“I’m not a doctor, just an almost doctor of physical therapy.” Solomon lowered his head in embarrassment as a few patients looked their way.
“That’s easy.” She stood up. “That he is in love with Miss Stewart.”
Jermaine turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. “See.”
Solomon rubbed his hands down his face. “Is this supposed to make me feel better?”
“Nope.” Jermaine checked his watch. “This is supposed to remind you that sometimes priorities change. And that is not a sign of distraction or failure but sometimes a sign that seasons are changing.”
He placed a hand on Solomon’s shoulder. “You, young man, are in the middle of a seasonal shift, and it is good to see. I’ve known you for the last couple of years as you came here on school rotation and then as your licensed supervisor before your test. You have been overly driven with a singular, almost addictive, focus.
Like you’re trying to run toward success with wolves nipping at your heels. ”
Jermaine laughed. “I was there at your age. And don’t get me wrong, the focus matters, the work matters. But I missed out on so much during that time and in the years after. Lost my first wife and an initial relationship with my oldest child.”
Solomon listened intently. He had not known this information.
“Not because being a DPT and building this clinic was wrong. But because I failed to recognize the seasonal shift. I failed to recognize who was in the room with me.”
He placed his hands on the seat rails. “Watching you and Miss Stewart over the past couple months has been a breath of fresh air. She can’t help but bring sunshine into whatever room she’s in. And you nurtured it, engaged in it, and in doing so allowed yourself to grow.”
Jermaine stood up. “That is the type of physical therapist your patients need. Your skill is not in question, and if something happens with the NPTE, another opportunity will come around again.”
He grinned. “Just don’t miss your season shift and the love that finds you there.”