Chapter 1 #3
“Damn, I’m sorry,” I said quietly, because I didn’t know what else to say.
She shrugged, but I could tell it was forced.
“Everybody says that.”
“Well… I mean it.”
A small smile touched her mouth. “Thank you.”
My coffee finished pouring. I grabbed it and turned to lean against the machine beside her, blowing at the steam even though I wasn’t planning on drinking it right away.
For a few seconds, we just stood there in silence. We were two women in a hospital cafeteria carrying more than we should’ve had to.
“You know what’s crazy?” I said finally.
“What?”
“I ain’t even know people like yall had problems like this.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Kaizleigh blinked at me, then laughed.
“People like us? We got the same problems. What do you even mean by people like us?’” she said.
“Yall look very wealthy.”
“Money just makes people think the pain hit softer.”
I looked at her hard and I lowkey could feel her pain deep down inside. That softened me more than it should’ve.
“I’m Nyrobi, by the way,” I said, though technically she already knew that.
“I know…Kaizleigh” She smiled.
I took a cautious sip of the coffee and immediately regretted it.
“Nasty as hell,” I muttered.
She laughed again, a little harder this time. “Then why’d you get it?”
“Because I’m stressed and broke shit. That seemed like the right thing to do.”
Now she was really laughing, head tipped back, hand over her stomach. And just like that, some of the heaviness in my chest lifted just a little.
“You hungry?” she asked after her laughter settled.
“I had half a stale turkey sandwich and a Sprite for dinner. What you think?”
She smiled and pulled her phone out. “Then sit down.”
“For what?”
“I’m ordering food.”
I straightened up immediately. “Oh, no. You already bought me a sandwich.”
“And?”
“And I don’t need charity.”
Kaizleigh raised one eyebrow. “Girl, please. If I wanted to hand out charity, I’d start somewhere other than a hospital cafeteria at two in the morning.”
That made me snort.
“I’m serious.Sit with me. Eat. If nothing else, it’ll give us both something to do besides think,” she insisted.
I hesitated.
Every lesson my mother ever taught me about strangers, pride, and not owing people nothing started ringing in my ears all at once. But hey what else was I to do.
Kaizleigh looked down at my stomach, then back up at me with a smug little smile.
“Your pride can eat later, right now let me buy some real food,” she said.
I rolled my eyes, but a laugh slipped out anyway.
“Fine, but I don’t eat mushrooms,” I muttered.
“Noted.”
“And I still plan on paying you back.”
“Noted,” she repeated, this time with amusement in her voice.
I sat across from her at one of the empty tables, still not fully sure why I was letting this woman feed me in the middle of the night like we were old friends instead of strangers with matching heartbreak.
Maybe it was because she looked sad enough to understand me.
Maybe it was because I was too tired to fight kindness.
Or maybe it was because when life keeps kicking you in the teeth, even temporary comfort starts to feel like something worth holding onto.
Whatever it was, by the time our food came, me and Kaizleigh were talking like we’d known each other longer than an hour.
And somehow, in the middle of one of the worst nights of my life, I found myself laughing with a woman I’d just met over cold fries and barbeque wings, hospital coffee, and pain we were both trying to dress up as strength.
Kaizleigh popped another fry into her mouth before pointing one at me.
“So, tell me about yourself.”
I shrugged.
“Ain’t really much to tell. I know verybody got a story. Mine ain’t that interesting though.”
She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “You’d be surprised what interests me.”
I laughed softly.
“Well… I’m twenty-six. Born and raised in Orlando. It’s just me and my mama.”
“No siblings?”
I hesitated before responding.
“Ummm yeah but she…on drugs.”
“Daddy?”
“Got killed when I was sixteen.”
The smile slowly disappeared from her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Life happens.”
She studied me for a second before asking, “So it’s really just been y’all ever since?”
“Pretty much.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
I let out a dry laugh.
“Pressure don’t even begin to describe it.”
I looked down at my plate, pushing a fry around with my finger.
“My mama used to be the one taking care of me. Then she got sick… and somewhere along the way we switched places.”
“What do you do for work?”
“Right now? Walmart and whatever else pays me,” I sighed.
That made her laugh.
“Seriously.”
“I work retail, pick up side gigs when I can, and spend the rest of my time trying to keep my mama alive.”
“That’s why you were looking so stressed upstairs.”
I looked at her and smiled without humor.
“That… and because every bill I got seems due on the same damn day.”
“I know I probably don’t look like I’d understand…”
I looked around the cafeteria before cutting her off.
“You don’t.”
She blinked.
I immediately felt bad.
“I ain’t mean it like that.”
She smiled.
“No… you’re right. I don’t know what it’s like to worry about lights getting cut off or choosing between groceries and medicine.”
She paused before continuing.
“But pain don’t care how much money you got.”
I looked at her for a long second.
“That’s probably the realest thing you’ve said all night.”