Chapter 11 The Moving Pieces #2
She set the box down on the kitchen counter and noticed the corner of an envelope sticking out of the utensil drawer.
She hadn’t seen it before, having been so busy, and pulled it out, inspecting the return shipping address.
“Nurses without Borders” was the name in the upper left corner, the travel nursing program she had wanted to join.
She frowned, walked into the living room, and threw it on her desk—probably just a solicitation.
They usually sent them every few months when you start the volunteer process, but you never finished it.
The sound of the doorbell snapped her attention away from the letter.
She looked up at the ceiling and sighed, readying herself mentally for Carmen.
She walked through the maze of boxes toward the front door and took another breath as she turned the knob.
When the door swung open, Veronica stood there with a warm smile and a dinner plate in her hand.
Her mother was good at anticipating her needs that way.
Lana smiled back, then looked over her mother’s shoulder, thinking maybe she and Carmen had arrived together, but she was alone.
“Well, you gonna let me in, baby, or what? This food is getting cold.” Veronica asked as she pushed her way in.
Lana moved aside and closed the door behind her as she made her way into the living room. She knew a conversation about her permanent move to Hamby was coming and had to face the music. Veronica dropped her purse on the couch and looked around the room solemnly before her eyes fell on Lana’s face.
“I see you’re getting packed,” she stated, and sat down slowly.
Lana flopped down beside her.
“Yup,” she replied, “I love him and he loves me and we want to finally move past what happened.”
“Georgia?” Veronica asked, surprised. “So you’re not going to join the program?”
“What program?” Lana replied.
She was confused for a second, but as she looked at her mom’s face and thought about the letter in the kitchen, she got it.
The letter made it all come together. Lana got up and walked to the desk.
She snatched up the letter and tore it open.
Her eyes darted to Veronica as she skimmed the first sentence of the letter, her annoyance creasing her brow as her mother’s hands fidgeted in her lap, puppy dog eyes in tow.
“Congratulations. You’ve been accepted to join this season’s Nurses Without Borders Program...” Lana said out loud, dropping her hands to her sides. “Seriously, mom?”
Veronica stood and walked to her.
“I’ve been coming over to clean while you’ve been away, and I noticed you printed the application but never sent it. So I put it in an envelope for you,” Veronica explained.
Lana paced back and forth, unsure of how to compute the audacity of the act.
“After the...incident, when your father and I came home, I sent it off. I figured you may want a change of pace after everything that had happened.”
Lana took a seat on the couch and looked down at the acceptance letter, shaking her head. Hearing her mom’s reasoning, her anger subsided a bit, and she understood the motive, but her life was hers to live, and her choices were hers to make.
“I appreciate that, Mom, I do, but I can’t go,” Lana replied.
Veronica sat next to her and cupped Lana’s cheeks in both hands.
“Look at me, Lana,” she said, “Are you sure about all this? Really sure?”
Lana looked into her mother’s concerned eyes, and the fact that she was still being questioned no matter what she said or did made her wonder if she was making a mistake.
Or that everyone else could see something she didn’t.
It wouldn’t be the first time, considering what happened with Sam, but it was damn frustrating.
“Dig deep into your soul and think long and hard, baby. If you can say without a doubt that you are sure about Kayden, sure about that Kim girl being out of both of your lives, and are one hundred percent safe—then I will support you.”
Lana could feel the room closing in around her and her mother as the rush of emotions hit her. Veronica continued.
“And even if all that is true, what harm would taking a few months off do, if he really loves you?”
Lana couldn’t help the tears that sprang to her eyes because she could only attest to half of what her mother said.
Kayden had no doubts about it, but when it came to Kim and Maureen, she was scared out of her mind.
She knew what they were capable of, and boundaries weren’t something either let get in their way.
“I’m sure, Mom,” Lana half lied.
She was a grown woman who had to make her own decisions, good or bad, and all she needed was support from her family to face an uncertain future.
Veronica smiled, and as they looked at one another, the silent communication between them verified that her mother knew she wasn’t entirely sure about anything, but would let it go.
“Then, I support you and whatever you need, you know I’m always here.”
“I know, Mom.” Lana paused before continuing. “Was it your idea to invite Sam to dinner?”
“It was, and it really wasn’t that we want to see you back together with him; we just thought he had some good points about everything that had happened.”
“I appreciate the gesture, just not the delivery. He and I aren’t connected anymore, and that was his decision, made in the worst possible way. One I’m glad that he made, though. I’m happy now and have someone who loves me to my core, and I wouldn’t give that up for anything—especially not Sam.”
“Message received,” Veronica replied with a smile.
KAYDEN SAT IN Dr. Mendel’s office as his mother helped him put his shirt back on.
The series of tests performed on him showed that the nerves in his hand hadn’t healed completely.
Surgery would help him regain at most ninety percent mobility.
The news didn’t settle well with Kayden, but it was better than having a completely useless hand.
Maureen, of course, argued with the doctor about the percentage of success, and he made haste to leave the exam room as fast as possible.
“Thank you,” Kayden said, as Maureen helped him to button up his shirt.
“It’s gonna be fine. He’s the best, and I’m sure you’ll regain full use of your hand again. You’ll be as good as new...no, better than new.”
Kayden smirked as he jumped off the exam table.
“I’m fine, and your arguing with the doctor didn’t help things.”
He grabbed his coat, and she helped him put it on as well.
“I just want the best for you,” she stated, looking up at her tall son.
A bit of sadness touched the corner of her eyes, and he could sense her need to elaborate.
“What time is Heathcliff coming in?” he asked.
“Heathcliff ?” she repeated, caught off guard.
He was worse than a spy, she thought, as they made their way out of the examination room.
“I know you, Mom. You’ve never been able to have hard conversations without backup.”
She smiled at the truth of the statement and at how transparent her reaction was.
They would have to return in three days for the procedure, and Maureen wondered if, after tonight, she’d even be there to see him through it.
As they walked out of the lobby, the car service they used was waiting outside, the driver holding the door open for them.
They climbed into the immaculate interior with its lush leather seats as he closed the door and made his way back to the front of the car.
“He should be arriving around seven this evening,” she finally replied.
“This must be pretty bad then,” Kayden replied, staring out the window as the driver pulled into the horrible New York traffic.
She didn’t respond to his insinuation. She kept her eyes planted outside as they passed all the boutiques and shops on their way back to the meatpacking district. Tonight, lives would be changed, and she was the one, for the first time in years, uncertain of her future.
LANA SMILED AND hugged her mother tight as they stood in the doorway of the townhouse.
She watched Veronica walk to her car and pull out of the driveway.
After their emotional heart-to-heart, Veronica and her spent the rest of the afternoon marking boxes, eating the delicious curried chicken meal she brought over, and packing away more non-essential items. The whole time, Lana thought about how much she would miss her parents once she finally left and hoped she could convince them to join her in Georgia one day.
Finally able to relax a bit, Lana took the opportunity to shower before Carmen finally arrived.
She walked into the small bathroom and peeled off the sports bra and sweatpants she had been wearing, now sticky and uncomfortable.
She reached into the shower, turned the hot water on full blast, and welcomed the stinging heat that started to soothe her sore muscles.
When the quick shower was done, she looked forward to relaxing on the couch and watching “Sex and the City” reruns, the only DVD box set she hadn’t packed away yet.
As she pressed play on her remote control, curled up on the couch with her favorite snuggie, a knock on the front door interrupted her—Carmen. She dragged herself up, shuffled to the door, and opened it to find Carmen and a sheepish grin on her face, holding up a massive bottle of wine.
“Hey!” Carmen exclaimed.
“Hey, back,” Lana smiled, her eyes never leaving the bottle.
She reached for it as Carmen walked in and sat down on the couch. Lana locked the door behind them, and Carmen strummed her fingers on the coffee table nervously watching her friend.
“What’s with you?” Lana asked as she passed into the kitchen, leaving Carmen alone in the living room.
She waited for a response while she searched the boxes on the counter for the wine bottle opener. Carmen still hadn’t responded to her, and when she walked back into the living room, she sat up straight, as if she were caught doing something naughty.