Chapter Forty-Two
Alexandre sat at his desk reading the resignation email he’d drafted. He frowned and edited a few sentences to get the sentiment right. The gravity of the moment weighed upon him. Once he sent the email, there was no going back. He was effectively burning a bridge.
Twenty minutes to make his decision official.
Alexandre ran his hand over his face.
For so long he’d been torn between two lives. Two dreams.
A parade of images ran through his head: The sun-dappled gray mountains he saw every morning from campus.
Dr. Johnson speaking proudly about her vision for the biology department.
The students who flocked to his office hours.
UND’s gleaming zebrafish facility. His passionate future colleagues.
The zealous look in Chris’s eyes when he spoke of his plans for the genetics department.
Alexandre pictured Luc, Ali, and Kaia.
And Mei, her big brown eyes and long brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Alexandre could practically smell her lemon-coconut scent.
Alexandre wanted her. He wanted it all. This life in New York, and this second chance in North Dakota.
Too bad that was impossible.
Dr. Johnson rapped on his door. Alexandre jumped.
“Sorry, Alexandre. Didn’t mean to startle you. My last meeting ended early. We can chat now, if that works.”
“I just need to send an email, but I’ll catch up to you in the hallway.”
Alexandre turned back to his resignation letter.
North Dakota.
New York.
Research.
Teaching.
Two futures.
One choice.
Alexandre drew a breath. In the end, there was no question at all.
He hit send, then walked out to give Dr. Johnson his news.