Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36691 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“The schools in the states aren’t much safer.”
“I’m not talking about the schools. I’m talking about how hard the adjustment has been for her. If you tell me she needs her mother, and her mother wants to live here, then you need to be home for her, every night. You can’t depend on Talisa to raise Amelie.”
“I’m not,” she says quietly.
With some hesitation, I place my hand over hers, expecting her to pull it out from under mine. She doesn’t and a smidge of hope surges. “I need—” I’m cut off by my phone ringing. I glance down at the screen and frown at the unknown number.
“Nick Ashford?”
“Nick. Kirk. How are you?”
“Fine.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh, DeBartolo hears me and grasps my annoyance with him.
“I ran into Aubrey the other day. She says you’re still in town.”
Funny, Aubrey doesn’t want to look at me right now.
“Yep, for a bit at least, still ironing out some details.”
“I could use you for a consultation downtown. Won’t take but an hour or two.”
Don’t ask him what he needs.
Do. Not. Ask.
“What’s the problem?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.
“Not a problem, per se. I have a presentation this afternoon and I could really use someone with your knowledge and experience to help me push for more funding.”
“That’s not really my thing,” I tell him. “I’m in private practice for a reason.”
“Aubrey mentioned that.”
“Did she now?” She still won’t look at me. “I didn’t know you went out to Tshwae to see patients.”
“Oh, I don’t. She was downtown.”
“I see.”
Aubrey gets up from the table and takes her plate to sink. I watch her like a hawk, wondering what else she’s keeping from me.
“Look, Nick. I’m not going to beat around the bush and use some board meeting to entice you to come downtown. I need your help. Your skills are useful and needed here. The salary offer is double. The job is yours. Let me know, okay?”
“Yeah.” I hang up and stare at my wife’s back. “Aubrey.”
She visibly stiffens and then turns slowly.
“Did you have lunch with Kirk DeBartolo?”
She nods. “He said he had an offer for me, so I met him. Turned out to be a pitch on how to get my husband to come back to work for him.”
“I see.” I say again, because it seems to be the only answer I can give that won’t give away my frustration or disbelief.
“The money’s good, Nick.”
“I make more back home,” I tell her.
“But here, you’ll be helping people who need help. Who don’t have access to first world health care. Who can’t afford a doctor like you.”
“Our son—”
“I get it,” she interrupts me. “He can’t leave, and you need to go back. Or you stay and you work here, and we work on us.”
“Aubrey, are you asking me to choose you over our son?”
“Yes.” Then she shakes her head. “No, I’m not. I don’t know what I’m asking, Nick. What I do know is, I love being here. I love helping, despite the horrors I’ve seen. Amelie will learn to love it once she finds her groove.”
Aubrey steps forward, closing the gap between us. “And I know you feel it, the shift between us. Since we’ve been here, we’ve been different. We’re not fighting. We’re happy. I know you miss practicing, helping people. Being kind is in your nature and it’s eating you up on the inside to sit here all day long with idle hands when you could be helping.”
She comes closer.
“And you already said Mack told you to work here.”
“It’s not up to Mack,” I tell her. “We are relying on people to take care of our son. A woman, I might add, you accused me of having an affair with not too long ago.”
“I was angry.”
“You were angry?”
She nods.
“So, you lashed out at a married woman and threatened to tell her husband a lie? People we consider our friends?”
Another nod. “Should I call and apologize?”
“Absolutely, yes,” I tell her. “Josie didn’t deserve you saying those things to her. Neither did I. I’ve been nothing but faithful to you, Aubrey. I wish you’d believe me.”
“I’m trying. I really am, Nick. I know I said some really hateful things and honestly, I expected you to leave me, but you didn’t and you’re still here. It makes me wonder if we have something worth saving.”
I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly. Leaning back slightly, I lift her chin with my index fingers so I can look into her eyes. “We do, Aubrey.”
She rises on her toes and pulls my head down toward her. Our lips brush against each other’s. Hesitantly, at first and then she opens for me. The moment our tongues touch, it’s like a kaleidoscope of colors bursts through my mind. Everything around me seems vibrant and shiny, and powerful. I pick her up and her legs wrap around my waist as I head toward the bedroom. Only for my phone to ring. If we were anywhere else, I’d let it go to voicemail.