Josh sighed then put his safety glasses back on. With a quick shake of his head, he turned the saw back on and went back to cutting the piece of wood.
Andy set his sanding block on the seat of the chair and walked over to where Josh was working. Josh shook his head and stopped the saw. This time, he took his safety glasses off, held them in one hand, and crossed his arms.
“She’s doing the same shit again. She’s leaving,” Andy said quietly.
“That sucks, man. At least she came to you this time. So, it’s not as bad as before.”
Andy put his head down and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s worse. This time I know exactly what I’m missing. I know what life is like without her. I was too young and stupid to realize it before.”
Josh was quiet for a moment. It looked as though he was trying to choose his words. “Since you know she’s leaving, maybe you can stop her this time. Change her mind.”
Andy thought about that for a while. Josh was right. There was a chance since he wasn’t being blindsided. She had at least given him the courtesy of telling him. She even explained why she was leaving, even though what she said didn’t quite add up. But he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to stick around for his mother’s wrath.
“Yeah, you’re right I guess,” Andy said finally. “But I’m not going to pressure her. I think that might be part of the problem. I made her feel like my decision to hand the boat over to Eddy, so I can concentrate on the shop, was all on her shoulders. I’m going to give her some space.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
Andy had learned a lot about her during the time they spent together. If she had broken things off with him a few weeks sooner, he wouldn’t have thought to give her space. But knowing what he knew, it was the right decision. She didn’t leave him because she was cold. She was simply trying to protect herself. Her coming to him and telling him face to face was a big step for her. She deserved for him to get his shit together before he tried to get her back. And that started with him manning up and having a conversation with his mother.
***
Samira couldn’t believe how history could keep repeating itself. Again! She squinted to see through tears, and her shaky hands fumbled to slip the key into the lock of the front door once again. Saying goodbye should have been easier. She had known from the beginning that whatever happened would only be for a short time until she could sell the house. She knew not to get attached. But there she was.
The heartache and emptiness were only temporary. Once she started her new job, she would be too busy to feel anything. Blindly, she climbed the stairs to get to her bedroom. A nap would make her feel better. She was exhausted after staying up the entire night trying to decide what to do. That was the hard part.
She walked down the narrow hall and stopped just outside of her bedroom. Instead of going inside her bedroom, she foundherself walking toward the master bedroom. She walked inside and stared at the empty king-sized bed. She would have done anything to be able to ask her parents for advice. For the first time in years, she felt completely alone.
“What should I do?” she whispered.
She climbed into the bed and pulled the blankets over herself, imagining she was a child climbing into her parents’ bed after a bad dream. Her mom would have held up the blanket and waited for her to climb in.
“Did I do the right thing?”
Chapter 16
Samira walked into Andrea’s office holding two cups of coffee. It was the first Monday in months that she was able to come in without a long commute, and she brought coffee from her favorite coffee shop to celebrate. Friday was officially the last night she had to spend in her childhood home before putting it on the market. It was bittersweet, but after breaking things off with Andy, she was ready to get back to her apartment and her old life.
“Good morning. Staff meeting in half an hour. I’m going to make the official announcement about our expansion and your new role in the company. Did you have any questions beforehand?” Andrea greeted before reaching out a hand for her coffee.
“Wow. Good morning,” Samira responded with a short laugh. “You’re raring to go this morning.”
“I’ve been going crazy keeping things a secret. Now that everything is set with the new building, and you’re local again and ready to take on your new responsibilities, I can’t wait to move forward,” Andrea responded with a grin.
“Well, I’m excited. Has Shonda accepted my old position, then?”
“Yes. I came in on Saturday when she was here and offered it to her. She’s excited for the pay raise and to get off evenings and weekends. She shouldn’t need much training since she was basically doing the same job, but on the off shifts and without the responsibility of overseeing the other managers.”
“Well then. Looks like everything is all set,” Samira agreed, ignoring the feeling that something was off.
A little over an hour later, Samira sat in the conference room in the seat just to the right of Andrea. Every member of management was present. The third shift supervisors looked ready to get the meeting over with so they could go to bed. Samira tried her best to concentrate on what Andrea was saying, but her mind was a hundred miles away.
When everyone broke out into applause, and people began to pat her shoulder, she realized the announcement had been made. Andrea had saved it for the very end, and everyone congratulated her on their way out of the conference room. She smiled and accepted the well wishes even as panic began to set in. She didn’t need a therapist to warn her of the effects of multiple major life changes happening at once.
Andrea watched her from the other end of the conference room. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. I’m better than okay.” She couldn’t have been farther from okay. It was taking all her strength to not have a breakdown.
“This week you can just worry about your regular tasks and whatever additional tasks you have time for. Next week will be the official start of your new position. Give yourself time to ease into things,” Andrea suggested.
