“Jah…”
“I know. You got to handle your business.”
“Don’t say it like that. Just promise if something is bothering you, you let me know. Don’t bottle it up and call it protecting your heart. My heart is involved too.”
“I got you, baby,” he said, looking over at me.
He helped me with my bags and pulled me in for a kiss. It was like this every time we had to separate. Long hugs and kisses.
“Text me when you make it home.” He pecked me one last time.
I hadn't even gotten to the gate at the end of his community before my phone started ringing crazy. Kileen had called at least seventeen times just today. I didn’t have the energy to check my calls from eight days ago. The twenty-minute drive gave me time to come up with a lie.
“So, for eight fucking my days, my wife was out of the country on some kumbaya shit.” Kileen followed me around the house.
“Yes, do you want to see pictures?”
I wasn’t dumb, I took plenty of pictures alone, and the ones I took with Jah were safe under a passcode.
“Tati, you can’t do stuff like that and not let people know where you are. I asked Casi and your dad, and neither of them knew where you were.”
“That was the whole point, Kil. To be alone.”
“Where is your ring?”
“I was not about to wear an expensive ring out of the country. It’s in my jewelry box.”
“Well, I need you to put it on. I spent a good chunk of my savings to buy that upgrade.”
All I could do was look at him in disgust. I didn’t ask for an upgraded ring. What I asked for was a faithful fucking husband, and that was still up for debate.
“I’m trying to get settled back in and get my work schedule together. Is there anything else you wanted?”
“Since you skipped out on last week’s sessions to be out of the country, we have two sessions this week. I’ll see you there.”
“I’ll be there.” I gave a fake smile.
I locked up behind him and got ready for bed. Jah had already called, but I couldn’t answer. When I tried to call him back, he didn’t answer.
Me: Sorry I missed your call. Call me back when you get the chance.
I waited for hours to see if he would call me back. He read the message over two hours ago. He was already back on his bullshit and I didn’t have time for it.
“Alexa,” I called out.
“Hmm?”
“Turn lights off in bedroom.”
“Turning lights off in bedroom.”
The next morning, I woke up and there was still no call or text from Jah. Instead of being in my feelings about it, I got myself ready for the day. I should’ve taken another day off just to rest my body from the travel, but eight days without seeing any clients was long enough. Besides, I was discharging the twins from services today.
I finished getting ready in enough time to stop by my favorite coffee shop to grab a coffee. The way my body was feeling, I needed two. My first client was an older gentleman who suffered from a stroke and was having problems swallowing and speaking. I had grown to love him and his wife. They shared a love that I longed for. Married for over forty years with grown kids and a bunch of grandkids. Every time I was there to do a session with him, he was surrounded by family, making sure he had what he needed.
“Ms. Cole, I baked you a pound cake last night. You’ve done so much for my husband, and I can’t thank you enough. The day he had that stroke, I thought I lost the love of my life. Watching you come in and teaching him how to speak all over again breaks my heart, but it also gives me hope. I need another forty years out of this man,” she laughed.
“You didn’t have to do this. I love what I do, and it gives me such pleasure to see the progression of my clients. I can go home every night and sleep peacefully knowing that I did my job. But I will take this cake, though.” I took the cake out of her hands.
