How about all of the above? I give her a hug, then move down the hall toward my side of the condo.
“Hey, baby.” I smile at the Thai constellation monstera that’s to the left of the doorway as I enter my room. Talking to plants makes them happy, and because of that, they reward me by growing more. After saying hello to each and every plant in my room, I plop onto my bed, ready to grab my book and continue reading.Instead, my phone pings with a notification, halting my plans. I open the text, squinting at the unknown number.
Hey, Val, it’s Jabari. You said I could reach out if I needed to talk. You have a minute?
My mouth falls open. Is this for real? I never seriously thought he’d text.Lord,what do I do?Didn’t I just tell Jackie I wouldn’t talk to him again?
Is texting technically talking?
Ugh, I hate semantics. But also, curiosity is brimming inside of me.
Hey, what’s up?
I quickly save his contact info.
My mom is coming for a visit next week.
That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but his choice of emoji sure hints that it is.
Why is that bad?
She deals with depression. Has since I could remember. I don’t want my diagnosis to make it worse. She’s been relatively good for the past few months.
“Wow,” I whisper.
That’s so heavy. How long has his own well-being taken a backseat to his mom’s? How will his disease affect her state of mind? I bite my lip.
Does she know?
She made me tell her. I haven’t stopped worrying since I hung up with her.
“Poor guy.” My heart aches for him. He really does need a confidant.
I’ll be praying for her and you. Is there anything I can do?
I’m not much on prayer, but I appreciate that you want to help. Honestly, just being able to tell another person my worries makes the burden feel lighter.
Good. I’m glad. You can text me anytime.
I wince. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have extended the olive branch so easily. What will Jackie say when she finds out?But Jabari’s going through a lot right now.Ugh, this feels totally like an angel versus devil-on-the-shoulder moment. Still, doesn’t Jesus tell us to help those in trouble?
Is an occasional phone call entirely out of the question?
Hm. Is it? I don’t mind a good phone conversation from time to time, but I also don’t want my sisters to hear us.
I’m not sure.
Wait, how are you texting?
A groan tears from me. How insensitive is that question?
Talk to text. I downloaded a vision-impaired software to help me out.
How are you navigating everything? Do you need help in the house?
My fingers hit send before I can take back my question.Val Elliott,you cannot askthat. Are you going to offer to be his maidnext? Cook his meals? Iron his clothes?
Ridiculous. He probably already has a maid and chef.
