Blown Away
A few days later, Ellie phoned Jack from her house to tell him she’d taken the job. The conversation was brief and amicable, and they both apologized for the things they’d said. Ellie went on to express regret for leaving the way she had and told Jack that he was still welcome to come with her, but that if he chose to say, she understood. Before they hung up, Ellie wished him the best, and said that no matter what happened, she hoped they could remain friends. But Jack had no interest in being friends. With a woman like Ellie, it was all or nothing.
After her fight with Jack, Ellie tried to move on the best she could. With the move only weeks away, she still needed to inform the university of her decision, pack her things, and figure out how to get her belongings from Indiana to Texas. The only positive was with all the work she had in front of her, she had little time to dwell on Jack.
On Friday night, Zora treated Ellie to dinner at Sully’s to celebrate her new job. They ordered wine, escargot, and chateaubriand.
“I still can’t believe this is happening.” Zora beamed, her face aglow in candlelight. “I’m so happy for you.”
Ellie smiled in response. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.” She paused, turning melancholy. “You’ve been my friend for a long time, Zora, and I’m going to miss having you around.”
Zora’s smile evaporated. “Me too. I was telling Trey just this afternoon how hard this transition is going to be.”
Ellie’s shoulders dropped with a sigh. “I wish I could bring you with me. It’d be nice to have a familiar face close by.”
“Honey, so do I, and I’d go in a heartbeat. Trey, on the other hand… I got away with it once, but I might not be so lucky the next time.”
The waiter brought a bottle of wine and filled their glasses. When he was gone, Zora raised her glass in a toast.
“To Dr. Elizabeth Spencer, the hardest working, most determined woman I’ve ever met and a fierce friend. In the words of the great Henry David Thoreau, ‘go confidently in the direction of your dream. Live the life you have imagined.’”
When the food came out, they ate, and inevitably, the conversation turned to Jack.
“So what happened with you two? I thought things were going great.”
Ellie shook her head. “I guess when it came right down to it, he wasn’t willing to give up his life in Tennessee. I can’t say that I blame him though. It’s a lot to ask of anyone.”
“But you both seemed so happy.”
Ellie turned wistful. “We were.” She thought of the time they’d spent together over the summer. “Not to sound unappreciative, but part of me wishes Dr. Clement had never called.”
Zora’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “You know, it’s not too late to change your mind. I haven’t said a word to anyone at the university.”
“I can’t do that, not after accepting the position. Dr. Clement and his team are counting on me. Besides, I want this, and I feel like if I walked away now, I’d always wonderwhat if.”
Zora wiped the corners of her mouth and cleared her throat before speaking. “Can I be brutally honest with you?”
Ellie chuckled. “It’s never stopped you before.”
“You’re like a sister to me, so I say this with as much love and affection as I can muster. I just think that sometimes you’re too driven, that you don’t take time to stop and smell the roses. It’s okay to be content with what you’ve got instead of always complaining about what you haven’t got. Lord knows you’re smart enough to do anything you want. I truly believe that. But at some point, you need to think about the future, about what your life will be like when your career is no longer the most important thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“At some point, you’ll find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. If you’re lucky, you’ll get married and start a family, have a couple of kids and a dog. Work will become less important, even for you.” While Ellie processed that, Zora went on. “My point is if you’re always chasing the next thing that comes along, you’ll continue to push away those who try to get close. And if you’re not careful, you’ll wake up one day alone, and it’ll be too late to do anything about it.”
Once Ellie had digested her words, she responded with a question of her own. “As long as we’re being honest, what would you have done if Trey had decided to stay in Mississippi?”
Zora leaned back in her chair and laced her hands in front of her. “You don’t know how many times I’ve asked myself that very question. Fortunately, he decided to come with me, and everything worked out.”
“But if he hadn’t?”
“If he hadn’t, I would have stayed.”
“Really? That surprises me.”
“For me, it’s quite simple,” said Zora. “As much as I love work, it’s temporary, but love—love is forever.”
* * *
