By What We Love by Charlene Carr

Author:Charlene Carr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: strong female lead, teen pregnancy stories, contemporary canadian fiction, canadian authors, african-american interest, family situations, engagement, coming of age
Publisher: Coastal Lines
Published: 2015-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

“Call Moses,” I tell my car’s phone system once I’ve left Tracey and am behind the wheel. The phone rings, and rings, and rings, and finally goes to voicemail. “Hang up.” I drive carefully over the slippery roads, annoyed at how long it takes me to get home, but more annoyed at how unlikely it is that Moses is already asleep. He’s screening my call. Or showering. The tension in my shoulders eases. He could be showering. As I’m thinking this, work thoughts push out my worry over Moses. Over a dozen major clients need representation now that I’ll be gone, and that representation needs to be a great fit. Transferring some of the smaller gigs to consultants will be simple, anyone on my team can take them. But these big ones...as I make a tight turn, careful to keep my wheels in check, I mentally try to pair my colleagues’ strengths with my clients’ needs. I remember the applications Kuri sent me this afternoon. I should go over those tonight, let her know my thoughts on the potential candidates. Then there are Kamlyn’s suggestions for a campaign with a current client. I need to give it one more look before signing off on it.

I sigh as I pull into my apartment’s garage. It’s a lot. But I’ll handle it, like always. Mr. Everdeen was right, though. This transition will all go much smoother once my work here is completed and I can focus completely on the Tokyo branch. Thinking of Everdeen reminds me of the three meetings he’s set up this week—to make sure we’re on the same page for the operation in Tokyo. It’s 10:23 and, despite how tired I feel, I can put in a couple of hours of work before bed. The more work I get done today the less I’ll have to distract me from the talk I need to have with Moses. I want to give him my full attention.

My apartment is dark and quiet when I walk through the hall. A sliver of light shines from under Lori’s door. I need to talk to her too. “Lori,” I whisper then gently knock. “Lori?” No response. I turn the knob and push open the door. She’s curled up under the covers, the lamp on and a book spread open beside her fallen hand. I watch her for a moment, feeling a tug of anxiety at the thought of living so far from her. I practically raised her. It makes sense that she’s upset. I’m the only mother she’s ever known, and I’m leaving.

I step into the room on tiptoe so as not to wake her. After placing the book on her bedside table, I bend down and kiss her forehead lightly: a butterfly kiss. If I work hard enough at convincing her, find a good dance school, show her all Tokyo has to offer during a visit, she may come with me. Not before graduation though, which I cannot miss. Mr. Everdeen will have to understand I need to come back for that.

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