Changing Faces

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “You are one miserable fat bitch, Whitney, and nothing you do will ever change that,” she said, standing up. “And in case you haven’t figured it out, this Rico character is only temporary, too. Because if the man looks as good as you claim he does, he couldn’t possibly be serious about you. I mean, please, he might be using you for sex, but that’s where it ends. That’s where it’s always ended with every man you’ve been with,” she said, lifting her tray from the table.

  Her words had trampled me but I wouldn’t let her leave without having the last say.

  “After this, I just might tell Marvin everything. As a matter of fact, I should call him at his office right now.”

  “And when you do, you’d better start watching your back every second,” she said, and stormed away.

  By now, heads were turned in our direction and I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed. I also couldn’t believe Charisse and I had argued so loudly and so severely. We’d spat a ton of venom at each other and it was obvious that the animosity between us had been building for years. It was as if we couldn’t wait to toss criticisms back and forth, hoping to hurt each other at the core of our being. Still, I felt a sense of relief and like a major weight had been lifted from my soul. I was glad that I no longer had to stomach Charisse and her idiocy.

  I sat for a while longer and then I pulled out my phone so I could call Rico. I was glad to have Charisse out of my life forever, but her words were still stabbing me slowly yet surely down the center of my back. I couldn’t erase the mental tape of her insisting that Rico couldn’t be serious about me or that she’d been so quick to call me a “miserable fat bitch.” I think it bothered me because I was afraid she’d been right on both counts.

  When I dialed the number, Rico picked up on the first ring.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  “I’m good. And you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Is Taylor all right?”

  “She’s in surgery but Charisse and I came down to get something to eat. But I’m going back up there when I hang up with you.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay, because you don’t sound like it.”

  “Charisse and I had a huge argument and our friendship is over.”

  “Why? And when did this happen?”

  “Just a few minutes ago. We both said some terrible things, but nothing we can ever take back or would want to.”

  “That’s too bad, because you guys were friends for how long?”

  “Twenty-six years.”

  “Man.”

  “It’s unfortunate but actually we should have stopped being friends years ago. I hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but now I know we haven’t liked each other for a while.”

  “But twenty-six years is a long time. A long time to be friends and then just say forget it.”

  “Maybe, but I know for a fact that this is a good thing. Life will be so much better now that I won’t have to deal with her. I won’t ever have to listen to her madness or try to figure out what her problem is. I realize now that Taylor is my only real friend.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Nothing, because I’m fine with this.”

  “Then I guess that’s all that matters.”

  “So, what are you doing this evening?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

  “Since you’re planning to be at the hospital, I’ll probably hang out with a couple of my boys. Other than that, I’m not doing much of anything.”

  “But we’re still on for tomorrow, though, right?”

  “Yep.”

  We paused for a few seconds and then I spoke. “Oh well, I’ll let you get back to work so I can go check on Taylor. I want to be sitting there when the doctor comes out to talk to us.”

  “No problem. But call me when you hear how she’s doing.”

  “I will. Speak to you later.”

  I dropped my phone in my purse, took my tray over and sat it on the belt leading into the kitchen, and walked toward the exit. On my way out, I spied a cluster of desserts. German chocolate, which was my favorite, strawberry shortcake, pecan pie, coconut pie, and a few others. After that ugly fiasco that had evolved between Charisse and me, I was tempted to stop and purchase one or two of them. But I decided it was time I doubled my determination. I decided that my emotional ups and downs were not good reasons to eat what I knew I shouldn’t.

  I was proud of myself for finally doing the right thing when it came to food.

  Chapter 26

  TAYLOR

  I HEARD NURSES CHATTERING with each other and monitoring their patients but my eyes were too heavy to open. It had taken me a minute to remember where I was, but now I knew I was in the recovery room. My body felt like lead and I was already experiencing a bit of throbbing in my abdomen. But still I lay there quietly. That is, until I began crying uncontrollably. My chest heaved up and down, tears rolled down my face, and I sniffled repeatedly. I hadn’t thought much about it before, but I remembered doing the same thing when I’d had my tonsils and appendix removed.

  “Taylor, are you okay?” one of the nurses asked.

  “Yes,” I said between breaths, still trying to open my eyes.

  “Are you having a lot of pain?” Dr. Green said.

  “No…I…always…cry…after…I’m…put…under.”

  “Oh,” he said, slightly chuckling. “You’re having an allergic reaction. You should have told us.”

  “I’m…sorry,” I said, now crying more intensely.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he said. “We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  The nurse held my hand and Dr. Green continued talking to me.

  “Are you sure you don’t have any pain, because if you do, we would prefer to give you something before it escalates.”

  “I’m throbbing a little, but it’s not that bad,” I said, finally settling down and speaking more clearly.

  “Then I’ll get it for you now,” the nurse said.

  When she walked away I turned toward Dr. Green, who looked to be writing something down on a chart.

  “So, did everything turn out okay?” I asked him.

  “Everything turned out wonderfully,” he said, smiling, and I thought my heart had stopped beating. “The fibroid was a big one but there was no malignancy and we didn’t have to take your uterus.”

  “Thank God,” I said with tears pouring down my face again. This time, though, it wasn’t because of the anesthesia, and instead I was thrilled about what he was telling me.

  “So, as I mentioned in my office, it’ll take you two to four weeks before you’re completely healed, but other than that you should be fine. You should start seeing a major difference with your menstrual cycle.”

  “Thank you so much, Doctor.”

  “You’re quite welcome. I’m glad we were able to get this taken care of so quickly for you.”

  “I am, too. I’m so relieved.”

  “I’ve already spoken to your family and you should be heading up to a room in a couple of hours. Also, I’ll be by first thing tomorrow morning to see how you’re doing.”

  “Will I be able to go home?”

  “We’ll see. But chances are you’ll be here until Sunday.”

  I knew he’d mentioned that I might have to spend two nights, but I’d still been hoping it would just be one. It was true that it had only been a few hours, but I was already missing my own bed.

  “I’m going to get out of here,” he said. “But be sure to tell your nurse if you need anything.”

  “I will, and thanks again, Doctor.”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with that same enchanting smile of his, and I was sorry that he was seeing me without makeup.

  Although I wondered why another man’s perception of me even mattered when I was completely committed to Cameron. But maybe it was because only hours ago Cameron had reconfirmed his position on getting married. He’d made it clear that he didn’
t want to do it.

  However, I was at the point where I didn’t want to live like this anymore. I didn’t want to continue dating a man I might never have a future with. It just wouldn’t be beneficial to me in the long run, and while I didn’t want to do it, it was time I gave him an ultimatum. He could either propose or find someone else to be with.

  As planned, I’d been moved to a room on the third floor and two nurses were getting me situated. An IV was still in my arm so they could administer pain medication, but they were no longer monitoring my heart rate or blood pressure. The aching, unbelievably, was still under control and I was hoping that it stayed that way.

  “Here’s a fresh container of ice water,” a male nurse said, pointing toward the bed tray. “But let us know if you need anything else.”

  “If I could, I’d like to have a Sprite or something later on,” I said.

  “I can get it for you now if you’d like.”

  “That would be good. Thank you.”

  “I’ll let your family know they can come in now.”

  I flipped on the television and was glad I’d remembered to request a private room. My insurance, of course, wouldn’t cover it, but I had no problem paying the difference. It was so well worth it when it came to having visitors, not to mention when it was time to get some rest.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Mom said, walking in and kissing me on the cheek. “How are you?”

  “A little tired, but I’m fine.”

  “Hey, little girl.” Daddy beamed and I smiled at him. I knew he was just as relieved as I was.

  “Hey, T,” Whitney said, rubbing my arm. “Didn’t I tell you everything was going to work out?”

  “That you did.”

  “Your mom and I prayed almost the whole time,” Charisse said. “We knew God would take care of you.”

  “I’m really glad you did,” I said, but saw Whitney rolling her eyes. I knew immediately that she and Charisse were into it again.

  “So, did Cameron call while I was in recovery?” I asked no one in particular.

  But Charisse quickly answered, “No, we haven’t heard from him.”

  “He said he had an important meeting,” Mom added, probably trying to defend him. Either that or she was trying to keep me cheerful. Since I’d been a child I’d shared just about everything with Mom, but for some reason I hadn’t told her about Cameron and how rocky our relationship was. I hadn’t wanted to admit that at thirty-eight, I still hadn’t found my soul mate.

  “I’ll call him in a little bit to give him my room number,” I said, trying to seem okay with the fact that he hadn’t bothered to wait with the rest of them. But deep down, my feelings were hurt, because there was no meeting I could think of that should have been more important than me.

  We all chatted for maybe ten minutes and then Whitney told me she would come back in a couple of hours and Charisse said she would see me in the morning. Mom and Daddy left the hospital to go have a late lunch, but they were coming back to check on me before heading over to my place to spend the night.

  One of my nurses came in to see how I was doing and I asked if I could have some medication. The ache in my lower stomach was starting to heat up and I wanted to numb it before it got worse. Afterward, I lay there for a while, debating whether I should even call Cameron. In my heart, I truly wanted to, but my brain was telling me I shouldn’t. My brain insisted that if he really cared about me, he would be here. At the very least, he would have called to see what was going on. Which actually shocked me because this wasn’t like him. The Cameron I had always known was extremely attentive and considerate, that is, until the last few weeks, so the idea of him having another woman was starting to eat at me. I’d thought about the possibility a lot as of late, but mostly I pushed it out of my mind without taking it seriously.

  I lay there continuing my debate and then my male nurse walked back in.

  “Well, aren’t you the special one,” he said, sitting down two bouquets of flowers on the ledge in front of me.

  “They’re beautiful,” I said.

  “Here’re the cards,” he said, first passing me the one from the huge arrangement and then the one from the smaller vase.

  “Thanks for bringing them,” I said.

  “I was happy to do it.”

  I started to open the first envelope and wondered if Cameron thought paying a florist was actually going to justify his absence. If he did, he was dead wrong, because if anything I was more upset.

  But when I pulled out the card, I was speechless.

  It read, “Know that I meant every word I said this morning and please get well soon. Skyler.”

  This just didn’t seem real and I could barely comprehend Skyler’s new attitude. I reread his message and then opened the second card. This one was from the entire office. I smiled when I thought about how nice it was for them to think of me, but then a cloud of sadness drooped over me. I’d been sure that at least one of these was from Cameron.

  Nevertheless, I picked up the phone and dialed my firm.

  “Martin, Sable and Wesson,” one of the receptionists answered.

  “Hi, Naomi, it’s Taylor.”

  “Oh hi, Taylor. How are you?”

  “I’m doing fine. The surgery was successful and I should be home in a couple of days.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear. Did you get the flowers we sent you?”

  “I did and that’s why I’m calling. They’re beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you liked them.”

  “If you don’t mind, please let the partners know that I called.”

  “I will.”

  “Also, can you transfer me to Sharon?”

  “Actually, she took the afternoon off since you weren’t going to be here,” she said, referring to my assistant.

  “Oh, that’s right. She told me yesterday that she was going to, so just leave her a message asking her to call me at home on Monday.”

  “Will do.”

  “Also, is Skyler around?”

  “Sure, hold on a minute. And you take it easy, okay?”

  “I will.”

  I listened to office music until Skyler answered his phone.

  “Skyler Young,” he said.

  “Hey. It’s Taylor.”

  “How are you?”

  “Well, they didn’t find cancer, so I guess I’ll live.”

  “That’s great news. You must be so relieved.”

  “I am. But the reason I’m calling is to thank you for the flowers. You certainly didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but I wanted to.”

  “Well, I appreciate it. They’re gorgeous.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  “No. I’m fine.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive,” I told him, and neither of us said anything after that. It was an awkward conversation and it was obvious that we were both slipping into unfamiliar territory.

  “Well, I guess I should go, but thanks again, Skyler,” I finally said.

  “No problem. I was glad to do it.”

  “I’m sure we’ll speak next week.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  I hung up the phone and wondered what the heck was going on. Was Skyler being real or was he up to something dirty? Because the truth was, the man had never liked me and there was no way I could simply forget about that. There was no way I could forget that he’d always made things difficult for me. But on the flip side, I couldn’t deny that people did sometimes change for the better. Not usually as quickly as Skyler had, but they changed nonetheless.

  I lay there once again, thinking about Skyler and the fact that Cameron hadn’t sent me anything. Worse, he hadn’t even tried to contact me. And what was I supposed to do about it?

  Finally my curiosity got the best of me.

  I dialed his cell number and he answered right away.

  “Did you forget that I had surgery or is it that you simply just don’t care?” I began.

/>   “Taylor? Baby, I was just about to call you. Did everything go okay? Did the doctor do the biopsy?”

  “Everything went well, and no, they didn’t find any cancer.”

  “What a relief.” He sighed.

  “I can’t believe you,” I said, and at that moment I wanted to hang up on him.

  “Why?”

  “We’ve been together for a long time, Cameron, and even though you knew how worried I was, you couldn’t even be here for me.”

  “Baby, you know I had a meeting. And I explained to you why I couldn’t miss it.”

  “Yeah, but it could have been rescheduled.”

  “It was important, Taylor.”

  “More important than me?”

  “No, but you know I’m trying to take my business to the next level, and I don’t have the luxury of putting off clients. Especially not the City of Chicago.”

  “Okay, but why didn’t you come straight here when the meeting was over?”

  “We met for three hours this afternoon and I’m just now leaving there.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “Are you saying you don’t believe me?”

  “I’m not saying anything.”

  “Look, let’s not do this.”

  “Why don’t I just talk to you later?”

  “Can I bring you anything?”

  “No.”

  “Are your parents still there?”

  “No.”

  “They’re coming back, though, aren’t they?”

  “Of course they are.”

  “Well, I’ll see you in about an hour.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Taylor, I know you’re mad, but I really am sorry.”

  “Good-bye, Cameron,” I said, and hung up.

  I was so livid with him, and while I wanted to feel nothing except anger, my heart was crumbling into pieces. As much as I didn’t want to, I still loved him. If only he’d do what my grandmother used to say, ‘straighten up and fly right,’ we wouldn’t have to have these pointless arguments. I wouldn’t have to wonder if he was losing interest in me or whether he was sleeping with someone else.

  I lay there for a few minutes, my mind in a whirl, then finally my eyes began to close. I could tell I was going to drop off to sleep, and this was a good thing.