by Ward, Vivian
As she made her way to the bedroom, I snuck into the kitchen and fixed our coffee. It’s ironic how much we have in common. Here she was with a great dad whom she’d lost, yet became the perfect mother and person, and he longed for that exact type of relationship. We’d both suffered a great deal of loss and had coped with the deaths of the people we loved the most. On the other hand, we were exact opposites. She was a hardworking waitress at a chain restaurant while I was living on Easy Street as a billionaire. Well, they do say opposites attract. It amazed me how well I connected with her.
As I was making my way back into the living room, I saw Kimberly carrying Nevaeh down the hallway. I scurried to help her.
“Do you need some help carrying her?” I offered.
“No, it’s fine. I got her. She was awake and wanted to meet you.”
I peered down at the beautiful little girl and noticed I was right; she did look just like her mom.
“Hi, I’m Dale,” I said with a grin on my face as I looked at a much younger version of Kimberly.
“Hi. Did you bring us dinner?”
Kimberly and I busted out in laughter. “Yes, I did. Are you hungry? Your mom and I made you a plate, but you’d fallen asleep by the time it was ready.”
Nevaeh nodded her head yes. “If you’d like, I can heat her plate up or I can carry her. Which would you prefer?”
“I’ll carry her to the kitchen table and you can heat up her plate.”
“Will do!” I said as I spun on my heel and did a silly march in front of Nevaeh, in hopes of making her laugh. It worked. Nevaeh giggled all the way to the kitchen.
We sat with Nevaeh as she ate her dinner. I asked her all about herself, which she proudly and eagerly volunteered a wealth of information. She loved talking about herself, and it didn’t take me long to figure that out. As we sat together, I learned that her favorite color was purple, she loved to play Hopscotch, her favorite song was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston and that her favorite holiday was Christmas. I doted on the child as I listened to her.
§
Kimberly
I was shocked to see that she had eaten most of her dinner as she spoke with Dale; it was such a relief to see her eat a whole meal for the first time in weeks.
“Would you like to listen to me sing?” she asked him as she licked the chicken juices off her fingers.
“Sure!”
“Not now, Nevaeh,” I said.
“But mom! He wants to hear me sing. Don’t you Dale?” she looked to him for support.
“Only if it’s okay with your mom.” He smiled at me, nodding his head that he wanted her to.
“Okay, but then it’s time to rest. Got it, missy?”
“Okay. Momma, will you get your phone and play my song?”
I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter and loaded “I Will Always Love You.” As it began, Nevaeh started dancing. Dale was amazed by the way she belted out the tunes; her voice was years beyond her age and very soulful. She entertained her mini audience as the lyrics continued. When the song was over, she bowed her head as we clapped for her.
“I’ve never heard such a rich, expressive and passionate voice come from someone so tiny!” Dale complemented.
“I’m a very proud mother,” I smiled at my daughter’s talent while Nevaeh gleamed with pride. “Alright my little pop star, I think you’ve had enough excitement for one night. Let’s get you laid down.”
Nevaeh frowned. “But I like Dale. Can’t I stay up a little longer?” she pleaded with me.
“It’s okay. We’ll hang out again soon. Your mom’s right, you need to get some rest.”
Over the weekend, Nevaeh’s fever continued to come on in waves as her body gradually became stiffer. I was scheduled to work Tuesday morning, but there was no way I was leaving my baby. It was exhausting for both of us to do routine daily tasks such as eating and bathing. I grabbed the bull by the horns on Monday and went to speak with my manager. There was no way I was going to be able to come in that week, and he’d already given me three points the prior week—one for each day that I was gone.
“Kevin, I’d like to talk to you about my daughter,” I began. “I can’t help that she’s sick and you know that I don’t like missing work. It’s not fair to give me a point for each day that I miss.”
“Kimberly, you need to understand that this is a business. I can’t operate a business with employees taking off whenever they want. You can appreciate that, right?” he sneered.
“Yes Kevin, but I’d like to point out that the days are all consecutive, for the same reason and again, I almost never call in. Hell, I even come to work when I’m sick. I’m one of the best waitresses that you have. Can’t you cut me some slack and make it one point?”
“If I did that for you, I’d have to do it for everyone. You’ve read what the employee handbook says. I can’t go around bending the rules whenever I want to.”
“Kevin, I need this job. I work here because it allows me to work around Nevaeh’s school schedule. The money’s not great, especially as of late, but the bottom line is, I can’t afford to get fired because my daughter’s sick. She’s gradually declining and her doctor is working hard to find out what’s causing all of her symptoms.”
“What do you want me to say?” Kevin said, visibly irritated that I was still pleading with him.
“I want you to say that you’ll take back some of the points.” I was on the brink of tears; a lump began forming in my throat out of frustration and anger.
“I’m not doing it, Kimberly,” he punched the desk. “I’m not bending the rules for you, or for anyone else.”
I lowered my voice as I began talking through gritted teeth, “Well, I came in to tell you that I won’t be here at all this week; or at least, not until Nevaeh gets better.”
“If you miss a whole week of work, your points are going to rack up pretty fast. You’ll be close to losing your job; the points don’t fall off until the one-year anniversary of the date that they were accrued.”
I swallowed, willing myself not to cry. “So you’re telling me that you’d let me lose my job rather than work with me on this? Kevin, I’m doing everything….”
He cut me off; mocking me. “Let me guess,” he rolled his eyes. “You’re doing everything you can. Well so am I! I’m running a business. Rules are rules. If I can’t depend on you, then I’ll have to replace you.”
“I’ll keep you informed,” I whispered, almost in tears, as I left his office.
Once I was in the safety of my car, I broke down. What the hell was wrong with Nevaeh? When would we find out what she had? Why was my boss such a jerk? Suddenly, there was a knock on the driver’s window of my car. I quickly wiped away my tears and looked over. It was my co-worker, Sherry.
“Kimberly, are you okay?”
“No,” I began sobbing again. “Kevin’s trying to fire me. He doesn’t care if I have a sick little girl at home who needs me.” I buried my face in my hands. “There’s nothing else I can do.”
“It’ll get better. I’ll talk to him for you and maybe he’ll change his mind.” I had no idea that Sherry and Kevin had been sleeping together for months so she had some leverage on him.
I shook my head no. “He’s never going to change his mind. He’s not sympathetic nor does he give a rat’s ass.”
“Listen, don’t worry about it. He won’t fire you; he’s just trying to get you to come in. You’re the best waitress we have.”
“That’s exactly what I told him.”
I stayed home the rest of the week with Nevaeh. It was difficult to see my daughter in so much agonizing pain. I wished that I could take it away from her and give it to myself. Dale called throughout the week to check on us; I think he could tell that I was obviously depressed.
“Do you mind if I come over tonight after Nevaeh’s asleep?”
“Why after she’s asleep?”
“I just figured you needed some grown-up time and might want to vent
.”
“Yeah, I guess. Will you be up that late? She hasn’t been going to bed until almost ten o’clock.”
“That’s fine. It’ll give me some time to shower and move around some stocks.”
When he arrived, he asked me what was wrong. I explained the situation with my job and told him what my boss said. It became apparent relatively quickly what he thought I should do.
“I think you should just quit your job; let him be at a loss on your terms!”
“I can’t do that Dale. I need this job. It pays the bills and allows me to work the hours that I need to work.”
“Would you be able to find another job with similar hours?”
“No, it’s not that easy. A lot of places aren’t hiring right now. Plus, without knowing what’s wrong with Nevaeh, I need the insurance and money to pay for her medical bills.”
“What if I paid for her medical expenses? Do you have enough money saved to pay your basic bills?”
“I can’t let you pay for that!”
“Why not? I have plenty of money; let me do this for you, for her. I insist.”
“You haven’t told me much about your financial situation, but my best friend Lorraine looked you up on the internet. She showed me that you’re a billionaire, but I never brought it up because I didn’t want you to think I was dating you for your money.”
“Exactly. Yes, I’m a billionaire and no, I don’t believe you’re dating me for my money. Look at us, most of our dates have consisted of me coming over to spend time with you. I’ve known you weren’t in it for the money all along. Please, let me help you with this.”
“Dale, I can’t do that.”
I was frustrated at the entire situation with work, Dale and not knowing Nevaeh’s condition. I politely asked him to leave and give me some time. Things were moving too quickly, and aside from figuring out things with us and Nevaeh’s condition, I still had the problem with my family at hand. I still hadn’t told them about Dale.
By the end of the week, my nerves were getting the best of me. I’d waited all week to find out the results of Nevaeh’s blood work. Battling with her symptoms, very little sleep and a stack of piling bills, I was near the end of my rope. I anxiously waited by the phone all day Friday, hoping the doctor’s office would call.
As I waited by the phone that afternoon, I thought about mine and Dale’s relationship. Although we’d only went on one actual date and he’d hung out with us several times, I sensed a deep connection with him. I was able to be myself around him, despite the insane amount of money he had, and I was completely comfortable with him. It was apparent that he obviously cared a great deal for Nevaeh. Still, I couldn’t get over the fact that he offered to pay for all of Nevaeh’s medical needs—especially without even knowing what they actually were yet. That was the news I was still waiting for.
I must’ve checked on Nevaeh a dozen times in the last few hours as I nervously waited for the phone to ring with some glimmer of hope that my daughter was going to be fine. As far as I remembered, the only other time I’d been this anxious over Nevaeh was when I was nearing my due date. I couldn’t wait to meet my baby girl; I’d already picked out her name: Nevaeh Renee. Nevaeh because it heaven spelled backwards, in honor of my father, and Renee as a tribute to my mother. In some ways, Nevaeh even reminded me of my dad and mom; she certainly had my mom’s sense of humor.
Just after two o’clock, my phone rang; it was the doctor’s office. I took a deep breath as I answered the phone. My heart raced as I responded to the phone and I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears.
“Hi, this is Janice with Dr. Herber’s office. May I speak to Kimberly, please?”
“This is her.”
“Hi Kimberly, Dr. Herber wanted me to call you regarding Nevaeh’s lab results that came in today.”
I held my breath, “What did they say?”
“Dr. Herber would like you to come in to discuss them. Can you make it in around 4:30 today?”
“Uh,” I was caught off guard. This had to be bad if they wanted me to come in. “I guess so. I’ll have to call my friend to see if she can come sit with Nevaeh, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
“Okay, great. We’ll see you then.”
“Wait, are they bad? Is that why I have to come in?”
“There were some things that appeared on her labs that he’d like to explain to you in person and answer any questions you may have.”
“But were they bad?”
Janice wasn’t at liberty to say. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to come in and see the doctor.”
When I hung up with the doctor’s office, my gut dropped and I felt like I was going to vomit. After I checked on Nevaeh, I headed to the kitchen call Lorraine. As I dialed the number, I began coming unglued.
“Hello?”
“Lorraine, the doctor’s office called today,” I stopped. A lump began to form in my throat as my words escaped me.
“What’d they say?”
“They said that I have to come in.”
“Why? Is everything alright?”
“I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone.”
“Do you need me to come sit with Nevaeh for you while you go or does she need to go to the appointment with you?”
“No, she doesn’t need to go. Would you come over?”
“Sure, I’ll come right now.” Lorraine could hear Kimberly beginning to break down on the other end of the phone. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here for you guys. I’m on my way.”
“T-thank you,” I finally mustered. “I’ll see you when you get here.”
Within 20 minutes, Lorraine was pulling into the driveway. I was waiting for her on the front porch. The fresh air seemed to do me some good and calm me down.
“Are you okay?” she asked, hugging me.
“No. I’m scared, Lorraine.”
“Let’s go inside. Where’s Nevaeh?”
“She was sleeping earlier. She might be awake by now.”
We went inside and checked on Nevaeh, but she was still asleep.
“Let’s go in the living room,” she whispered.
Sitting on the couch, Lorraine tried to lighten my mood and shift my thoughts.
“So how have things been going with you and Dale? I remember you said he’d came over a couple of times.”
“Actually, they’re going pretty good. Nevaeh adores him and I think she’s beginning to wrap him around her little finger. He thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. The way he looks at her… it’s like he cares for her so much. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“And what about you two? Have you been hitting it off?”
“Oh my God! Do you know what he said to me? I can’t believe I forgot to tell you about this!”
Lorraine raised her eyebrows in anticipation to what I was going to say. She was definitely interested.
“I told him about Kevin and how big of a jerk he was being about me taking off work for Nevaeh, and he said that I should quit my job. Leave the place on my own terms, and then he offered to pay for all of Nevaeh’s medical bills! Can you believe him? We haven’t even known each other that long.”
“Wow. That’s… crazy. What did you tell him?”
“I told him that I can’t accept his money. I’ve worked for everything I have in my life. I’m no charity case—you know that. I mean, it was flattering and all, but I couldn’t believe he’d suggested all that.”
“It was a beautiful gesture.”
“I’ve got a confession to make. I think I’m falling for him.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nodded my head. “But you hardly know him,” Lorraine said.
“That’s the whole messed up part about it. There’s just this… chemistry between us. It’s no secret that he’s absolutely gorgeous, but when I’m around him, I feel so safe, secure and… loved. He puts off these vibes that just sink right into my heart.”
“Uh-huh,�
� Lorraine said. “Have you two slept together?”
“What?! No! We haven’t slept together. Why would you ask that? Besides, I still need to tell my family about him. I’m thinking of doing it this weekend.”
“Because usually when you sleep with a guy, you’re magically in love with him,” Lorraine chuckled.
“No, we haven’t slept together. In fact, Nevaeh’s been sleeping in my bed with me every night. I want her to be close to me in case she wakes up and needs something. The poor thing. She’s been so stiff and in so much pain with her back that it’s hard for her to walk. I’ve been carrying her all over the house.”
