Page 25 of Differences
“I’m coming, I’m coming!”
“Hmm, I’m out front in the white Mercedes,” I told her.
“Walking out the door now!” She hung up the phone.
I knew she was lying because of how much she was moving in the background. She came rushing out of her apartment five minutes later. She wore light-colored, wide-leg jeans that hugged her thighs. She had on a strapless white shirt with a jean jacket that was the same color as her jeans. She had her braids pulled back in a high ponytail with a colorful headband. She wore no makeup besides shiny lip gloss. She wore platform shoes, giving her a little bit of a height bump. She rushed toward the car, throwing her body into the seat.
“Sorry for my tardiness,” Taja said.
I didn’t acknowledge what she said because the scent of her sweet perfume had me too hypnotized. It was as if she released a pheromone as soon as she sat down.
“What?” she asked, looking at me weird.
I didn’t even realize I was staring. “Nothing. Are you ready?”
Taja nodded as she reached for her seatbelt, and I started toward the hospital.
“This is my dream car,” she stated, rubbing the side door panel.
“TRU is paying you a hefty salary. Why not buy you one?”
Taja paused. “I told you, we are saving. One car is enough for now.”
I glanced over at her, and by the look on her face, I could tell she didn’t believe her own lie any longer. Instead of pressing the issue, I focused back on the road. We didn’t talk the rest of the ride. I sat comfortably as I listened to Taja hum to the music playing on the radio. Whether she could hold a tune, it was calming. It calmed the nerves that I felt driving to the hospital.
* * *
We finally arrivedat the hospital. I sat in the car for a few minutes before shutting off the car.
“Are you ready?” Taja asked.
I shrugged. “Nah, but I know this is something I have to do.”
“You can do this, Weston. Just remember what I said. It’s not about the money. Don’t go in there ranting about what you can do financially.” She placed her hand on my shoulder. “You got this.” She smiled softly, which helped ease the nerves that I was feeling.
Taja opened her door, and I followed. We walked at the same pace to the front of the hospital. She took charge again, telling them the unit and floor we needed to go on. When we made it to the elevator, my mind raced. I wasn’t sure how Rae was going to take seeing me again. I kept repeating over and over in my head not to mention money as my mind ran a mile a minute.
“Hey,” Taja softly spoke. She grabbed my hand and held it tight. “Breath, you got this, Weston.”
I knew she meant what she said because she looked me in the eyes.
“I got this,” I reassured myself, staring Taja back in the eye.
I leaned in to kiss her again. I told myself that the feel of her lips would help with nervousness, but I stopped when the elevator dinged. Taja let my hand go, making my body feel cold. We made our way into the unit, and it was busier than the last time. You could hear families. Some were crying, some laughed, and others seemed to have serious conversations. We made it to my mother’s room, and Rae sat on the side of her bed in a chair, her head in my mother’s lap.
“She looks to be sleeping. We should come back later,” I stated.
Taja sucked her teeth. “That’s even more reason for you to go in there and relieve her. She’s probably exhausted. Go ahead and walk in. I’ll stay out here.”
I quickly glanced at her. “No, come in with me. Please.”
Taja sighed. “Okay, Weston, but I’m going to stand in the corner.”
I nodded, thankful she would not leave me alone. I opened the door softly, careful not to wake Rae, but failed when she slowly raised her head. She rubbed her eyes and blinked to clear her vision. When she made eye contact with me, she rolled her eyes, and a mean mug covered her face.
“I thought you were the doctor,” she dryly noted. She looked over at Taja and smiled softly. “Hi, nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you too, Rae.” I could tell she was smiling just by the air in her voice.
