Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
As much as I wanted to keep needling her, get under her skin until I got to the bottom of what her problem was today, my afternoon was packed with shit to do—even more than my morning had been. So I shook my head and went back to my office, throwing myself into drafting a brief that had to be filed by the end of the day.
In the zone, I’d nearly forgotten all about the woman on the other side of the door—at least until I was filing the case I’d been working on in the credenza nearest my door and heard a cell phone ring. It wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing, especially when Naomi’s voice rose.
“Where are you? Are you okay?” she asked.
Quiet.
“Did you call nine-one-one?”
More quiet.
“You really should go to the hospital, Frannie.”
And finally…
“Well, then I’m coming to you. Where are you?”
A drawer opened and shut. Right after, a zipper did the same.
“Hoboken? What are you doing there?”
Silence.
“Alright. Well, sit in the café until I get there at least. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Send me a pin of your location. I’m leaving now.”
I walked out of my office just as Naomi lifted her purse to her shoulder. “I have to go,” she said. “I’m sorry. My sister passed out in New Jersey.”
“How are you getting there?”
She stopped short. “Shoot. What subway do I take to Hoboken?”
“You don’t. You take the PATH.”
“The what?”
“The PATH train. It’s how you get to New Jersey from the City.”
“Where do I board it?”
I made a split-second decision. “Let me grab my keys. I’ll give you a ride. My car is parked in the lot around the corner.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do.” I walked back into my office, swiped my keys from my desk, and we rode the elevator down to the ground floor together. I could tell how upset she was by the red blotches that had broken out on her neck and chest—that and she didn’t argue with me enough about driving her. She stayed quiet from the walk to the car all the way through the Holland Tunnel.
Naomi was a million miles away as she looked out the car window. “Her kids don’t know,” she eventually said.
“Your sister’s kids?”
She nodded.
“How old are they?”
“Molly is eight, and Ryder is ten.” She sighed. “They don’t know about her illness, but they definitely know something is wrong. Ryder asked me the other day if he did something to upset his mother.”
My heart sank. “That’s tough. I assume she hasn’t told them to protect them?”
She nodded. “Their father went to work one day and never came home. Car accident. A tractor trailer driver fell asleep at the wheel.”
“Shit.”
“She doesn’t want them to worry that one day she won’t come home.”
I swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “I apologize for being snippy with you this morning.”
“It’s okay.”
She smiled halfheartedly. “It’s not really. Even if I feel like you planted something in my head that had a domino effect, you’re my boss, and I handled it inappropriately.”
“I knew we’d be a good team.” I looked over and winked. “Inappropriate is my middle name.”
She smiled again, but this time it wasn’t as sad. “Thank you for taking me to my sister.”
“Of course. Anytime I can help.” The fucked-up thing was, I meant it. It wasn’t just an empty offer. I wanted to help Naomi. I didn’t care that it meant my work would get even more backed up.
Once we got to New Jersey, her sister’s location was only a few miles away. Naomi looked at her phone and pointed up ahead. “The red awning. I think that’s it. She said it was called Rosa’s.”
I pulled to the curb in front of a small café. Naomi rushed to open the car door. “Thank you for the ride.”
“I’m not leaving you here. I’ll drive you both home.”
“We’ll be okay. She’ll know how to take the subway or the PATH whatever.”
“Your sister just passed out. She shouldn’t be riding the train.” I didn’t give her time to think it over. Instead, I got out and walked around the car. “Come on. I’m bigger than you in case she’s not steady on her feet.”
I would’ve known which woman had passed out even if Naomi hadn’t made a beeline to the lady sitting alone at the front of the restaurant. Her gray color and frail frame screamed sick. I tried not to let the way it made me feel show on my face as I followed Naomi to the table.
Naomi dropped down and squatted in front of her sister. “How are you feeling?”
“Nauseated and lightheaded. I just need to lie down for a while.”
“You don’t look so good, Frannie.”
“I’m fine. The doctor said this could happen. It’s part of the side effects of the treatment.”