Color Blind(20)

I hated that she witnessed my breakdown. I was worried that it might scare her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. The ride home was quiet as I was unable bring myself to talk. I knew that if I opened my mouth, I’d start crying again, and I didn’t want to risk having an accident as I drove.



We lied in bed together that night. After my sweet angel was asleep, I prayed to my dad to help my baby girl get over whatever she had. It was all that I could do, hoping he was watching over us.



“Dad, if you can hear me, please help Nevaeh. I have no clue what’s wrong with her and the doctor’s trying to figure it out. Watch over her and keep her healthy and strong for me. I love you and miss you.” I whispered as tears fell from the corners of my eyes.



The next morning, I awoke with swollen eyelids and a pounding headache. Still, I was in better condition than Nevaeh. My poor little girl tried to hide the fact that she was crying in pain as she hugged herself. The fever had returned with a vengeance.



“Sweet Pea, mommy’s going to go get your medicine. Do you want anything to eat?”



The slumped over eight-year-old shook her head no. All she wanted to do was lie there and cuddle up with me. I called in to work for the third day in a row. At this point, money was the furthest thing from my mind, and I didn’t care about my job. Nevaeh’s health was more important at the moment. I hoped that my dad had listened to my prayers and would answer them. Lorraine phoned me later that morning to check on Nevaeh.



“How come you’re not here yet?” My friend questioned.



“Nevaeh’s so bad right now; I can’t leave her.”



“Did you call in again?”



“Yeah, and that bastard told me it’d be another point,” I whispered.



“Can’t you do something? Like, file for FMLA or something? Or take vacation, maybe?” Lorraine prompted, trying to help find a solution to my problems.



“No, nobody at my work can. They don’t have more than 50 employees within a 75-mile radius so they’re not required to offer it to us and we’re not offered vacation.”



“That stinks! Your boss wouldn’t fire you, would he?” she sympathized.



“Who knows? There is a rule stating we’re only allowed to have 10 points before we’re terminated.”



“And how many do you have right now?”



“Three, including today.”



“When did you accumulate the others?” To Lorraine’s knowledge, I almost never took a day off.



“He’s given me a point each day for the last three days.”



“You should ask him if he’ll reconsider and roll it all into one since you were consecutively off. It’s all about the same absence. A lot of employers will do that; it’s worth a shot asking him.”



“Yeah, I’ll have to do that when I return to work. He’s pretty pissed off at me now, so I doubt this would be the most opportune time to try to sway things in my favor.”



“You’re probably right. I’ll let you go so you can get back to her. If you need anything, just give me a call. Love you guys.”



“We love you too, and thanks.” My best friend was so kind to us.



I continued to stay next to Nevaeh’s side for the rest of the afternoon, watching cartoons and repeatedly checking on her. I fed her a diet of soup, Sprite, and ibuprofen. I continuously prayed to my dad, asking him to heal my daughter, hoping he would. It was unbearable seeing my baby so sick. My heart physically hurt.





Chapter Five



I wondered if Kimberly had as a good of time as she claimed she had. I hadn’t had any communication with her all week and started to take this as a signal that she wasn’t interested. I will win her over. Confused by her behavior on their luncheon and her most recent actions, I decided to consult with my friend Charles. I don’t want to lose her. She’s the best woman I’ve ever dated.



“Do you remember that girl that I told you I was going to take out?” I questioned, trying to jog his memory.



“Sure, wasn’t her name Karen or Katie?”



“No, it was Kimberly. Anyway, I finally took her out and I’ve talked to her a couple of times since then but I haven’t been able to get a hold of her. Do you think she’s trying to ditch me?”



“I don’t know. Why don’t you try going up to her work?” his friend suggested.



“I did, but she hasn’t been there. She refused to give me her address so I can’t go by her house. Do you still have that guy’s number? The one who skip traces people?”