Page 32 of A Powerful Attraction
“Please. I won’t take a lot of your time, but what I have to say to you…I think it needs to be said in person.”
There was no animosity in her voice. Just a sort of pleading that broke down Sherry’s wall of self-preservation. She heard herself answer, “Yes, I could come to the hospital.”
“Thank you.” Heather sounded relieved. “Are you available to come by today?”
“Sure.”
“When?”
“Uh, I could be there in the next forty-five minutes, maybe less.”
“Perfect. Thank you very much.”
“Do you mind telling me what this is about? So that I can prepare for the conversation?”
“I don’t want to say too much. Like I told you, it’s better that we speak in person. But I wanted to explain my relationship with Alex. I promise not to keep you too long.”
“All right. I’ll be there.”
After they hung up, Sherry second-guessed her decision. She paced the floor and wondered if she’d made a mistake. Or had Alex somehow convinced his wife to plead his case?
She shook her head. No point in trying to guess. She would simply have to go to the hospital and find out what Heather had to say.
* * *
Heather was sittingup on the bed watching television when Sherry arrived at the room. She stood uncertainly in the open door.
The minute she saw Sherry, Heather smiled, as if they were old friends. “Sherry?”
“Yes.”
Heather waved her in. “Please, come in.” She appeared to be as pleasant now as she had been on the phone. That was a good sign.
Heather’s gaunt, sickly appearance reminded Sherry of the gravity of the illness that ravaged her body. She looked very much like someone knocking on death’s door.
Heather turned off the television and set the remote on the bedside table. “You can pull that chair over there next to the bed.” She spoke faintly but with a warmth that made Sherry relax and believe her reservations were unfounded. She dragged the chair over to the bed and sat down.
“Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure if you would. Alex refused to give me any information about you, so I had to get your full name from Rashad, and he found your cell phone number. I hope you don’t mind.”
Sherry clutched the purse on her lap. “No, I don’t mind.”
“I have to tell you, I wasn’t even sure if I should do this. It’s hard to explain my relationship with Alex and Rashad. The thing is, I don’t have long to live, but they both like to pretend—especially Alex—that it’s not true.” Pain flitted across her features, and Sherry resisted the urge to reach out and hug her. “But I know it’s true.” Her voice became hoarse, and she took a wavering breath, as if speaking drained her.
“Can I get you anything? Water?” Sherry asked gently.
“No, I’m fine.” Heather smiled bravely. “I’ve known them since college. As I’m sure you know, Alex doesn’t have any family to speak of. Rashad has a similar situation, and I lost both of my parents when I was very young. I grew up in foster care, and when I started college, I was on my own. It was scary at first, and then I met them, by chance. One night I went on a late food run, but I didn’t have enough to cover the meal on my card. I thought I did, but I didn’t, so the card declined.”
She took another deep breath to bolster her strength. Sherry hung on her every word.
“Rashad was standing behind me in line, and he offered to pay for my meal. I was embarrassed, of course, but he insisted. Then he and Alex invited me to sit with them, and that’s how we became friends. Three people from different walks of life, with no one else in the world, happened to find each other on a campus of almost twenty thousand students.
“We became more than friends. We became siblings, the three of us, because none of us had any. I gave them advice on women. They gave me advice on men. We became roommates, and that only made our bond stronger, and the guys constantly looked out for me because we were family. Some people didn’t understand it, but we clicked because of our similar situations. An odd ensemble of the three musketeers—the Colombian, the white chick, and the Black guy.”
She smiled, and Sherry couldn’t help but smile as well.
“Eventually we graduated, and they were hired into the same firm in Atlanta. I moved to Austin and worked as a contractor for a graphic design firm. It wasn’t easy, but I made a living. Except I didn’t have health insurance. About two years ago, I got sick, and Alex and Rashad went into protective mode.”
She fell silent, plucking at the sheet with her fingers. “Alex offered to marry me, and at first I refused. I assumed that eventually I would feel better or one of the doctors would figure out what was wrong. But when I kept getting sick, he and Rashad didn’t have to work as hard to talk me into it.” She lifted her gaze to Sherry’s. “I accepted his proposal, and we were married at the courthouse. Any expenses the insurance doesn’t cover, he and Rashad take care of. They take care of me, their sister, because I have no one. They feel responsible for me, and I’m grateful, but…” She shook her head. “I no longer hold out much hope. The doctors can’t fix me. I’ve been in and out of the hospital constantly, and this last episode has been the longest. I’m not going to make it.” Her voice quivered.
