Page 43 of Easy Reunion
I blink a few times. “The thought of that is utterly incomprehensible, but sweet of you to say, nonetheless.” With a quick wave, I head back to my room to immerse myself again in a world I understand with every fiber of my being, a world where the girl doesn’t end up with the boy or perfect ending but the ending that fits the reality she lives in.
* * *
Five days later,Angel and I are standing in the basketball courtyard behind the building that holds Le Cadeau, Morgan Evans’s youth awareness program. The program built on the premise that each child is a gift, is a nonprofit in an area of the city that needs its youth to have strength in themselves to avoid the overly abundant temptations awaiting them. Wide-eyed, I turn to Angel and whisper, “I’m surprised Dare hasn’t tanned your hide for coming down here while you’re pregnant.”
“What makes you think he hasn’t? Or that I haven’t enjoyed it?” Unable to stifle the laughter, we draw the notice of several of the older teens who are sitting on the nearby bleachers.
“Hey, Ms. Angel!” one calls out. “How’re you feelin’?”
“Big, Trina,” Angel calls back. “Want to do me a favor and round everyone who’s here inside?”
“Can do.” The pretty blonde, who I notice with some shock is the second pregnant girl I’ve seen since I walked in the door. She pushes up off the bench and trudges away.
“Should I…” But Angel stops me.
“These kids may be broken, but they have their pride. You’ll learn that fast. Come on.” She slings an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get you inside and set up.”
But before we can move anywhere, a familiar face steps in front of us. “Kelsey? What are you doing here?” Lisa Perrault’s bright smile beams at me.
I falter. I haven’t responded to Ry since his highly insulting comments at Audubon Park. I was too busy channeling my hurt and frustration into finishing my book. Now, knowing I have to deal with what happened, here’s his sister. What the hell am I supposed to say? “Umm, hey, Lisa. I didn’t know you volunteered here?”
“I just started last week. I’m on a rotation through the program I’m working with at school. Every six months, they have me working at a new location in the inner city,” Lisa announces proudly. Oh, that explains how Angel didn’t know her when we saw her at Cafe Du Monde with her brother.
Angel comes up behind me and shoves me inelegantly in the side. I barely hold back, snarling at her. “Do you remember my best friend, Angel Macondo?”
Angel steps around me and smiles. “Hey, Lisa, right? Morgan mentioned ‘a Lisa’ was volunteering here now. I didn’t realize it was you. I’ve been off the last few days, or we’d have met officially sooner.” The two women shake hands.
Lisa grins. “Have you been chaining her to her bed again? I know of someone desperate to reach her who’s getting more and more frustrated by the minute.”
Before Angel can defend me, I speak up for myself. “I was under a tight deadline.”And I didn’t feel like listening to more excuses from your brother, but I hold that in. “One of the authors who publishes with the same press I do was in a terrible accident.” At Lisa’s horrified gasp, I nod.
“Oh, how horrible. Will they be all right?” Her concern is genuine.
“Eventually. But the worst thing he can be doing is looking at a computer. Now, he has time to recover from his concussion.”
“And since you have a large number of overlapping readers, no one is going to be too disappointed,” Angel concludes for me.
“Exactly.”
“So, is that why…” But Lisa doesn’t get a chance to ask what I suspect she’s going to because Morgan joins us.
“Kee?” Morgan is a tall, lovely redhead with a scar that runs from behind her right ear down her neck. Angel told me she got it in college after she was brutally attacked coming home from a frat party. Instead of hiding, she came back to the city consumed to help others realize they can survive no matter what life throws at them.
She’s exactly the kind of person I want to know better.
“The kids are inside waiting for you. But before I forget, I need the address of your publicist.” Morgan’s face is awash in shock. “They sent so many books—and not just yours. There are books for all of the children, no matter what age or gender.”
I grin. Jim came through in a big way. “I’ll be sure to leave it with you.”
We all begin to make our way inside. “Angel let me know you’re interested in volunteering? Won’t that interfere with your writing schedule?”
I stop in front of a set of clear glass doors. Turning toward the remarkable woman, I ask, “Have you ever felt like it’d be easier if you ran away? If you disappeared? If your life was over because the dejection you feel when you’re all alone is more rewarding than the time you spend with someone else?”
Morgan acknowledges my questions with a quiet nod.
“Then you’ll understand I’ll find time to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.” With that, I push open the doors to the curious but wary faces.
I hold back while Morgan introduces me. “We have a new volunteer on staff. She’s going to be working with Angel closely and will be taking over Angel’s hours once she has the baby. I want to introduce you all to Ms. Kee. You all know the rules: treat her with respect unless she shows any disrespect. Then you come directly to me.” All of the kids in the room, from the oldest to the youngest, nod. The atmosphere relaxes when they realize I’m no threat. Teasing that ensues from a long-built trust commences.
