Page 74 of False Start

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“Yes, this isyour wife.”

“Shit,” he grumbles. “What time is it?”

“Six in the morning. And it appears you didn’t come home last night.”

“I didn’t?”

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I swear I’m going to throw my phone across the room. “I have to go,” I tell him and hang up the phone.

I jump in the shower and rush to get ready for boards as my mind goes to dark places about Bryant being out all night. He’s never given me a reason not to trust him, so I can stop wondering if he did the unthinkable. When I emerge from the shower, my phone buzzes and dances across the bathroom vanity. I’m sure it’s my husband, but I don’t have time to talk to him. I need to get my head in the game and focus on boards. I can’t believe he’d stay out all night the evening before my boards. He’s not even here to wish me good luck, something he always does the morning of a big test.

I rush to dress and blow dry my long hair. I apply very little makeup to my blue eyes before I’m out the door and in my car headed for the testing center. As Bryant continues to call and message, I roll my eyes and turn off the phone. I’m so mad at him right now I could spit fire, but this is one of the biggest days of my life, so I have to get my head in the game. I can’t screw this up.

I park at the testing center, rush inside, and find my seat in the nick of time. Tests in general make me anxious. It takes me a long moment to calm my mind to be able to focus on the material in front of me, but after twenty minutes, I’m in the zone. I have five hours to answer 250 questions and become a certified physical therapist.

Delving deep inside the test, I start with the first question and take my time moving through each item. I make sure I read each question twice before I read the answers twice, and then I mark each correct answer. The longer I take the test, the more confident I feel about my answers.

Just under four hours later, I come to the last question and almost shout with glee that I’m at the end. My eyes hurt from staring at a computer screen for a small eternity. I collect my personal belongings from a locker inside the testing facility, and then I walk out to my car and climb inside. The big sigh that leaves me is one of relief. Hopefully, I passed. If not, at least I know what to expect next time.

I turn my phone on as I also turn the engine over to head home. My phone chimes about fifty times it seems when it powers up. Bryant and Zina have both been blowing my phone up. Not bothering to read the messages or listen to the voicemails, I head for a local coffee shop and hide out for a few hours.

I need a minute to process Bryant not coming home last night. I’m not really ready to see him yet. I don’t even know what happened, and I’m already disappointed in him because he didn’t bother to call or text about him not coming home. I think I’m a pretty understanding wife. I don’t care if he goes out without me as long as he comes home to me and he doesn’t touch another woman. It’s not too much to ask my husband to come home every night, with the exception of away games.

Bryant and Zina continue to message and call. I put them out of their misery.

Zhanna: I’m out of my test, but I need a minute before I come home.

Bryant: I’m sorry, baby. Please come home, and we’ll talk.

Zhanna: I’ll be home by dinner.

I shut my phone off and order a chai latte and decompress over my test. While I break it down question by question, I people watch from the corner of the little cafe. And then my thoughts travel to Zina. I should let her know I’m okay, so I power on the phone and message her.

Zhanna: You okay?

Zina: Yes. Are you? How did boards go?

Zhanna: Boards were brutal. Clocked in under four hours.