Page 24 of Everything For Love

“Yep, for a bit at least, still ironing out some details.”

“I could use you for a consultation downtown. Won’t take but an hour or two.”

Don’t ask him what he needs.

Do. Not. Ask.

“What’s the problem?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.

“Not a problem, per se. I have a presentation this afternoon and I could really use someone with your knowledge and experience to help me push for more funding.”

“That’s not really my thing,” I tell him. “I’m in private practice for a reason.”

“Aubrey mentioned that.”

“Did she now?” She still won’t look at me. “I didn’t know you went out to Tshwae to see patients.”

“Oh, I don’t. She was downtown.”

“I see.”

Aubrey gets up from the table and takes her plate to sink. I watch her like a hawk, wondering what else she’s keeping from me.

“Look, Nick. I’m not going to beat around the bush and use some board meeting to entice you to come downtown. I need your help. Your skills are useful and needed here. The salary offer is double. The job is yours. Let me know, okay?”

“Yeah.” I hang up and stare at my wife’s back. “Aubrey.”

She visibly stiffens and then turns slowly.

“Did you have lunch with Kirk DeBartolo?”

She nods. “He said he had an offer for me, so I met him. Turned out to be a pitch on how to get my husband to come back to work for him.”

“I see.” I say again, because it seems to be the only answer I can give that won’t give away my frustration or disbelief.

“The money’s good, Nick.”

“I make more back home,” I tell her.

“But here, you’ll be helping people who need help. Who don’t have access to first world health care. Who can’t afford a doctor like you.”

“Our son?—”

“I get it,” she interrupts me. “He can’t leave, and you need to go back. Or you stay and you work here, and we work on us.”

“Aubrey, are you asking me to choose you over our son?”

“Yes.” Then she shakes her head. “No, I’m not. I don’t know what I’m asking, Nick. What I do know is, I love being here. I love helping, despite the horrors I’ve seen. Amelie will learn to love it once she finds her groove.”

Aubrey steps forward, closing the gap between us. “And I know you feel it, the shift between us. Since we’ve been here, we’ve been different. We’re not fighting. We’re happy. I know you miss practicing, helping people. Being kind is in your nature and it’s eating you up on the inside to sit here all day long with idle hands when you could be helping.”

She comes closer.

“And you already said Mack told you to work here.”

“It’s not up to Mack,” I tell her. “We are relying on people to take care of our son. A woman, I might add, you accused me of having an affair with not too long ago.”

“I was angry.”

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