AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Paul nodded again. “Thank you,” he said as he rose up. He stretched and yawned. “What was your name again?”
“Tabitha.”
“Thanks, Tabitha. Am I allowed to ask for you next time? Does it work like that?”
Tabitha’s heart sank a little, even as it was filling up. What an odd sensation, to want to cheer and cry all at the same time. “I’m just a student,” she said. “They let me in with special permission. But I’ll be back when I graduate. For sure.” Her own words surprised her. The mixed sensations of joy and sadness bloomed inside of her, like two sides of a coin that could never be severed.
“A student?” Paul’s eyebrows rose. “Could’ve fooled me. Well, thank you, Tabitha. Your hands were like magic.”
Tabitha smiled, speechless. She handed Paul his intake sheet. As he walked away, Red appeared by Tabitha’s side. “You did amazing,” she whispered. “April just told me that Paul never settles in that fast.”
Tabitha smiled. “I feel like we connected.”
“Really?” Red smiled. “So you’re not completely scared off the massage profession now?”
“No,” Tabitha said, only realizing it as she spoke. “Just the opposite, in fact.”
Red squeezed her shoulder. Something like pride and joy and unabashed happiness spread over her delicate features. “Told you so,” she said. “You’re made for this.”
Tabitha nodded, no words coming to her that worked or made sense.
Red nodded toward the door. “Number two, coming up,” she said. “Better wash your hands and change your sheets.”
Right. Tabitha had got so wrapped up in her first session she’d forgotten there were three more to go. April slipped up next to her just as she was finishing up. “Good job with Paul,” she said. “Good luck with the rest, too.”
“Thank you.” Even as she spoke, Tabitha realized she didn’t need luck. She didn’t need magic shoes, and she didn’t need a set of fully blown-out birthday candles. She just needed to work hard, register for Semester 2 and—as Hobbs had said—stop doubting herself.
I got this.
