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Unable to watch him leave, Jacintha kept her eyes closed until she heard the front door close. When the twins came back out, they hugged her and asked her if she was okay.
“For the first time in a really long time… Mommy ismorethan okay.”
twenty-three
Denali
“What didyou just say to me?” Denali asked Harmony as her hand slowly lowered from the register.
She’d just clocked out of work and was sure she’d misheard Harmony.
“I said I have to let you go.”
“Let me go where?” Denali asked with a chuckle.
“I have to fire you, Denali.”
“Why?”
“I just…” Harmony groaned as she looked around the bare store. “I can’t stretch it anymore. My business has gone down drastically and I’m losing money having a staff. It’s not just you. I’m letting all of my employees go and taking care of things on my own. But I promise when things pick up, you will be the first person I call.”
As much as Denali wanted to yell and scream, she simply said, “Take care, Harmony.”
Because the truth was, Harmony owed her no loyalty. Though she’d worked there for years, Denali had to be honest with herself and say Harmony had lost a huge chunk of her clientele over the years. With so many social media influencers gaining brand deals to promote fast fashion, there wasn’t as much interest in her pieces as there was when Denali first started working for her.
She wanted to think on the bright side and say this was a sign that she needed to focus on her own store, but Denali couldn’t make that her priority at the moment. Just last week, she and the kids had moved into a new home in Germantown. It was a two thousand dollars more expensive than what she was paying in Raleigh, but to Denali, it was worth it. Not only was it more spacious and newer, but it was the neighborhood that she’d been trying to get back to since Blaze went to prison.
Just when she thought she could rest in providing her children a better quality of life, she would have to scramble to find a new job. She had a few thousand dollars saved, but she still wouldn’t waste any time searching for a job.
Once she was inside of her car, Denali said, “God, I don’t know what You’re doing, but I’m not going to complain or get discouraged. I trust that You have something better for me and my babies. Thank You for it in advance.”
She started her car, then prepared for the short drive home. That was another thing that made moving so great. She was closer to her job.
Needing to hear Elite’s voice, she dialed his number and hoped he would answer. Lately, he’d been back in creator mode, and Denali didn’t want to disturb that. If he was finally ready to get back to work, she didn’t want anything standing in his way.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he answered.
“Hey, babe. What you doing?”
“Sketching a potential exclusive chain for when I reopen.”
“Oh… So you’re really doing this, huh? I’m so happy about that and proud of you.”
“I hear your smile, but I also hear some sadness in there too. What’s up with you?”
“Harmony fired me. After my shift at that.”
“Damn, bae. Did she say why?”
“Yeah. Business is still bad, so she’s going to run the store herself to save some money.”
“That makes sense, but I’m sorry you lost your job.”
“It’s okay. I’m telling myself God has something better for me on the way.”
“No doubt. I got you too.”
Her eyes rolled as she smiled. “Elite, you know I have a thing about a man taking care of me.”
