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“When are you leaving?”
“In a few weeks.”
The skin on my chest felt hot and itchy. No doubt I’d have a rash soon. I rubbed it. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Your life will never be without me, not as long as I’m breathing. You’ll come visit me, and I’ll come visit you. Charleston is only a few hours from Laurel Lake. If you wind up moving down there, we’ll be closer than if I was here with your mom.”
I sighed. “Does Mom already know?”
“She does. I gave her a few months’ notice. It just never seemed like the right time to tell you.”
“I’m sorry I don’t sound happy. I promise I will be. Just give me a little time to digest it. You’re my everything, Nilda.”
“And you’re mine, too, sweetheart. None of that is going to change. This is going to be good. For both of us.”
It sure as hell didn’t feel good at the moment, but I knew she was right. If my mom called and told me she was moving to Australia, I wouldn’t have been this upset. Nilda was the one person in the world who was always there for me. She was my rock.
“I’ll call you in a day or two. Okay?” I told her.
“I look forward to it.”
I sat on the lawn, staring out at the lake for the better part of an hour after we hung up, remembering all the good times I’d had with Nilda. After my little pity party was over, I texted her.
Josie: I’m sorry about how I acted. I’m happy for you. Really, I am.
As usual, she took hours to respond. Nilda only checked her phone a few times a day. She kept it turned off in her purse, because she didn’t want the battery to die.
Nilda: Thank you. Family is in your heart, so you’ll never be far from me, no matter where we are.
I smiled, feeling genuinely happy for her now.
Josie: I love you, Nilda.
Nilda: I love you, too. Maybe we’ll both be moving on soon. New beginnings don’t always have to come from painful endings.
CHAPTER 29
The Lake
Josie
Professor job openings near Laurel Lake.
Nine days later, I found myself on Google, typing in words I couldn’t believe I was typing on an early Sunday morning. But after the incredible week Fox and I’d had, I was starting to think about the possibilities. What was keeping me tied to New York now anyway? Six months ago, I would have said my fiancé, Nilda, and my career. But with Noah out of my life and Nilda moving, the only real tether I had was my job. And even that I was no longer certain was right for me. I had a few good friends, but they either worked a lot like me or were starting a family. Even my best friend, Chloe, who still lived near my mom’s house in New Jersey, I didn’t see more than once or twice a year. Sometimes I went out for happy hour with colleagues from work, or a friend from my building, but none of those people kept me anchored to New York.
I sipped my coffee and scrolled through the search results. Halfway down the first page, after an absurd amount of ads for online colleges, was a link to Rehnquist University. They had a pharmacology program, so I clicked and maneuvered to the school’s job openings page. I scrolled to almost the end, stopping when I found an interesting post:Adjunct Professor of Pharmacological Sciences (Tenure Track). Reading the description, the position required candidates to have an MD or PhD, along with three years of research experience. It started in the fall, and there was still almost two weeks until the deadline to apply.
I stared at the screen for a long time. But when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, I promptly shut my laptop. Fox had been in the shower.
He walked over and kissed the top of my head before motioning to my Mac. “Something you don’t want me to see?”
“Uh, no. I was just looking at a job posting.”
Fox walked to the coffeemaker and opened the cabinet above it. He looked over at the mug in my hands. “You need a refill?”
“No, I’m good.”
He went about fixing his coffee, then sat down across from me at the table and raised his mug to his lips. “You’re changing jobs?”
