On the way home, Gloria called.
“How'd it go?”
“Not bad.”
“Just not bad?”
“What do you want me to say? That it was amazing?”
Gloria laughed on the other end.
“Grant already spilled. Says you're way better-looking in person than in photos.”
“He's seen my photos?”
“I posted some from a company dinner a while back. He saw them and saved one on the sly.”
I couldn't help laughing.
“Doesn't that count as selling out your friend?”
“I call it helping nature take its course.”
After I hung up, I reached my front door and saw someone crouching by the building entrance.
Daryl.
He stood up and looked at me.
“Cicely.”
I ignored him and walked past.
He grabbed my arm.
“Just let me say a few things.”
I shook his hand off.
“Talk.”
“What are you going to do with the company?”
“None of your business.”
“But I built that from the ground up……”
“You built it? Who put up the startup capital? Who introduced the first client? Whose space was it? Daryl, hand on your heart—tell me that was yours.”
He had nothing to say.
I opened the door. He stayed outside.
“Cicely, I really do know I was wrong.”
“Then go fix it. Don't come to me.”
I shut the door.
The next morning, my father called.
“Daryl's father phoned me.”
“What did he say?”
“That the kids don't know any better, asked if we'd give him another chance.”
“Did you?”
“I said it's not my call. I'd have to ask you.”
I thought about it for a second.
“No.”
“Done.” My father hung up.
I thought that would be the end of it.
That afternoon, Daryl's mother showed up.
Two cartons of milk, a basket of fruit, standing at my door.
“Cicely, I just came to see how you're doing.”
I let her in.
She sat on the couch and took my hands.
“Daryl's still young, he doesn't know better. I've already given him a piece of my mind. Every young couple has their fights, don't they?”
“Ma'am, this wasn't a fight. He called the police on me.”
“That was his secretary acting on her own——”
“You really believe that?”
She froze.
I pulled my hands back.
“Ma'am, the agreement's been signed. The divorce is final. None of this changes anything.”
Her eyes went red.
“Cicely, if only for my sake——”
“Please don't put me in this position.”
After I walked her out, I sat on the couch and just sat there. Not tired in my body. Tired somewhere I couldn't rest away.
I picked up my phone and saw a message from Grant.
“Home safe?”
“Yep.”
“Get some rest. Good night.”
“Good night.”
The next day at work, the front desk told me someone was here to see me.
I walked out. It was Daryl.
He stood in the lobby in a suit, hair combed neatly into place.
“Ms. Henson.”
I looked at him.
“What is it?”
“I'd like to come back and work at the company.”
“You're not an employee here anymore.”
“I know. I want to reapply.”
I almost laughed.
“On what basis?”
“I know every workflow in this company. I have two years of industry experience. I have——”
“Because you're my ex-husband?”
He shut his mouth.
I looked at him and said it word by word.
“Daryl, your résumé wouldn't even make it past the first screening.”
The color drained from his face.
“Cicely, you're really that heartless?”
“This isn't heartless. This is business.”
