bath. Wearily, he wiped the sweat from his face with the towel he had slipped in his back pocket.
The pain was back.
He had woke to it that morning, a burning sensation in his chest muscles that had made him groan as he moved to get out of bed. It was mild compared to what it had been like in the past, but after two weeks without feeling it, it had been a surprise.
A hot shower had eased the pain, so that by the time he reached the site that morning he could almost believe he had imagined it. Almost.
He was going back. He was determined to be back in Africa on schedule. The pain this morning had only strengthened his resolve.
He didn’t have to be a hundred percent to do the job. A little stiffness in the morning was something that could be managed.
It was coming up on four o’clock. He had worked through the day, able to do his job, and do it well. His work hadn’t suffered, and the activity had not made the ache worse. This morning was a slight glitch, but not something that was going to stop him. Still, he was grateful whenKevin suggested they call it a day. He would spend the evening resting, and tomorrow would be better.
“James, Rae is going to be coming over for dinner tonight. She and I need to talk about the upcoming children’s musical. Are you going to be in tonight? Should I set you a place?”
James paused as he reached for a soda can on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Trust his mom to act before he did. He retrieved a drink and popped open the tab. “I’ll be in,” he replied, smiling; he reached around her to swipe a finger across the edge of the icing bowl.
“You’re as bad as the children,” she scolded, smiling.
“I like fudge icing.” She had baked a chocolate cake that afternoon.
“You’ve got your father’s sweet tooth. Go see what kind of mail we got today,” she asked, banishing him from her domain.
James kissed her cheek. “Sure, matchmaker.”
He met Rae at the door two hours later. She was tired, he saw that immediately, and while she had changed into jeans and a short-sleeve top, it was clear she had come immediately from work. “Come on in, Rae, Mom’s in the kitchen. What can I get you to drink?”
She gave a grateful smile. “Iced tea, please.”
She followed him to the kitchen, greeted his mom and pulled out a chair at the table, sat down. James watched her try to push the fatigue back, focus on his mom and the conversation.
He got her the drink she had requested, then pulled out the chair across from her, and settled back to watch and listen.
It didn’t take long for her and his mom to come up with a plan for the children’s musical, agree on who each one of them would call and recruit to help.
When dinner was served, Rae did her best to convey her appreciation to his mom, but James noticed that she barely ate. The phone rang soon after dessert was served. His mom waved him back to his seat and went to answer it.
“What happened today, Rae? You look…shell-shocked for want of a better word.”
“I lost two hundred fifty thousand dollars,” she replied. He heard the shock in her voice. “The last hour, the markets simply fell apart.”
“Rae, I am sorry.” He had no way to convey how deep his empathy went for the type of day she had obviously had.
She spun the ice in her water glass, her thoughts obviously a long way away. “We haven’t had this bad a day in three years.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
She gave a rough laugh. “I’m petrified of tomorrow. Hardly what my clients would want to hear me say tonight.”
James pushed back his chair. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
It was a sign of how hard the day had been that she didn’t even ask why. James interrupted his mom softly to tell her where they were going, and ask if she wouldn’t mind fixing a piece of the cake for Rae to take home with her. He was worried about how little Rae was eating, but it didn’t make sense to push it tonight.
The sun was getting
The pain was back.
He had woke to it that morning, a burning sensation in his chest muscles that had made him groan as he moved to get out of bed. It was mild compared to what it had been like in the past, but after two weeks without feeling it, it had been a surprise.
A hot shower had eased the pain, so that by the time he reached the site that morning he could almost believe he had imagined it. Almost.
He was going back. He was determined to be back in Africa on schedule. The pain this morning had only strengthened his resolve.
He didn’t have to be a hundred percent to do the job. A little stiffness in the morning was something that could be managed.
It was coming up on four o’clock. He had worked through the day, able to do his job, and do it well. His work hadn’t suffered, and the activity had not made the ache worse. This morning was a slight glitch, but not something that was going to stop him. Still, he was grateful whenKevin suggested they call it a day. He would spend the evening resting, and tomorrow would be better.
“James, Rae is going to be coming over for dinner tonight. She and I need to talk about the upcoming children’s musical. Are you going to be in tonight? Should I set you a place?”
James paused as he reached for a soda can on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Trust his mom to act before he did. He retrieved a drink and popped open the tab. “I’ll be in,” he replied, smiling; he reached around her to swipe a finger across the edge of the icing bowl.
“You’re as bad as the children,” she scolded, smiling.
“I like fudge icing.” She had baked a chocolate cake that afternoon.
“You’ve got your father’s sweet tooth. Go see what kind of mail we got today,” she asked, banishing him from her domain.
James kissed her cheek. “Sure, matchmaker.”
He met Rae at the door two hours later. She was tired, he saw that immediately, and while she had changed into jeans and a short-sleeve top, it was clear she had come immediately from work. “Come on in, Rae, Mom’s in the kitchen. What can I get you to drink?”
She gave a grateful smile. “Iced tea, please.”
She followed him to the kitchen, greeted his mom and pulled out a chair at the table, sat down. James watched her try to push the fatigue back, focus on his mom and the conversation.
He got her the drink she had requested, then pulled out the chair across from her, and settled back to watch and listen.
It didn’t take long for her and his mom to come up with a plan for the children’s musical, agree on who each one of them would call and recruit to help.
When dinner was served, Rae did her best to convey her appreciation to his mom, but James noticed that she barely ate. The phone rang soon after dessert was served. His mom waved him back to his seat and went to answer it.
“What happened today, Rae? You look…shell-shocked for want of a better word.”
“I lost two hundred fifty thousand dollars,” she replied. He heard the shock in her voice. “The last hour, the markets simply fell apart.”
“Rae, I am sorry.” He had no way to convey how deep his empathy went for the type of day she had obviously had.
She spun the ice in her water glass, her thoughts obviously a long way away. “We haven’t had this bad a day in three years.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
She gave a rough laugh. “I’m petrified of tomorrow. Hardly what my clients would want to hear me say tonight.”
James pushed back his chair. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
It was a sign of how hard the day had been that she didn’t even ask why. James interrupted his mom softly to tell her where they were going, and ask if she wouldn’t mind fixing a piece of the cake for Rae to take home with her. He was worried about how little Rae was eating, but it didn’t make sense to push it tonight.
The sun was getting
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