enjoying a short moment of reprieve.
“The drywall was delivered this morning,” Bill began as he wrapped the sheet around Kim’s half-nude body.
She turned over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “So you think the clinic should be finished on time for the grand opening in May?”
“Should be.” He slipped on his boxer shorts and handed Kim a manila envelope from his dresser drawer. Several volumes of leather-bound physicians’ texts lined the bookshelf above his bureau. “These are all the signed contracts from the investors.” Sitting beside her as she inspected the contents, he smiled happily to himself. She was everything he ever needed in a woman. When everything was under way he planned to ask her to marry him.
“I’m proud of you, Bill.” She traced the line around his lips with her index finger and kissed him lovingly on the mouth. “I knew everything was going to work out all right. I don’t know why you worry so much.”
He rested the back of his head against the headboard and crossed his ankles. “I’m not worried. Just careful. I’ve got a lot at risk, and it’s important to me to be successful. I’ve got other plans that revolve around the progress of this practice.” He looked around his cramped apartment. “I can’t wait to move into a larger place.” He glanced at Kim quickly, hoping she understood his meaning.
Taking her hands in his, he brought them to his lips, kissing them tenderly. “I want you to understand that we’ll have less time together soon. I’ll be working more hours at the clinic, trying to get it established — regular hours will be a thing of the past. But in the long run it’ll all pay off. The outlook through the year two thousand is excellent for child psychiatrists. Health and welfare agencies need expertise like mine.
“I’ve already been approached by government agencies who have patients in need of the treatments our clinic is offering. We’re also working with teachers, principals, and administrators to provide a network for Black educators to exchange ideas, and strategies for the troubled youths we’ll be seeing at the clinic.
“We’re going to be hosting monthly professional development seminars, reports on effective strategies for teaching Black children, encouraging the Detroit school system to teach history that is relevant to our Black children. The school system is, after all, eighty-five percent Black.
“We want parents to become more actively involved in helping their kids eliminate the gap between potential and achievement.”
Kim looked into the eyes of a man who was dedicated to his chosen field. He stood to make a good living, but he clearly loved helping Black children. Her heart was full of love for her lover, and she longed to utter the words to tell him so. But somehow they remained frozen behind her lips.
Wiping the sleep form her eyes, Ginger fumbled for the telephone. “Hello,” she said huskily.
“It’s me, baby —”
“Jackson?”
“Hi, baby. I’m sorry to call you so late.” Ginger focused her tired eyes on the clock, which spelled out 10:50 P.M. “There was so much to do down here, I lost track of time.”
“Oh, I forgot about the time difference.” Folding back the comforter, she got out of bed and sat on the edge of the window seat. Pulling back the floral drapes, she peered out the window. “How’s the weather?”
“It’s about sixty degrees.”
Outside the sky was clear. High above the tops of the pine trees hung the crescent of a new moon like a pale eyelash. “It’s barely twenty degrees here,” she said, sliding back beneath the warmth. “How’s your mother doing?”
“You know Mama. She won’t admit she’s in any pain, but I can see it in her face just as plain as day. She don’t like us fussing over her.”
“Is everybody there?”
“Everybody except Jab. He’s on the road. I think he’s in Florida. Elmyra called this afternoon and said he’d try to make it by
“The drywall was delivered this morning,” Bill began as he wrapped the sheet around Kim’s half-nude body.
She turned over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “So you think the clinic should be finished on time for the grand opening in May?”
“Should be.” He slipped on his boxer shorts and handed Kim a manila envelope from his dresser drawer. Several volumes of leather-bound physicians’ texts lined the bookshelf above his bureau. “These are all the signed contracts from the investors.” Sitting beside her as she inspected the contents, he smiled happily to himself. She was everything he ever needed in a woman. When everything was under way he planned to ask her to marry him.
“I’m proud of you, Bill.” She traced the line around his lips with her index finger and kissed him lovingly on the mouth. “I knew everything was going to work out all right. I don’t know why you worry so much.”
He rested the back of his head against the headboard and crossed his ankles. “I’m not worried. Just careful. I’ve got a lot at risk, and it’s important to me to be successful. I’ve got other plans that revolve around the progress of this practice.” He looked around his cramped apartment. “I can’t wait to move into a larger place.” He glanced at Kim quickly, hoping she understood his meaning.
Taking her hands in his, he brought them to his lips, kissing them tenderly. “I want you to understand that we’ll have less time together soon. I’ll be working more hours at the clinic, trying to get it established — regular hours will be a thing of the past. But in the long run it’ll all pay off. The outlook through the year two thousand is excellent for child psychiatrists. Health and welfare agencies need expertise like mine.
“I’ve already been approached by government agencies who have patients in need of the treatments our clinic is offering. We’re also working with teachers, principals, and administrators to provide a network for Black educators to exchange ideas, and strategies for the troubled youths we’ll be seeing at the clinic.
“We’re going to be hosting monthly professional development seminars, reports on effective strategies for teaching Black children, encouraging the Detroit school system to teach history that is relevant to our Black children. The school system is, after all, eighty-five percent Black.
“We want parents to become more actively involved in helping their kids eliminate the gap between potential and achievement.”
Kim looked into the eyes of a man who was dedicated to his chosen field. He stood to make a good living, but he clearly loved helping Black children. Her heart was full of love for her lover, and she longed to utter the words to tell him so. But somehow they remained frozen behind her lips.
Wiping the sleep form her eyes, Ginger fumbled for the telephone. “Hello,” she said huskily.
“It’s me, baby —”
“Jackson?”
“Hi, baby. I’m sorry to call you so late.” Ginger focused her tired eyes on the clock, which spelled out 10:50 P.M. “There was so much to do down here, I lost track of time.”
“Oh, I forgot about the time difference.” Folding back the comforter, she got out of bed and sat on the edge of the window seat. Pulling back the floral drapes, she peered out the window. “How’s the weather?”
“It’s about sixty degrees.”
Outside the sky was clear. High above the tops of the pine trees hung the crescent of a new moon like a pale eyelash. “It’s barely twenty degrees here,” she said, sliding back beneath the warmth. “How’s your mother doing?”
“You know Mama. She won’t admit she’s in any pain, but I can see it in her face just as plain as day. She don’t like us fussing over her.”
“Is everybody there?”
“Everybody except Jab. He’s on the road. I think he’s in Florida. Elmyra called this afternoon and said he’d try to make it by
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