closed softly behind them, I tried to
rein in my tears. My life was so different in Virginia that it was no longer
recognizable. I felt like someone had held me upside down, shaken the life out
of me, and left me to pick up the pieces… only none of the pieces were fitting
where they’d previously been.
Kelly
and Cade returned just as the moving truck pulled alongside my apartment. I
gave Kelly a spare key, we agreed on a time for Cade’s walks, and I pre-paid
her for the month. She gave Cade a treat and one last pat on the head. “I’ll
see you tomorrow, little buddy.”
I
scooped Cade into my arms and walked Kelly outside. Then Cade and I went to
greet the movers. I was anxious to see something familiar, something that would
reconnect me with my old life.
*
* * * * *
Driving
up I-395 into DC was a special kind of hell. The other drivers were beyond
rude. No one wanted to let me merge onto my exit. I had my turn signal on and
tried to inch in, but the cars were bumper to bumper and no one would budge.
Some man flipped me off for even trying. For whatever reason, the
every-other-car-goes-through rule did not apply inside the Beltway.
I
was forced to take a different exit. I spent twenty minutes looking for a place
to pull over so I could program my Garmin. I hadn’t bothered to program the GPS
when I left my house because I’d taken the route so many times with Habib. I
knew the way, but I was forced into unfamiliar territory when I missed the
stupid exit.
It
took me another fifteen minutes to reach the parking garage under the Thurgood
Marshall Building. My nerves were completely shot by the time I parked the jeep.
I couldn’t release my death grip on the steering wheel. All I could think about
was how much I wanted to move back home. I laid my head on my hands as I burst
into tears.
I'm
not sure how long I sat crying in the poorly lit garage, but a security guard
eventually rapped on my window. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
I
jumped in my seat when I heard his voice. I released the steering wheel so I
could lower my window. “Yes, officer. I’m okay. I’m sorry. It’s just that… this
was my first time driving in DC. I’m not used to driving in such a big city.” I
brushed the tears off my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I’d been caught crying over
my commute.
His
eyes gentled. “Driving around here does take some getting used to.” He glanced
at his watch, then added, “I’m Nathaniel. Can I escort you to your office
building?”
I
shook my head. “Oh, no. That’s not necessary. I know my way to the Senate Hart Building
from here.”
Nathaniel
smiled. “I could really use an excuse to get out of this dingy garage. I much
prefer fresh air,” he confided in a soft voice.
I
suspected this was outside Nathaniel’s protocol, but his warm eyes and kind
smile were difficult to resist. “Okay. In that case, I’d really enjoy the
company.” I smoothed my tear stained hands down my skirt and gathered my purse
and briefcase. I left my untouched coffee behind.
Nathaniel
reached for my briefcase as I locked the jeep. “Here, I’ll carry that for you.”
I
smiled gratefully as I handed him the briefcase. “Thanks. It’s really nice to
meet you Nathaniel. My name’s Kristine.”
He
fell in beside me as I walked toward the stairwell. “You know, Kristine,
everyone struggles with the commute around here. Part of the problem is our transient
population. There’s always a good percentage of people on the road who aren’t
familiar with the area.” He opened the door to the stairwell and held it open
for me.
I
shot him an apologetic look as we walked up the stairs. “I’m afraid I’m one of
those people.”
Nathaniel’s
smile widened as he opened the door to the main lobby. “The other problem is
the layout of the roads, but I have a theory about that…” Nathaniel nodded to
the guard at the security desk before opening the door that led outside.
“What’s
that?” I asked
rein in my tears. My life was so different in Virginia that it was no longer
recognizable. I felt like someone had held me upside down, shaken the life out
of me, and left me to pick up the pieces… only none of the pieces were fitting
where they’d previously been.
Kelly
and Cade returned just as the moving truck pulled alongside my apartment. I
gave Kelly a spare key, we agreed on a time for Cade’s walks, and I pre-paid
her for the month. She gave Cade a treat and one last pat on the head. “I’ll
see you tomorrow, little buddy.”
I
scooped Cade into my arms and walked Kelly outside. Then Cade and I went to
greet the movers. I was anxious to see something familiar, something that would
reconnect me with my old life.
*
* * * * *
Driving
up I-395 into DC was a special kind of hell. The other drivers were beyond
rude. No one wanted to let me merge onto my exit. I had my turn signal on and
tried to inch in, but the cars were bumper to bumper and no one would budge.
Some man flipped me off for even trying. For whatever reason, the
every-other-car-goes-through rule did not apply inside the Beltway.
I
was forced to take a different exit. I spent twenty minutes looking for a place
to pull over so I could program my Garmin. I hadn’t bothered to program the GPS
when I left my house because I’d taken the route so many times with Habib. I
knew the way, but I was forced into unfamiliar territory when I missed the
stupid exit.
It
took me another fifteen minutes to reach the parking garage under the Thurgood
Marshall Building. My nerves were completely shot by the time I parked the jeep.
I couldn’t release my death grip on the steering wheel. All I could think about
was how much I wanted to move back home. I laid my head on my hands as I burst
into tears.
I'm
not sure how long I sat crying in the poorly lit garage, but a security guard
eventually rapped on my window. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
I
jumped in my seat when I heard his voice. I released the steering wheel so I
could lower my window. “Yes, officer. I’m okay. I’m sorry. It’s just that… this
was my first time driving in DC. I’m not used to driving in such a big city.” I
brushed the tears off my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I’d been caught crying over
my commute.
His
eyes gentled. “Driving around here does take some getting used to.” He glanced
at his watch, then added, “I’m Nathaniel. Can I escort you to your office
building?”
I
shook my head. “Oh, no. That’s not necessary. I know my way to the Senate Hart Building
from here.”
Nathaniel
smiled. “I could really use an excuse to get out of this dingy garage. I much
prefer fresh air,” he confided in a soft voice.
I
suspected this was outside Nathaniel’s protocol, but his warm eyes and kind
smile were difficult to resist. “Okay. In that case, I’d really enjoy the
company.” I smoothed my tear stained hands down my skirt and gathered my purse
and briefcase. I left my untouched coffee behind.
Nathaniel
reached for my briefcase as I locked the jeep. “Here, I’ll carry that for you.”
I
smiled gratefully as I handed him the briefcase. “Thanks. It’s really nice to
meet you Nathaniel. My name’s Kristine.”
He
fell in beside me as I walked toward the stairwell. “You know, Kristine,
everyone struggles with the commute around here. Part of the problem is our transient
population. There’s always a good percentage of people on the road who aren’t
familiar with the area.” He opened the door to the stairwell and held it open
for me.
I
shot him an apologetic look as we walked up the stairs. “I’m afraid I’m one of
those people.”
Nathaniel’s
smile widened as he opened the door to the main lobby. “The other problem is
the layout of the roads, but I have a theory about that…” Nathaniel nodded to
the guard at the security desk before opening the door that led outside.
“What’s
that?” I asked
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