was, but he couldn't help looking over his shoulder.
“I said turn around,” the man yelled. “You saw, right? It's a gun. Now, both of you get on your knees.”
Elise and Mike slowly and carefully fell to their knees and stayed close to each other. Elise did everything within her power to remain levelheaded and calm. She looked at Mike out of the corner of her eye. He was distraught, breathing heavily, his face contorted in fear.
“Drop your bags!” he demanded.
The two removed their bags from their shoulders.
“Empty your pockets.”
They pushed their hands into their pockets and pulled out their car keys.
“I don't want your cars. I just want the money!” he insisted. Then he came in close to them, hit Mike on the back of the head with his gun, snatched both bags, and took off running behind the building.
Mike held his head in his hands. He'd fallen forward, barely missing the ground.
Elise looked around to make sure the robber had left. She rushed to Mike.
“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to get a closer look at his injury.
“I'll be okay. I'm not bleeding, am I?”
She moved his hands off his head and examined him. “No, thank God! We need to go back inside to call the police,” Elise said.
Mike looked up at Elise with eyes that said, “Why bother?”
“I know there isn't much that they'll do, but we have to report this,” she said through the tears that had started to flow from her eyes.
“Damn, Elise. Why?” he moaned.
Elise looked at Mike. He was a sophomore in college, intelligent, talented. He was the type of guy who saw the good in people and in life. The defeat in his voice sent an uneasy vibration through her.
She shook her head. She was without answers. “Let's just go inside,” she said quietly through the fog of replaying the robbery in her mind.
The two helped each other up, and then Elise reached over to pick up their keys. She stood up, feeling light-headed and having questions of her own, but she wanted to encourage Mike to ease the anger that was settling into his spirit. She handed him his keys and said, “At least he didn't take our cars. And thank God Hattie took the money with her.”
“But, Elise, every book that I purchased for school this semester was in that bag. Plus, I had been saving money to get my girlfriend a watch for her birthday. I just bought it today before coming here this morning. That watch was in the bag, Elise!” he yelled, punching at the air to release some of his frustration. Tears fell from his eyes.
Elise was instantly flooded with guilt. Starting her new business, this was a lean time for her. She had no emergency cash. She didn't have enough to help Mike purchase his books again, let alone purchase another watch for his girlfriend. She knew she had to do something; she felt responsible. A lump formed in her throat. She was without words, without an easy solution, without a way to comfort Mike or herself.
ASHAWNDA OPENED THE dishwasher and pulled out two travel mugs. She poured coffee into them and put one teaspoon of sugar in Cicely's and extra cream in her own. She walked over to the kitchen island, set the mugs down, and picked up her purse. Before she could pick the mugs back up, Cicely came behind her, slid her arms around her waist, and leaned over to kiss her softly on her neck.
Lashawnda cringed.
“You were extra good last night,” Cicely said.
“I know I was,” Lashawnda said. She had spent the night fanta-sizing about her favorite movie star, helping her performance with Cicely.
She picked up the coffee mugs and handed one to Cicely. “Just the way you like it.”
The two walked through the kitchen to the garage.
“Okay, Lashawnda, what's going on with you?” Cicely asked, unlocking her car door.
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me. I've noticed that something has been different with you. I just haven't been able to pinpoint what it is.”
“It's nothing, Cicely.”
They pulled out of the garage. Then
“I said turn around,” the man yelled. “You saw, right? It's a gun. Now, both of you get on your knees.”
Elise and Mike slowly and carefully fell to their knees and stayed close to each other. Elise did everything within her power to remain levelheaded and calm. She looked at Mike out of the corner of her eye. He was distraught, breathing heavily, his face contorted in fear.
“Drop your bags!” he demanded.
The two removed their bags from their shoulders.
“Empty your pockets.”
They pushed their hands into their pockets and pulled out their car keys.
“I don't want your cars. I just want the money!” he insisted. Then he came in close to them, hit Mike on the back of the head with his gun, snatched both bags, and took off running behind the building.
Mike held his head in his hands. He'd fallen forward, barely missing the ground.
Elise looked around to make sure the robber had left. She rushed to Mike.
“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to get a closer look at his injury.
“I'll be okay. I'm not bleeding, am I?”
She moved his hands off his head and examined him. “No, thank God! We need to go back inside to call the police,” Elise said.
Mike looked up at Elise with eyes that said, “Why bother?”
“I know there isn't much that they'll do, but we have to report this,” she said through the tears that had started to flow from her eyes.
“Damn, Elise. Why?” he moaned.
Elise looked at Mike. He was a sophomore in college, intelligent, talented. He was the type of guy who saw the good in people and in life. The defeat in his voice sent an uneasy vibration through her.
She shook her head. She was without answers. “Let's just go inside,” she said quietly through the fog of replaying the robbery in her mind.
The two helped each other up, and then Elise reached over to pick up their keys. She stood up, feeling light-headed and having questions of her own, but she wanted to encourage Mike to ease the anger that was settling into his spirit. She handed him his keys and said, “At least he didn't take our cars. And thank God Hattie took the money with her.”
“But, Elise, every book that I purchased for school this semester was in that bag. Plus, I had been saving money to get my girlfriend a watch for her birthday. I just bought it today before coming here this morning. That watch was in the bag, Elise!” he yelled, punching at the air to release some of his frustration. Tears fell from his eyes.
Elise was instantly flooded with guilt. Starting her new business, this was a lean time for her. She had no emergency cash. She didn't have enough to help Mike purchase his books again, let alone purchase another watch for his girlfriend. She knew she had to do something; she felt responsible. A lump formed in her throat. She was without words, without an easy solution, without a way to comfort Mike or herself.
ASHAWNDA OPENED THE dishwasher and pulled out two travel mugs. She poured coffee into them and put one teaspoon of sugar in Cicely's and extra cream in her own. She walked over to the kitchen island, set the mugs down, and picked up her purse. Before she could pick the mugs back up, Cicely came behind her, slid her arms around her waist, and leaned over to kiss her softly on her neck.
Lashawnda cringed.
“You were extra good last night,” Cicely said.
“I know I was,” Lashawnda said. She had spent the night fanta-sizing about her favorite movie star, helping her performance with Cicely.
She picked up the coffee mugs and handed one to Cicely. “Just the way you like it.”
The two walked through the kitchen to the garage.
“Okay, Lashawnda, what's going on with you?” Cicely asked, unlocking her car door.
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me. I've noticed that something has been different with you. I just haven't been able to pinpoint what it is.”
“It's nothing, Cicely.”
They pulled out of the garage. Then
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