Page 88 of Taking the Pitch
I nod, again. Not trusting myself to lash out again.
Once the door closes, I plop down into the chair and lean forward cradling, my head in my hands.
How the fuck am I going to fix this?
A soft knock sounds at the door, and I look up, expecting Julie to walk back through. Instead, Gladys’ face pokes in. “Mind if I come in for a minute?”
I make a move to stand, but Gladys puts her hand on my shoulder, halting me. “Please don’t get up. This won’t take long,” she tells me, leaning against the desk.
Dred fills my stomach. She’s going to tell me I’m not good for Amelia and that I should find a different program.
“I’ve come to know Amelia pretty well in the last five years,” she says. “She may be spicy from time to time, but her heart is in the right place.”
I think back to our first encounter only a few weeks ago and chuckle. Knowing what Gladys is referring to.
“I lost my husband, Peter, the year after Amelia’s program really took off. She was such a blessing to have during that dark time. She made sure I had everything I needed and even took over running the library for me, so I could take time to grieve.”
“I know she’s too good for me,” I tell her before she has a chance to say it.
Gladys frowns. “No, Judd. You’re perfect for her.”
Huh?
“I don’t understand?”
“You’re the calm to her storm. She’s run around here for the last five years, making sure everyone else was taken care of, that she’s never had time to take care of herself. She helped my husband make arrangements to have flowers sent to me every week from my favorite florist, so I would still have fresh flowers long after he was gone because he knew I wouldn’t buy them for myself.” She swipes at her eyes and sniffs. “Anyway, my point is, Amelia has always been the pillar in our storms, standing strong, despite what’s thrown at her. But even strong pillars get battered and beat up after a while. It’s time someone stands beside her and helps bear some of the invisible weight she carries. She’sknown more heartache in her short time than most people experience in an entire lifetime.”
“But what if she can’t forgive me? What I did, what happened to her parents.” I stop and shake my head.
Gladys walks over to me and places her hands on each of my cheeks. “You’re her person. It may take time, but she will forgive you. But Judd, you have to forgive yourself too.” She pats one of my cheeks, then moves away to open the door. “Go find our girl, Judd.”
“But what about the kids and dogs?” I ask, standing from my seat.
Gladys waves me off. “We’ve got it handled today. You have something more important to take care of.”
I lean down and give Gladys a hug. She gives me a quick squeeze and pats my back.
“Enough of that. Now get goin’,” she tells me, opening the door.
I leave out the back door again and start jogging down the sidewalk towards our building. The rain is coming down harder, but I don’t care. Because it’s time for me to help Amelia weather the storm and this is the first step.
“Hey, you’ve reached Amelia. Leave me a message and I might remember to get back to you.”
I hit the end button and tap out a text.
Me
Amelia. PLEASE answer your phone.
Read.
Me
or at least text me back to let me know you’re ok.
Read.
Me
