Page 35 of Whatever It Takes
“I just wanted to check on your progress with Mr. Simmons. How is his mobility progressing?”
“He’s ahead of schedule. Swelling is completely gone, range of motion is improving, and he should be cleared for light training soon.”
“Good,” she said, pausing for a moment. “You’ve always been one of my best therapists, Blessing. Even during your internship. That’s actually why I’m calling.”
Her tone caused my stomach to tighten. I gripped the counter and blinked a few times to calm my nerves as she continued speaking.
“When you work closely with high-profile clients, especially athletes, emotional attachment can occur. Recovery makes patients vulnerable. Boundaries can quickly become blurred before you even realize it.
I trust your professionalism, Blessing. But I want to remind you that maintaining a professional relationship is a condition of your employment. Crossing that line would leave me no choice but to terminate your assignment… and your position with the company.”
I cleared my throat and nodded, “I understand.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything,” she said softly. “This is simply a precautionary reminder. You have a bright future here, and you’re up for promotion. I’d hate for you to jeopardize that.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
After the call ended, I stared at my reflection through the dark kitchen window. I could hear Saint’s laugh echoing from the living room. For the first time since things changed between us…guilt settled heavy in my mind.
THANKSGIVING GAME
“How you feelin’?”Coach Charles asked, slapping a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m feelin’ good. Dr. Carthan said I can return to practice within the next two weeks. I probably won’t be able to play in the games until the playoffs.”
“You know we’re ready for you to be back out here with us. How’s your mental? You good?”
I nodded, looking out at the field. The game hadn’t started yet, and the stadium was playing music while the cheerleaders danced around the sidelines. “I’m doing better than I was months ago. I can’t lie, Coach, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Coach chuckled, “Is there a reason for that?”
“I’ll tell you soon. I’m about to go check on my family.” I said before turning to walk through the tunnel, heading towards the suites.
“Hey, baby!” My mom greeted me as I stepped inside. I gave her a side hug and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.
“Y’all good in here?” I asked, looking around the room. Serenity and Journey were seated next to each other on a couch, sharing a plate of snacks and giggling at whatever was on their phones. Blessing, Chanel, and Taryn sat at one of the tables, while Sage was knocked out in her stroller that doubled as a wagon. Dru and Messiah were standing at the buffet table, filling plates with food. I walked over to Blessing and placed a kiss on her lips.
“We’re good.” She said, giving me a small smile.
“Aye nigga, you wasn’t gone tell me y’all been creeping around?” Messiah questioned, dapping me up.
“Siah stopppp, I’m grown as hell.” Blessing groaned, throwing a balled-up napkin at him.
“I was planning on having a conversation with you soon. We’ll talk later. You coming over later for dinner?”
“Hell yeah. I ain’t skipping no free meals.”
“You bringing Gia?” Chanel asked, rolling her eyes.
“Naw, she’s on a cruise with her parents. Kaia will probably come through. She ain’t got nobody to celebrate with. I tried to bring her here with us, but she turned me down.”
Blessing sighed, shaking her head. “She should’ve come.”
“Who’s Kaia?” I asked, confused.
“My friend from college. I had Messiah hire her as his housekeeper because she lost her job and needed the money to pay bills.” She responded, standing from her seat.
I nodded, “Oh, okay. Yeah, invite her to dinner tonight. I gotta get back to the field. I’ll be back during halftime.” I gaveBlessing a quick kiss on the lips before turning to leave. As soon as I left the suite, I ran right into Mariah.
