"You like it?" Katrina asked, fanning out her arms dramatically like Vanna White. "I bought it."

Imani, in her favorite shoulder-length emerald green wig that juxtaposed her pink jumpsuit, took in the expanse of the corner storefront that was across the street from her bookstore. Her bangs covered the wrinkle of confusion that formed on her forehead. This is what happened to people when they had a brush with death. Right? She's had several of those moments in her lifespan but never made a purchase as big as this on a whim. But then again she didn't have the funds to. So there was that. But she was known to buy a plant every time she faced a minor inconvenience.

"What do you think?" Katrina asked again in a different way, hoping to get an answer this time. Her gaze shifted from her friend to her baby's father. 

Terrence didn't know what to say. He also didn't know that professors got paid enough to buy a commercial property and mortgage. But then again, he knew his wife, yes he was still calling her that because they were still married, came from money. He didn't know the dollar amount because he had his own lucrative funds but it had to be substantial. Either way, he wasn't fond of all these changes she was making. First, a divorce. Now, buying property. What else was she going to change? Was this his fault? He wondered as he patted Nori on the bottom strapped securely on his chest.

"It's nice and open. Blank walls." Imani said, walking over to a big window with a view of a side street. "Great sunlight."

"I know." Katrina gushed, joining Imani by the blindless window as the afternoon sun rays bounced off the white walls. "That's one of the reasons why I fell in love with it."

"Among those reasons..." Terrence started and both of the women looked at him; Katrina wore a look of interest in what he had to say while Imani peered at him with annoyance. "Was why you bought this one of them?"

"Hmm." Katrina sounded, running her hand through her newly sleek, shiny tresses thanks to a trip to Niq's salon. "The thing is I don't know yet."

The realization that she didn't want to go back to the university came to her in the quiet of the night after putting Nori down and Keir was in L.A. She settled in the chair beside Nori's crib and let the lullaby from her mother-in-law quell her mind and she admitted to herself that the chapter of being a professor was over. It wasn't really her first dream, to begin with, it was the backup to the dream.

And she admitted to herself that her original dream was no longer the one of her present. She didn't want to be a writer of lyrical words anymore. She didn't even know if she had a poem in her. Nor did she want to sign up for the author's life. But she did want to be a creator. Building something from nothing was still calling deep in her soul. She just didn't know what it could transpire into.

"But I'll figure it out." She said with absolute certainty.

"We're in our thirties, we don't figure things out," Terrence spoke. "This is the time to nurture what we've built."

"Who said thirty-somethings can't reinvent themselves?" Imani asked. "Show me that research."

He glared at his wife's colorful friend. "I'm not talking to you."

"Of course, you don't want to talk to me because your argument has no basis," Imani said then turned to Katrina. "Why is he here?"

"Because I'm her husband." Terrence supplied an answer.

"Not for long." Imani quipped.

"Okay." Katrina held up her hands silencing both of them. "This is a big moment in my life, the first step of a journey and I wanted to share it with the people that I..." Her words paused as Keir arrived, strolling through the entrance with ease as if her estranged husband wasn't there.

She continued. "...That I care about."

"Starting a business, K?" Keir asked, casting his light brown eyes around the place and then setting them on her. "What do you have in mind?"

Katrina swallowed her newly forming anxiety and then said, "Still deciding."

"Well..." Keir shrugged. "It'll come to you."

Terrence sighed audibly, "It's always good to have a plan but I hope it works out."  He ignored the two people that weren't the mother of his child. "I'm heading out. Get Nori home, feed, bathe, and ready for bed." He smiled down at the baby that was fighting to keep her eyes open. "You want to say bye to Mommy?"

"Aww, let me see my RiRi." Katrina cooed, closing the space between her and Terrence.

She serenaded the little one's chubby cheeks with kisses before she left for with her daddy. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings was Terrence's time. It was time that he could be with his daughter and time that Katrina could get the recharging that she needed from being the sole parent four and a half days out of the week. It wasn't like she didn't see Nori for the three days since Terrence was staying in the guest room for those days but she had help and that was appreciated.

Once Terrence and Nori left, Imani soon followed to meet who she called a potential boo. Silence fell over Katrina and Keir as they set on top of the counter watching cars stream by as afternoon turned to evening. It was bliss being with something that didn't need to fill the quiet with words. It was something they did regularly; lounging on his couch or hers reading their own respective books in the company of each other.

She was going to miss that. Or not. She didn't know if he was taking the job opportunity he told her about after his visit to Los Angeles. She hadn't asked him. But she knew she didn't want him to back a decision based on her. She wanted it to be totally his own. But she needed to know what he decided. She was sick to her stomach from not knowing.

"Are you taking it?" She blurted out, chasing away the silence. "Louisiana is a great place. Great food. Great weather. I love the heat and Zydeco is a plus. I spent several weekends in New Orleans so I can give you a list of must-eat restaurants."

"Don't do that." He said quietly.

"You don't want a list?"

"No." He slid off the counter. "Trying to push me away. Do you not want me here?"

"Yes. I—" She tried to look past him but his solid frame wouldn't let her. "I don't want to be a reason you'd choose not to go."

"I care about you so you're going to be a factor in the choice I make."

"But I don't want to be." She said adamantly. "I want you to make the best choice for your career; your life."

"You are the best thing in my life."

She shook her head, dropping her gaze to her hands, not able to withstand the fierce intensity in his eyes. "I'm satisfied with my life here. This is a hiding spot for you. A place to heal and repair before returning back to real life. You arrived here with an eagle with a clipped wing and I'm not going to be the reason you didn't resume flying."

He claimed the space in front of her, planting his sight on her even if she could return hers to him. "You are the reason I can fly. Yes, I was broken when I came here but if it wasn't for you I'd still be fractured refusing to let anyone else in and refusing to do what I know best. Building, constructing. You helped me get my courage back, remember who I am. So, you matter in any decision I'll make."

"And maybe..." She stopped, regaining her composure before facing him. "That's all it was supposed to be. What this is..." She gestured between them. "Two people that needed each other to weather a storm. But now that storm has passed and our time has..."

"Don't say it."

"Three years is a long time, Keir." She whispered, planting her hands on his shoulder.

He studied her face seeing the worry that she didn't express and he wanted to be honest with her and relieve her of the tension. He had to admit something he'd already known. Something he grappled with after contacting the Swan Foundation.

"Long distance will work for us." He told, believing every word that slipped from his mouth.  He lowered his head, finding her eyes, "It will work for us."

"You've decided."

"Yes." He nodded. "I'm taking it."

She let out a breath she was holding too long, "That's great." Tears brimmed in the wells of her eyes and she nabbed them. "Happy tears because I'm happy for you."

She gave him a quick kiss and then hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder to let the tears fall that weren't the product of both happiness and sadness.

Do you think Terrence's reaction will affect Katrina's plans for the property?

What type of business do you think Katrina will start?

Why do you think Katrina's tears are a product of happiness and sadness?

Do you think Katrina wants a long-term relationship?