Memorial Day weekend, and she was looking forward to relaxing
Madeline raced up the stairs on her way to the front door. It was at the beach and the pool, catching up on sleep and writing some long
overdue notes to her mom and other family members. She'd just
completed her first week at Superlative Staffing and thank God, so far
things were going well. Isabella rather enjoyed accompanying Maddy into
the field, giving her the opportunity to watch and learn from a
professional in a "live" situation. And while the money was a big
improvement over her last job, she was determined to save as much as
possible to fulfill her dream of buying a place of her own, rather than
squander her discretionary income on frivolous things.
As she fumbled for her keys, a white package caught her eye on the
doorstep. She lifted it to find a note from Mark, along with her copy of
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, a book he'd borrowed from her a
few weeks prior. She hadn't actually seen him since that uncomfortable
morning-after, too embarrassed to face him in person. Thankfully, this
past week she and Isabella had spent the majority of their time on the
road, severely reducing the chances of bumping into him at their shared
office building. And as she read his hastily scribbled lines, that familiar
feeling of being doused with icy-cold water washed over her again.
Madeline,
Thank you for letting me borrow your book. I guess you could say I am one of
those people who are very conscientious about returning things; I don't like to hold onto
stuff that doesn't belong to me. Anyway, I am taking the kids to the Keys for the long
weekend. Enjoy your Memorial Day!
Take care,
Mark
She entered the sanctuary of her air-conditioned apartment and sank
into the couch, still holding the book in her hand. What a crazy time period
this last month had turned out to be!Just when she thought things might finally
be turning a corner-wham! Another crushing disappointment.
Still, there was so much to be thankful for, from her new job to her
overall good health, although she'd started having those strange episodes
again. Thank God, most of them had taken place in the privacy of her
apartment and not during the workday; otherwise Isabella might've
questioned Maddy's sanity. Just the other night she'd awakened out of a
sound sleep for no obvious reason, a cold sweat overtaking her while her
heart raced out of control.
Afterwards, she felt an invisible, oppressive weight on top of her
head, as if someone had forced her to balance a ton of bricks while
attempting to walk a straight line. It was a headache unlike any other she'd
previously experienced. Laying back into her pillow, she'd taken several
deep breaths, repeated the affirmations she'd gleaned from her
motivational tapes and prayed to God for protection and guidance. For
one split second during the acute phase of the episode she'd contemplated
going to the emergency room, but quickly rejected the idea. Why go there
when all they were gonna do was tell her she was getting plenty of oxygen and that her
vital signs were normal?Folding the note and returning it to its envelope, Maddy walked into
her bedroom and pulled her bathing suit out of a drawer. Instead of
wallowing in self-pity, she was going to head to the pool for a swim. And
a few minutes later, submerged in the crystalline water, she felt
reinvigorated. After executing several laps, she lingered under the waterfall
and gazed out at the row of palm trees swaying in the breeze, savoring a
rare moment of solitude at this normally crowded spot. Somehow, everything
was going to be alright.She'd get through this tough time and emerge on the other side,
stronger for having endured the experience.She settled into a chaise lounge, soaking up the warmth of a lingering
sun after applying a liberal amount of sunscreen. The golden rays reflected
off of her auburn hair, creating a nice contrast with her black one-piece.
And with her Brighton knock-off sunglasses from Festival Flea Market,
she unknowingly exuded the air of a glamorous celebrity. Lost in her own
thoughts, she barely noticed when a fairly attractive young man took a
seat next to her-that is, until he initiated a conversation.
Maddy made polite small talk, grateful for the distraction. And as she
interacted with this friendly stranger from Brooklyn, her faith was
renewed, at least for a while. Then he threw her off-balance with an
unexpected question.
"Can I ask you something? I mean, I'm a married man, but if I
weren't married would you go out with me?"
"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, noticing his lack of a wedding
ring.
"You know, do you think I'm handsome? Would you go out with me
if I weren't married?" he repeated.
An angry Maddy retorted, "The question is irrelevant, pal. The fact is
you are married and I am not that kind of woman!" Sheesh! What was it with
some of these men anyway?With that, she gathered her belongings, wrapped her towel around her
waist and bid him goodnight as she stormed off. On the short walk back
to her apartment, she began to question her judgment and wonder if the
Universe was playing tricks on her for the sake of its own amusement.