Notice...

“I’ve been here forty eight hours and I’ve already had a near death experience driving to work!” I snap when I walk into the break room. Our day is just beginning and half of our staff is back there.
“What happened?” Monique asked.
“Idiots speeding and runnin’ damn stop signs.” I toss my bag on the chair next to me and sink my hand into her hair, wanting to sink my teeth into a muffin.
“You and those stop signs!” she laughs.
“I know! They’re everywhere and people don’t know the proper way to stop at one!”
“Hey, do you remember my client with the super long hair? She’s the really pretty one and is so nice?” Monique turned to face me.
“I do!”
“She and her husband were in a car accident a few weeks ago.”
“What?! What happened?”
“They were on I-20 one afternoon and a drunk driver hit them from behind. They were in her husband’s pick up truck and it flipped them 3 times! They had their dogs with them. I think they lost two and one ran all the way home.”
“What?” That was all I could manage to say.
“Yeah, she sat there with her husband with his head in her lap, waiting for the paramedics. The whole back of his head is all, well, you know…”
“They both lived though right?” I swallow.
“Yes. The doctors said there is no way either of them should be alive right now and if they were alive, they should both be vegetables. She said it‘s changed her whole life.”
I start chewing on the inside of my face. I will. Not. Lose. It. I do manage to say, “How is it that something like that happens to them and they live, and something nearly unexplainable happens to that Jeep Rob was in and he’s gone?” I try my hardest to keep the tears from falling, afraid that once they start, they won’t stop.
She shook her head. I couldn’t stop running my fingers through her hair and couldn’t speak. When I could it was to say I needed to set up my station.
Today was full of needy people and their constant requests of “Melissa, can you get this one piece? This one piece is driving me crazy, can you do something about it?” I heard it so much I was starting to get a little paranoid in my ability to do my job. I watched the clock all morning in between cutting off or taming people’s “pieces”. “I love my job, I love my job”, I repeated over and over to myself. It’s not my client’s fault that I’d rather be in Sweden still…
Chicago is one hour behind Atlanta and I’ve been waiting for Art and Science’s phones to come on. When I’m able to, I call and leave a message for Cindy to call me back. When she does, I’m about to start a client but I race off to take her call.
“Hey! This is Cindy! How are you?” her bright voice echoes through the phone.
“Good! How are you?” My heart is pounding.
“Good. I got your message. What’s up?”
“I want to move to Chicago in November and wanted to know if you guys need another assistant.” I grin.
“Oh wow! Yes! We wanted to hire you in the summer, of course. Let’s see… can you start on November 19th?”
“Perfect!”
“Good. Be at Evanston at 8:30 with your driver’s license and we’ll go from there.”
“Thank you.” I’m about to explode into a million pieces…
“So, how have you been since everything? Is it better?” she asks.
“Um, I wouldn’t say better, just different.”
“What have you been doing in Atlanta?”
“I’ve just been working and writing. A lot.”
“Good. I know it’s tough. I do look forward to seeing you in November.”
“Thank you so much Cindy.”
We get off the phone and I exhale. When I walk into the break room to put my phone down, Kristen is standing in the middle of the room with her work tickets.
I have to tell someone before I explode.
“Kristen? I have something to tell you!” I put my phone down.
“What is it?”
“I just called Chicago. I start work on November nineteenth!” I squeal.
“You’re leaving me?” her blue eyes widened.
“Not for long! I’ll be back to thaw my limbs and heal the frostbite!”
“But you’re leaving!”
“I know. I’m sad, but I gotta do it. I wanted to forever ago and you know, plans changed.”
“I know honey.”
In no time I’m back out to get my client. I’m filled with nervous energy. Once I finish her I’m off to find Monique.
“I have something to tell you!” I exclaim in the hallway.
“What’s that?” she smiles.
“I’m moving to Chicago.” I tone my voice down.
“You are?” her face fell. “When?”
“November.”
“That’s so soon! I mean, I know you’ve wanted to go and I’m happy for you, it’s just not what I expected to hear you say.”
“I know. It’s crazy. I decided to go while I was in Sweden.”
“When’s your last day?”
“No idea. I haven’t told Jennifer yet.” I reply. (Jennifer is our general manager)
“Ok, just let us know.”
I nod and go back to work.
My day is almost over when my co-worker and I are in the break room. I put my hand on his head.
“Got something to tell you.”
He turns to face me.
“I’m moving to Chicago in November.” I can’t stop the smile on my face even though I don’t like having these conversations.
“What?!” His eyes get big. “When?!”
“November.”
“Wow. You have a job?”
I nod. “I was supposed to move in September.”
“When’s your last day?” he asks.
“No idea.”
My day eventually ends. A huge weight has lifted off my chest but another has been added. I’m about leave everything I’ve ever known… In six weeks.