her fast. Forgoing her meals, she replaced them with prayer, adding Desiree to her list. For lunch, she remained in her cubbyhole, reading her Bible.
“Is everything all right?” Candace looked concerned.
Solae nodded.
“You sure?” When she nodded again, Candace accepted her answer. “Oh, okay. I’m meeting Royce for lunch. He not long ago got off work and he’s waiting up to see me before he crashes for a day or so.”
The lovebirds. “Tell Royce I said hi.”
“Will do.” Candace made a fast exit.
The day didn’t drag, and hours later, she and Candace walked out of the building together, heading home. “You going to Bible class tonight?” Candace asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you want to do something Saturday? Royce is off, but I know he won’t mind babysitting.”
“Oh.” Solae frowned. “I may have plans.”
“Plans?” They had made it to their respective vehicles, but they didn’t part ways.
“Really?” Candace folded her arms and lifted a brow to emphasize her mischievous nature. “With whom and doing what, and how come I don’t know about it?”
Solae laughed. “It’s not with a man. I told you, I’m through. A person can only take so much rejection and hurt. I may be going to see a play at the Black Rep. Desiree will let me know on Friday.”
“Who’s Desiree?”
“A sister who attends Rapture Ready Church. I doubt if you know her, but she was there when you were coming.”
“Oh.” Candace looked crestfallen.
Did Solae detect a slight pout—no her friend was hurt. “What’s wrong?”
“It just seems strange…not doing things together, knowing the same people or each other’s business...our monthly girls’ night out—”
Solae motioned her to a nearby picnic table that was parked near a pond on the company’s campus. “Candy, you’re married. Royce is your best friend and I know he makes you happy and that makes me happy.”
“Don’t give me that. I was married before and we still got together.”
“True, but you know it’s hard to come around when I know Hershel could show up at any minute. I can’t pull you away from Royce. I wouldn’t want to, but I have to have a life outside our friendship. No one could replace what we have, but I’ve got to live and make new friends.”
“I’ve been hoping and praying that you and Hershel would work it out,” Candace said sadly.
Twisting her lips, Solae watched a goose wobble his way into the water as she allowed the commotion to settle down in her heart at the mention of Hershel’s name. “I’ve lived and I’ve learned. It would be a pity proposal anyway. That would crush me. It has to be one-hundred-and-one-percent love…” she thought about Desiree’s situation and made a note to call her. If love couldn’t hold a marriage together, then pity had no foundation. “Oh, there’s one more thing I guess you should know.”
Candace groaned as if she didn’t want to hear it. “What now?”
“I’ve decided to become a virtual assistant because at the end of the summer I’m going to school full-time in Chicago.”
“Chicago!”
Solae had never seen her friend so frazzled. Candace leaped up, spilling the contents of her purse on the ground, then began to pace the distance from the picnic table to the car in circles.
Tears began to fall down Candace’s cheeks. “We’ve never been separated,” she whispered in a state of shock.
Standing, Solae gathered her friend’s belongings, then dragged Candace back to the bench. “We’ll always be sisters, but sometimes even twins go their separate ways. This hasn’t been easy for me.”
Candace sniffed and nodded. “I know.” She dabbed at her eyes. “Well, we have two months to cram in as many sister moments as we can.”
“Yes.”
A few weeks later, Candace called to complain about Solae canceling some get-togethers, but it couldn’t be helped. She had less than two months to finalize her affairs: put her house on the market and
“Is everything all right?” Candace looked concerned.
Solae nodded.
“You sure?” When she nodded again, Candace accepted her answer. “Oh, okay. I’m meeting Royce for lunch. He not long ago got off work and he’s waiting up to see me before he crashes for a day or so.”
The lovebirds. “Tell Royce I said hi.”
“Will do.” Candace made a fast exit.
The day didn’t drag, and hours later, she and Candace walked out of the building together, heading home. “You going to Bible class tonight?” Candace asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you want to do something Saturday? Royce is off, but I know he won’t mind babysitting.”
“Oh.” Solae frowned. “I may have plans.”
“Plans?” They had made it to their respective vehicles, but they didn’t part ways.
“Really?” Candace folded her arms and lifted a brow to emphasize her mischievous nature. “With whom and doing what, and how come I don’t know about it?”
Solae laughed. “It’s not with a man. I told you, I’m through. A person can only take so much rejection and hurt. I may be going to see a play at the Black Rep. Desiree will let me know on Friday.”
“Who’s Desiree?”
“A sister who attends Rapture Ready Church. I doubt if you know her, but she was there when you were coming.”
“Oh.” Candace looked crestfallen.
Did Solae detect a slight pout—no her friend was hurt. “What’s wrong?”
“It just seems strange…not doing things together, knowing the same people or each other’s business...our monthly girls’ night out—”
Solae motioned her to a nearby picnic table that was parked near a pond on the company’s campus. “Candy, you’re married. Royce is your best friend and I know he makes you happy and that makes me happy.”
“Don’t give me that. I was married before and we still got together.”
“True, but you know it’s hard to come around when I know Hershel could show up at any minute. I can’t pull you away from Royce. I wouldn’t want to, but I have to have a life outside our friendship. No one could replace what we have, but I’ve got to live and make new friends.”
“I’ve been hoping and praying that you and Hershel would work it out,” Candace said sadly.
Twisting her lips, Solae watched a goose wobble his way into the water as she allowed the commotion to settle down in her heart at the mention of Hershel’s name. “I’ve lived and I’ve learned. It would be a pity proposal anyway. That would crush me. It has to be one-hundred-and-one-percent love…” she thought about Desiree’s situation and made a note to call her. If love couldn’t hold a marriage together, then pity had no foundation. “Oh, there’s one more thing I guess you should know.”
Candace groaned as if she didn’t want to hear it. “What now?”
“I’ve decided to become a virtual assistant because at the end of the summer I’m going to school full-time in Chicago.”
“Chicago!”
Solae had never seen her friend so frazzled. Candace leaped up, spilling the contents of her purse on the ground, then began to pace the distance from the picnic table to the car in circles.
Tears began to fall down Candace’s cheeks. “We’ve never been separated,” she whispered in a state of shock.
Standing, Solae gathered her friend’s belongings, then dragged Candace back to the bench. “We’ll always be sisters, but sometimes even twins go their separate ways. This hasn’t been easy for me.”
Candace sniffed and nodded. “I know.” She dabbed at her eyes. “Well, we have two months to cram in as many sister moments as we can.”
“Yes.”
A few weeks later, Candace called to complain about Solae canceling some get-togethers, but it couldn’t be helped. She had less than two months to finalize her affairs: put her house on the market and
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