Page 11 of The Phyre that Burns
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t try to act like my nephew puts a stop to anything. My friend tells me how y’all get down.”
Tariq put his hands up in surrender. I loved the relationship between Devyn and her husband. Those who knew their story might side-eye how they began, but you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t true and unadulterated love.
“Do you still have friends in Black Elm?” my cousin, Nikki, asked.
For some reason, Nikki’s question caused a brief wave of sadness to consume me. I took a deep breath and shook it off before answering her question.
“I didn’t keep in contact with anyone after I left.”
“Dang, so you’ll be out there by yourself, for real,” she replied.
I laughed, still trying to cover up the sadness I felt. “Cousin, you know I’m an introvert. I spend most of my time alone when I’m on these assignments. If the other nurses are cool, I hang with them sometimes, but a lot of them have families.”
“What do you do in your free time?” Nikki pressed.
“Read, binge-watch old shows, work out.”
“I ain’t gon’ lie, that sounds boring as hell, but I bet it’s peaceful,” my other cousin and Nikki’s brother, Draymond, said.
“I live a very peaceful and simple life. Drama is not for me.”
“If you get too bored, we can take turns coming to visit,” Nikki offered.
“Oh, I already have a ticket booked for a month from now,” Devyn said, and she absolutely did.
We continued to converse over dinner, and it was nothing but laughs and good times. I was grateful for the time spent with my loved ones and very appreciative of them coming together to see me off.
I tried to pack light, but it was almost impossible. From what I recalled, the weather in Black Elm was mainly mild, but it wasn’t the kind of weather where you could wear shorts and tank tops all year round. During the late fall and winter months, jeans and hoodies were definitely necessary, especially in the evening.
After a nearly five-hour flight, I picked up the rental car that had been reserved for me and was pleasantly surprised when I was told the car had been upgraded to a luxury SUV. The one-hour drive to Black Elm would have been fine in the economy car that I initially had, but I would’ve happily driven another hour in this SUV.
It was late afternoon by the time I picked up the key to my temporary residence from the rental office. I was grateful it was on the first floor because I had to make a few trips to retrieve all my luggage. Once that was done, I collapsed on the couch, and an hour later, I was awakened by the ringing of my phone.
“Hey, Ma.”
“Hey. I just wanted to make sure you made it to Black Elm. It’s been a few hours since you sent the text about landing.”
“I’m sorry, Ma. I made it to the apartment, collapsed on the couch, and fell asleep.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Did you say apartment?”
“Oh yeah. This is the first time I’ve stayed in an apartment for one of my assignments. It’s probably because of how long I’ll be here. It’s nice, though. Let me FaceTime you. Hold on.”
I pressed the option to FaceTime my mother. Once the call was connected, I took a tour of the apartment while showing her everything.
“This is much nicer than the places you usually stay,” she commented.
“It sure is. I guess they want me to be comfortable.”
Typically, my living arrangements were in an extended-stay hotel, and this was most definitely an upgrade. This place had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, with one of them located inside the primary bedroom. It was spacious and had high-end furniture.
“Whatever the reason, be thankful. I have to go, but call me once you’re settled in.”
“Okay, Ma. Love you.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
I ended the call and continued to inspect the apartment. My apartment in Chicago was nice, but since I wasn’t home often, it was very minimalistic. This apartment definitely put mine to shame, and the places I stayed during my other assignments couldn’t hold a candle to this one.
