CHAPTER 53

**** Another thing I wrote came to life lol. Aug posted a picture on Instagram saying after he took that pic with Usher he threw up and almost missed Ush shoes. Did I not just write that about him and Dominic? See I know my baby’s life! lol

NATE in the m/m. For y'al who don't know, he's in the movie Beyond The Lights. Go support***

AMBER P.O.V. –

Dan had asked me to come into the office. I thought it was a bit weird because he knew I wasn’t going to be working while I was working on Aug’s case. I came into the office to find a woman sitting on the other side of his desk.

“Umm Amber this Norma. Norma, Amber.” She stood up and shook my hand.

“I’m Dr. Maraj’s nurse. Well, I was. Until…well you know.” She gave a slight uncomfortable chuckle.  

I was thinking in my mind, No I don’t know. Cause she didn’t ruin your life half of how she ruined Aug’s.

“Is there a reason I was called in here Dan?” I looked at him, not knowing her intent. She could be here to back this lady up for all I know. And Aug wasn’t here so if I had to throw down again, I would just have to do so.

“Well I came because Dr. Maraj was staying with me. I went to the hospital with her. Po’ lady ain’t got no family.

I was mentally rolling my eyes. I didn’t care or feel sorry for this lady.

“I don’t mean to be rude ma’am, but I’m sorta busy.”

“Oh…oh I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep you. It’s just she was staying with me and well last night she came home all upset. And she confessed everything to me. Just cried and told me everything.”

“Mm-hmm.” I looked down annoyed like please get to the point.

“I think it’s a shame what she did. So I got this for you, and I reported her to the board as soon as I woke up this morning.” She handed me a USB drive. “Everything is on there to clear that boy’s name.”

“I appreciate this, what did you say your name was again?”

“Norma.”

“I appreciate this Norma.”

“There is one more thing I asked her to do.”

“And what was that?”

“Hold on a sec.” She left out.

I looked at Dan and smiled.

“I guess now we can get that hearing.” He smiled back.

We high fived each other.

My whole mood came crashing down as Dr. Maraj emerged through the door.

“You apologize to that lady for ruining her family. It’s alright to be hurt, but you ain’t got to hurt other people.”

She came toward me and hugged me, crying on my shoulder. I just stood there, not moving.

She stepped back.

“I’m so lost Amb. I…I…” She threw her hands up in frustration because she couldn’t get the words out.

And at that moment, all I saw was Nate. How at a first brush with Nate you saw this pompous, arrogant asshole. But if you really looked at his life, you would be amazed at how he kept going.

I don’t know all of Dr. Maraj’s story and deep down, I didn’t care. But I knew Nate’s story. I knew what I seen in his life. And I told myself that all we are, are walking stories of hurt and pain and not everyone is able to channel it positively.

I cannot truly say that I am a Christian, and not in this moment forgive her. After all, after experiencing a tragedy that no mother should ever have  to face, a woman forgave me. And embraced me like I was her own child. I had to pay that forgiveness forward.

Now that doesn’t mean I’m not going to go hard on this case, because I am. Don’t get it twisted. Forgiveness does not rid one of the consequences of their actions. She is still going to have to pay. But I can’t not forgive her, when Mama Shelia forgave me.

“Dan we’re gonna go in my office.”

“Cool.”

“You need me?” Norma asked.

“No but thank you again.”  I hugged her one more time then walked down the hall to my office and unlocked the door. I flipped on the light and closed the door.

“Sit down.”

She sat. Her eyes too ashamed to look at mine.

“Look at me.” I told her. My hands folded on my desk.

“If you would have just told the truth all this could have been avoided.”

“I know.” She begin to tear up. “I was scared. My career was all I had.”

“Listen, at this hearing I’m going to give them the recording on the USB. I’m going to tell them you lied. I’m going to tell them you deserve to be in jail. I’m going to tell them that you deserve to be banned from practicing dental medicine, not just because you did that with the gas, but because you almost ruined a young man’s life to save your own ass. I do not, and will never respect that. And as a result, you are going to have to spend time in jail. You know that.”

She shook her head yes.

“But…I will always make sure you have money on your books. I will come visit you from time to time. And when you get out, I will make sure you have a place to say and a job doing something even if it’s not in your field.”

She got out of her chair, rushed over to me, hugged me and broke down. I rubbed her back to comfort her a little.

 “However I need you to come to the hearing and testify.” I told her as she got up. “I know we have the tape, but with these things the more proof the better.”

“I’ll be there.” She shook her head wiping her eyes. “Thank you.” She grabbed both my hands and kissed them.  

“Everybody alive in here.” Norma came in knocking on the door.

I laughed. “Yeah.”

Norma got Dr. Maraj and they left out closing the door. All I could think about was Aug is going to fucking beat my ass. He is not as forgiving.

“You never cease to amaze me.” A voice said.

I jumped when I saw Nate behind the door. He laughed at my reaction.

I closed my eyes. “He’s not really here.” I told myself.

I opened them.

“Boo!” He said starring me in the face on the other side of my desk.

I got up and cut the lights off and back on and he was still sitting in the chair. I touched his shoulder and my hands went right through him.

“Yeah, you can’t touch me. I’m like a spirit or something now.”

I sat back at my desk trying to wake up from whatever dream I was having.

“Amb, calm down I’m not here to stay. I just know after this trial your life is going to change dramatically and I’m not one to mess up a happy home so, I just had to see you one last time before I let you entirely go. Tell you that I love you. I think about you and Sata often, and the short while we were together meant more to me than anything in my entire life.”

I felt the stream of hot tears stream down my face. I knew what he meant by totally let me go. August was going to become a huge portion of my life and he would be buried in my memory somewhere.

 “I guess the best man really did win huh?” He joked.

I shook my head and smiled. “You meant a lot to me too. I am grateful for your time in my life as well. I don’t know how I would’ve got through that period without you.”

"I needed to hear that. And Mom out here writing books about her travels. " 

"Really?" I said excited. 

"Yeah. Google her. She was on Steve Harvey's show talking about it."

"Really?" I googled on my phone. Sure enough she was. 

"Oh Nate I wish there was more I could do." I broke down. 

“Hey, hey don’t cry on an account of me. I'm good Amb. I really am.  Something good came out of it. That's what matters. That doc was gonna walk out here and kill herself, but you stopped it.”

"Was she?"

"Yeah." He shook his head. "As long as good came out of it, my life meant something. That's what's important."

"Yeah, you're right." I wiped my eyes.

He handed me a tissue off my desk. "I didn’t come here to see you cry."

I wiped my eyes.

I came here for this.” He handed me a letter.

It was addressed to me from the Prison where my dad was.

“He told me to tell you to open it when you miss him most.”

“That’s every day.”

“No, he said you’ll know when.”

The door opened and Nate disappeared but the letter was still in my hand.

“So I’m going to talk to them tomorrow and I’ll let you know the date.” Dan said standing at the door.

“Ok.” I said putting the letter in my purse.

“Sorry I called you in.”

“No Dan it’s fine. This was important.” I got up getting ready to leave.

“God really never fails huh?” He smiled.

“No, he doesn’t.” I smiled back. “No he doesn’t.”  

AUGUST P.O.V. –

“How much can I get for this?” I asked.

The man behind the desk at the pawnshop looked at the Rolex Amb bought me.

Me and Sata had been looking at engagement rings all today. I had some money saved from working at the theater, but it wasn’t enough. Stac, Trav and even my mom and Cha said they would pitch in, but I said no. I wanted to get it on my own.

I saw one I really wanted. It wasn’t extremely big but it came from the heart. And I told myself I would upgrade it, once I got a better paying job.

  On top of that I read an article that said the more people spend on wedding rings, the higher the chances of divorce. The only way Amb leaving me is if one of us died, so that made me feel a little better.

The man told me a price and it was enough to get the one I wanted. Although I wanted that Rollie so bad, Amb was more important. I handed it to the man and he gave me some cash in return.

“Let’s go get Mommy ring Sata.” I kissed her cheek and walked out the store.