Chapter 11

11

I t didn't take long for Destiny to reach her apartment and just as she hoped, the shower cleaned both her physical and mental grime away. What she really wanted next was a quick nap, but she knew there was no way she'd fall asleep. Instead, she called Monica and gave her instructions for the morning and explained she'd be in later. Then Destiny got back in her truck and sent a text.

Where are you?

Moments later her phone beeped.

The nursery.

Destiny quickly replied.

Wait for me. I'll be right there.

The one person she felt like she could share this bizarre story with was Mark. They had worked together for several years and he had remained her friend through the breakup. He knew parts of Faith's past and had similar experiences with inattentive parents growing up.

As she drove to the nursery, Destiny sighed. "What a fucking night," she murmured.

The same thought kept running through her head. How could she think I would do that?

"Not good enough." Destiny hit the steering wheel with her hand. Faith had explained her fears then dropped that bomb about not being good enough for Destiny.

"What bullshit," she said a little louder. Then she sighed and felt the exhaustion wrap around her like Faith's hoodie. Only this wasn't the sweet feeling of a hug.

Gloria must have really wanted to win that project, Destiny thought, but she had to also be a despicable person to go about it that way. Destiny would see Gloria one of these days and she intended to get answers then.

Destiny pulled into the parking lot and saw Mark sitting on the tailgate of his truck waiting for her.

"You aren't trying to get me in trouble with my boss, are you?" he teased as Destiny walked up.

"I'm sure your boss would be fine with me talking to you today." She sat next to him and swung her legs.

"Oh yeah? She didn't come in this morning which is unusual," Mark said.

"She was with me."

It was almost comical the way Mark's eyebrows flew up his forehead. "Oh really?"

Destiny nodded. She told him the story of how they ended up trapped in the little shack all night.

"Damn!" he exclaimed. "I hope you'll let the big boss know. That's dangerous."

"Yeah," Destiny said. "The handler apologized and explained the changes he would make."

"So?" Mark inquired.

Destiny smiled. "Do you remember when we were working for the Galloways and you were on Kyle's crew?"

Mark nodded.

"Who ran things after he left?"

"Well, Mr. Galloway lined us out in the morning and we did our jobs." He shrugged.

"No one tried to take over or anything?"

Mark gave her a puzzled look. "Gloria was always trying to run things, but no one paid her much mind. They just did their jobs. I quit and went to work with Faith right after Kyle left. I'm sure she ended up with the crew."

"You'll never guess what she did," Destiny said.

"Oh, I don't know," Mark said, raising an eyebrow. "That woman has a mean streak."

Destiny reminded him of the doctor's office and the three flower beds at the job.

"Gloria got the hoodie out of my truck one day and wore it to destroy the flower bed Faith's crew had created at the doctor's office," Destiny said.

"She what?"

"Yeah," Destiny said. "That was a special hoodie because it was Faith's and she knew how much I liked to wear it. Anyway, she videoed herself, in the hoodie, digging up the plants and moving them to the bed my crew had planted. Then she sent the video to Faith?—"

Mark gasped. "No fucking way! Faith thought it was you!"

Destiny nodded. "Yep."

"Oh my God," Mark said. "That fucking bitch! I knew she was no good."

"I guess she really wanted to win that project," Destiny said.

"Oh, Des. I'm so sorry."

"That's just the beginning." Destiny sighed. "Faith thought it was me and chose not to tell me or discuss it with me. She simply moved out and wouldn't talk to me."

"Why?" Mark asked. "You would never do anything like that, especially to her."

Destiny nodded and sighed. "That video looks like me, Mark. I couldn't believe it."

"But still."

"I know. She said it didn't really matter what I said. A guilty person would deny it and if I admitted it, her heart was going to be broken either way," Destiny explained, her voice catching.

"Fuck," Mark muttered.

They both sat and swung their legs for a moment, letting the despair of it all hang in the air.

"This is so fucked up," Mark said. "Does she know now that it wasn't you?"

Destiny nodded. "We figured out it was Gloria, but that doesn't make the hurt go away," she said. "How could she think I'd do something like that?"

"I'm sure she didn't want to believe it, but folks have been hurting her most of her life," Mark said. "But if she'd just said something."

"That's what I thought, too, but I'm not sure she could believe it then," Destiny replied. "It's made me take a look at myself."

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked. "It was Faith's messed up past, not you."

"Maybe things weren't as great for us as it seemed," Destiny said. "If something like this could happen, maybe our love wasn't as strong as we thought."

"Then doesn't that mean you have a chance to make it stronger?"

Destiny looked over at him and smiled. "Maybe… But…"

"But?" Mark asked.

"How do I take that chance?" Destiny shook her head. "When Faith left me before, it was all I could do to get out of bed. I went to work because I didn't have to think about her. I could lay out flower beds, plant shrubs, and work up bids. My head was full of work stuff and had no room for anything else. At night, I was so tired that all I could do was shower and fall into bed exhausted."

"I know someone else who did the exact same thing," Mark said.

Destiny nodded. "You know Faith said it means something that neither one of us has dated anyone in all this time."

"Maybe it means you weren't supposed to get over each other," Mark suggested.

"Maybe," Destiny said. "I just don't know if I'm strong enough."

"Strong enough," Mark scoffed. "You are stronger and more sure of yourself than anyone I know."

"Yeah, I was until I got trapped in a shack with Faith last night," Destiny said. "It's making me question my strength."

"It isn't making you question your love though."

Destiny smiled. "I know we still love each other. We could both feel it. I wonder if we can use that love, make it stronger, and recapture our relationship."

"That sounds like your next project," Mark said with a smile.

"We're going to join forces on the business complex bid," Destiny said. "The company evaluating the bids won't take small landscapers like us seriously, so if we team up surely they'll take notice. No one is more creative in coming up with an eye-catching design than Faith."

"And no one can make it happen better than you," Mark said. "Faith has some crazy ideas and you're the only one who could make them work."

Destiny looked over at him and chuckled. "She's been doing okay without me for the past three years."

"Oh no she hasn't. Her designs are nothing like what y'all did together. She needs you to make what's in her head work at the site."

"We were a good team," Destiny said.

"Don't let fear stop you from taking this chance, Des," Mark said. "Just imagine what a life you two could have."

Destiny smiled and nodded. "I imagined it once before, but look at how that worked out."

"That wasn't entirely y'all's fault," Mark said.

"I thought we were doing great before. I'm not sure how to make us stronger."

"Maybe you're supposed to figure that out together," Mark replied.

"We're supposed to go over our notes this afternoon and begin working up the bid," Destiny said.

"Good," Mark said. "I'm sure you both needed a minute to process all this."

Destiny sighed. "I still can't believe it."

"It's crazy when you think about it, but hey, you and Faith are worth it," Mark said. "You never gave up before, why would you now?"

Destiny nodded. "Thanks, friend. I'll be seeing more of you if we win this bid."

"Then get to work," Mark said, hopping off the tailgate.

Destiny chuckled. "Yes, sir."

The morning seemed to go by in slow motion. Destiny went by to check on each of her crews before going to the office. Luckily, Monica was at lunch so Destiny didn't have to go through the story again. She would tell Monica eventually, but what she really wanted now was to go home and take a nap. The loss of sleep combined with the emotional turmoil had caught up with her.

Destiny had promised to meet with Faith that afternoon, but she had to get some rest first. She texted Faith and asked her if they could meet at the end of the day and Faith readily agreed.

"Perfect," Destiny mumbled as she got back in her truck. She would take a nap then go over her notes before she went to Faith's. She was confident they could come up with a plan that was better than the other landscape developers, but she wasn't sure they could do it at a cheaper price plus make a profit for their companies. It was such a fine balance.

Destiny's route to her apartment took her near the retirement home. She smiled thinking about Mrs. Baker. Destiny often went by around lunchtime because she knew Mrs. Baker liked to sit outside on a bench in one of the small flower gardens after she'd eaten.

She may be tired, but it wouldn't take a minute to stop by and say hello to the older woman. Destiny didn't know how many times she'd gone by the retirement home when she was having a bad day and Mrs. Baker always made her smile. After she and Faith broke up, Mrs. Baker made sure Destiny knew whenever Faith had been by and that she was just as unhappy as she was.

Destiny pulled through the front gate and drove around to the garden nearest the dining hall. Sure enough there was Mrs. Baker soaking up the sun. Destiny parked and smiled as she walked up to her.

"It's my lucky day," Mrs. Baker said. "Look who's here."

"I'm the lucky one," Destiny said, sitting down next to her.

"Honey, no offense, but you look tired."

Destiny chuckled. "I am headed home for a nap. I was up all night."

Mrs. Baker raised her eyebrows in question. "I hope you were out with a certain friend of ours."

Destiny laughed. "I was."

A big smile lit up Mrs. Baker's face. "You know how much I care for you and Faith."

"I do."

"I also know that you two are more than friends," Mrs. Baker added. "I may be ninety and my eyesight isn't what it once was, but I can see love and you and Faith are in love whether you want to admit it or not."

Destiny smiled. "I do love Faith, but a lot has happened."

"I've known y'all for over four years now and you've been in love the entire time. Even though you weren't speaking to one another, the love was still there. I saw it."

Destiny nodded, knowing the woman's words were true.

"It seems to me that no matter what's happened, as long as you have love then you have a start," Mrs. Baker said. "I've been around a lot longer than you. Your love for each other can withstand anything. I've seen it."

Destiny smiled. "We'll see."

"Come here, let me show you something," Mrs. Baker said, slowly getting up with the help of her cane.

Destiny followed her over to a section of the flower bed that was bathed in sunlight.

"Look at these two plants," Mrs. Baker said. "The sun zaps them and these pretty little pink flowers fold up to nothing. Then when the sun goes behind the building the flowers open up and smile at me like a friend."

"Those are wood sorrel. That's why we planted them there. They can withstand the sun and still be beautiful," Destiny said.

"They remind me of you, Faith, and your love. It may have gone through some hard times, but it's not done. It's ready to smile again."

Destiny smiled. If only it was that easy, she thought.