OUR MOON HAS STRINGS

hospital chart. Minimal time for lunch breaks, rest and certainly zero tolerance for distraction

n most days, Valery did not have the strength to cook, so she ordered takeout from her favourite restaur

lip as she read it. Nearly a week had passed, and she was still adamant about replying to Derrick's text. Years ago, she promised not to

d places the device on the floor. Her eyes fall on the television, mind circling in a

ne r

r hand lazily searches the ground for her phone. She plas

el

d pick up when you refus

er and nearly cusses. "Um, I'm sorry about that. I got

a lot of good to let go of it. Have dinner with me, Violet," Derrick said. Valery paces herself,

's have dinne

you up tonig

ght. I will drive so you can

d," Derrick chuckled at the end of the line. He could tell she was sm

l in a hurry. It did not feel right

reason for her showing up nearly two hours late. Too many what-ifs and whys rumb

me at that time. What do you do, where do you live... are you seeing anyone? At least, that's wha

lost in the city since his return to Ghana. "I had to ask the locals for help, which was another trouble. You can imagi

u do?" Valery did th

to do, to run the

n Group Of

the one." D

acer? You hated the idea of working for you

imes life happens, and you see that you're right where you must be. My fathe

to still his hand. Her way of sympathizing with him. The Derri

in Derrick's company a while longer. She never imagined missing his conversation

lse to stretch, to get the f

Friday." Derrick raise

alery pulled back her seat, refusi

o the idea. But dancing was only one of the things they

it out of the sweaty crowd, Derrick w

ified, struggling to get her k

ress, and I'll order you an Uber." Derrick helped her out of th

She looks up at the familiar voice, and something breaks inside her. "After all these years, you

ld cross again." His palm lingered on her face. The noise outside could not suppress the heavy mom

ted to do. Valery did not fight it. She looks at him, muttering words unde

s of his shirt, accepting another man's tongue as h