Sydney stepped out.
They locked eyes. The tension in the room thickened. The only expression Tachina could read was a calculated triumph flickering in Sydney’s eyes, and it made Tachina very suspicious of her. The woman was scheming. She moved over to the other sink and washed her hands.
“Shall we get back to lunch, dear? I still want to hear about your plans for the center.” Mrs. Green smiled andheld her arm out for Tachina. The woman was oblivious to the tension between Tachina and Sydney.
Tachina nodded, put her shoulders back and held her head high. She entwined her arm with hers and allowed her to guide her out of the restroom. She didn’t look at Sydney again.
She hated that Sydney knew the little secret that she and Vic shared. She should not be one of the first people to know. Maybe Tachina should have lied to Mrs. Green. She was not going to appear weak in front of her. She would not crumble here. She put on a smile and listened to Mrs. Green chat.
On the inside, she was spiraling. If Sydney was already trying to smear her name to Nancy Maxwell, what would she try to do next?
Vic jogged through the medical building’s hallway while loosening his tie with one hand. He checked his watch again, even though he knew he was late. He’d broken every speeding law that Ohio had in order to get here as soon as he could. He’d been on a Zoom meeting regarding the Houston project that had run over. No fault of his, but that explanation wouldn’t matter.
Not today.
He bit out a curse, trying to find his way. He spotted a door marked OB/GYN Maternal HealthAssociates and remembered that from Tachina’s text with the directions. He inhaled sharply and headed that way. A small trickle of sweat dribbled beneath his button-down shirt. He hated being late for anything, especially something as important as this appointment.
The waiting area was decorated with pastel colors on the walls and framed pictures of infants with chubby cheeks and families. A row of chairs lined the room. Almost each chair was taken as couples sat together. An occasional laugh broke the quietness.
His gaze landed on her.
Tachina sat alone with her legs crossed while a clipboard rested on her lap. Her dark hair was left free to fall at her chin and even looked as if it had been cut recently. She wasn’t gazing at her phone or the wall. She was staring off into space.
Relief hit him at the sight of her, but then he grew confused.
“You’re here,” he breathed. He took the seat next to her and inhaled. “I’m so sorry. The Houston meeting ran over?—”
“They’re running behind, so you’re good,” she said. A small smile appeared on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “They said it shouldn’t be too much longer.”
The way she spoke was calm yet felt flat. It had him swallowing hard. She didn’t appear to be angry.Just shut down.
“I know today is important and that damn meeting ran over?—”
“It’s okay. Appointments get pushed back all the time,” she interrupted him. She couldn’t have been listening to him. Or maybe she was and didn’t care.
He apologized again. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded once.
He tried to take her hand and entwined their fingers together. He had missed her. She eased her hand back to collect a pen from her bag as if she needed it at that moment. She set it down.
He didn’t miss the dodge. He also didn’t know how to respond.
They sat in silence while other couples chatted. A woman leaned her head on her partner’s shoulder while he rubbed her back. A young lady at the desk called out names one by one. The room was starting to empty out a bit.
Tachina continued to stare straight ahead, not saying a word.
“Are you okay?” He cleared his throat. “You look tired. You didn’t answer when I called you last night.”
“I told you I was tired.” She had only responded with a brief text after not answering him. “Kian and I fell asleep early.”
“He’s okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Are you mad at me?” He needed to figure outwhat the hell was going on. She was not acting like herself, and this had him worried.
“No.”