Rounding the corner, she finds the gardener watering a bed of impatiens. She slows to a walk and stands for a moment watching as he gently moves the hose from side to side over the brightly colored blossoms. There is a contagious serenity about him that casts a spell on Isabel.
Now she has to break that spell.
Alex. Her job at ANN. For the first time in a very long time Isabel is thinking about her future. And for the first time in a very long time, she does not dread it. Lark, Kristen, Ben, Melanie, Regina, Keisha, Sukanya: their faces flash through her brain and then blur. She turns and looks back at the unit and closes her eyes. She knows it is time to leave.
“Hey,” she calls out as she resumes her jog toward the gardener. She has never learned his name. Without turning around he answers her. She can tell by the sound of his voice that he is smiling. Is it her imagination or does he sense she is leaving?
“Wa-hey, my friend.”
“It’s my last day here,” Isabel says as she jogs in place, aware that it will force real conversation were she to stand still. She wants to keep this light. She wants to keep moving forward.
“Good news, good news.” the gardener nods. He glances in her direction, but his arm continues to wave the hose over the thirsty flowers.
“Well, I’ll see you, I guess,” says Isabel, unsure of how to say goodbye.
“I hope not, my friend. I sure hope not,” he answers as she turns to jog back toward the unit.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” she calls back to him, smiling to herself, knowing his answer.
“Ev’ry day’s a lovely day. Ev’ry day’s a lovely day.”