Just Love Me

Chapter 3: Work Wine & Woes

Chapter 3

"And I can't keep waiting, I need comfort late at night" Beyoncé - Scared of Lonely

         I scanned through the article outlining health concerns currently effecting teenagers. Taking a quick glance I saw 30% of teenage girls are blah more likely and 45% of teenage boys are blah less likely. All the statistics made my head hurt. I still didn't like math; it's funny how things from your past can come back.

       My work as a nutritional advisor for a community wellness center was oddly fulfilling. Giving clients advice on nutrition, tips to cut calories and making brochures, so that the community has access to important nutritional information can get boring. But I loved my job. The part I love best was reaching out to the community. I loved seeing the teenage girls come here and advising them in anyway I could.

"Hey honey, I hope I'm not disturbing you," Dr. Robinson said as she opened my door. She stepped into my office and took a seat in the chair in front of my desk. Her presence alone made me smile. My godmother, Dr. Robinson, was like a second mother to me.

"Nope. What's up?"

"You remember the center is holding a women's wellness conference," I nodded and she continued. "I want you to find some women physician's, like myself, that can come and speak. We also have a new physician starting early next month. I'm putting the word out now because I already know how my staff is."

"Not me. I'm the nicest one," I said, defending myself. The staff here is known for being harder on newcomers but I never engage in it. Harassment lawsuits were real. The last thing my ass needed was trouble with the law.

"I know you are. But I have to give you the same message I give your colleagues. I can't treat you any differently just because you're my baby." I rolled my eyes because Dr. Robinson did treat me differently, but you'd never catch me complaining about it. "Anyway I think that's it. Oh wait, I remember. Tell Tay to come pick up that painting she has at my house. It's taking up all kinds of space." I laughed while listening to her fuss. My best friend, Taylor, was an eccentric woman- always dying her hair a different color, and a lover of all things art related. She called herself the 'ultimate artist' because she acts, draws, writes, sings, dances, sews, knits, designs and everything in between.

"Alright auntie, I'll tell her. Calm down." Dr. Robinson narrowed her eyes at me and stood up.

"It's a shame when I have to go through my goddaughter--"

"To talk to your biological daughter. I know." She said that at least once a week.

When she left my office, I took out a notepad, two Tylenols and a bottle of water from my purse. I pulled the article back up to my main screen and swallowed the Tylenol followed by a chug of water.

*            *             *

       I got in my car and took my heels off, replacing them with my flats. Although I loved my job, sometimes it got crazy, especially when a bunch of walk ins came in trying to get any and everything. I was only the nutritional advisor but teenage girls from the high school would occasionally stop by my office to chat or ask me questions.

       Even though it wasn't in my job description, I loved talking to the teens the most. Usually one or two young ladies would stop in; today five different ladies came to have some pretty heavy talks. Which was the reason I didn't leave work until 5:30pm when I was usually out by 5.

         A junior came to my office today and told me how she just found out she was pregnant. She was a bright young girl, all A's and in a ton of school clubs- so I was shocked about the baby situation. I couldn't imagine being in her shoes, I knew I wasn't near ready for a baby at 22 and that poor child was 17.