Eleven

KELILAH’S POV

I reached into my bag and dialed Faith’s number. She picked up on the first ring.

“I’ve been waiting for your call”, she said.

“I’m sorry. I had a lot to do and there was no time”

“I’m upset with you” 

“And I’m sorry babe. Let’s do for dinner?” , I suggested.

“Where ever you wish. Bills on me” 

“Okay, fine. I will text you the venue. Bye”, she said.

“Bye”. I said with a smile as she hung the call.

With that call done, I decided to reach out to Loveth. I dialed her number, but she didn’t pick up. I tried again—still nothing. She must be swamped at work, maybe too busy to check her phone.

Tucking my phone back into my bag, I decided to drop by Nathan’s place. Loveth’s situation weighed on me, and I was determined to do something to help her. When I arrived, I found the front door locked. Nathan must still be at the office, I thought, turning back and heading there instead. 

When I arrived at the office, Miranda, his wife, was standing at the door.

“Princess...?” she greeted me with a kind smile, not knowing who in particular I was.

“Good evening, Miranda. It’s Kelilah,” I clarified with a nod.

“Oh, thanks for clearing that up! How are you doing?” she asked warmly.

“Stressed, but I’m good,” I replied.

"And your family? How are they handling the selection?" she asked, her tone shifting.

"That’s actually why I’m here," I admitted, glancing away.

She frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"I wanted to speak to Nathan," I said.

Miranda’s face fell. "Nathan left a few minutes ago for a meeting."

"Okay then," I nodded, disappointment setting in. "I’ll come back another time."

She looked at me with concern. "Are you sure everything’s okay, child?"

"Yes, Miranda. I’ll be on my way now." I waved and walked away.

I let out a frustrated sigh.. 

If only I had come earlier. I should have come a bit earlier. Maybe during lunch tomorrow I could come and see him. But for the meantime, I decided to go home and take a quick shower. As it was almost time for my dinner with Faith..

When I got home, Mom was still out, but Dad was sitting outside, lost in thought, a deep frown on his face.

"Dad," I called softly, but he didn’t respond.

"Dad," I said again, waving a hand in front of his face.

He finally looked up. "Kelilah. You’re back."

"Yes. Is something bothering you?"

He sighed heavily. "It’s the selection. I wish there was something I could do. I don’t want to send anyone away."

"And you won’t have to," I said, trying to reassure him.

He gave me a stern look. "Don’t do anything rash, Kelilah."

"I won’t, Dad," I replied, heading inside to get ready for dinner. I changed into a simple dress, hoping to shake off the weight of the day.

 Dad was not outside when I came out again, and mom was still not back. So I decided to quickly drop by Loveth's office to check up on her. Her office was getting dark already and Loveth was In the dark.

“Loveth” I called out to her as she kissed my cheek. 

“I called you”. I said 

“Sorry. There has been a lot of work to do since this morning. My phone has been on silent”.

“Okay, that fine. I’m having dinner with Faith this evening. As a matter of fact, that's where I'm heading to”.

“Okay. I will be closing up soon. My feet is killing me already”, she complained with a sudden frown on her face. 

“I will see you at home then” I kissed her cheek and left the office. 

After checking the time, I quickly left to meet Faith. She’d picked a crowded spot, and I had to search for her, only to find her in a heated exchange with one of the employees.

"Faith," I called as I approached. She paused her tirade to look at me.

"What’s going on?" I asked, glancing between the two.

"This little idiot asked me to vacate my table," she huffed.

I looked to the waitress, who seemed embarrassed. "For what?"

"She wasn’t ordering, and we have a lot of customers who want to order," the waitress muttered defensively.

"I told you I was waiting for my friend to show up before ordering," Faith snapped.

Before I could say anything, another woman—probably the manager—intervened, demanding to know what was going on.

“What's going on here?”, she asked.

“Ask your ducking employee” Faith said and returned to the table, why I followed her and took the seat across. Why she shot me an exasperated look.

"You need to calm down," I said gently.

Normally, I’d have backed her up, but I was too exhausted to get into any arguments tonight.

The manager came over, apologizing profusely. "I’m so sorry, my princess. My employee didn’t mean to be rude—she’s new here."

"It’s fine. Can we order now?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied, shooting her employee a glare that made her disappear from the scene in record time.

"I’ll have whatever you’re having. I’m too pissed to read the menu," Faith grumbled.

"We’ll have today’s specials," I told the manager, handing back the menu.

After she left, Faith let out a groan. "I hate this place."

"You say that every time, but you’re the one who picked it," I replied, stifling a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to rub it in. There’s a new diner opening tomorrow—let’s try that next time."

"Sure," I nodded. "Juliet and Helen mentioned wanting an outing too. Maybe we could all go together?"

"Good idea. Tomorrow it is," she said, finally looking a little more relaxed.

Our food arrived, and we talked as we ate, covering everything from work drama to the looming selection.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Faith asked after I explained Loveth’s situation.

"I’m hoping Nathan can help. If not, I’ll think of something. I won’t let them take Loveth," I replied, determination burning in my voice.

Faith nodded. "I’ll help however I can."

I smiled, grateful for her unwavering support. It was one of the reasons I valued her so much.

After dinner, we strolled around for a bit, chatting and laughing. But I needed to sleep. I was barely keeping my eyes open as it was, and tomorrow would be another busy day.

Loveth’s office would have closed by now, so I went straight home. When I arrived, Mom was in the living room, waiting for me.

"How’s my beautiful girl doing?" she asked, kissing my forehead.

"I’m exhausted," I groaned, slumping down beside her.

"Did your boss give you a hard time?"

"He did. I didn’t even get lunch," I admitted.

"“My poor girl. You should go and have some rest. I don’t want you getting bags under your eyes or losing weight”, she said caressing my cheek. She couldn't tell me to quit my job, because we have been on that topic for a long time now, but I just wasn't buying it at all.

"Is Loveth back?" I asked.

"Yes, she’s in her room."

"Goodnight, Mom. I love you." I kissed her head and went to my room, but as I passed by Loveth’s door, I heard faint sniffles.

"Loveth," I knocked softly. No answer, just more sniffles.

"Loveth," I tried again, knocking harder.

"Go away," she finally replied, her voice choked with tears.

I hesitated, wanting to comfort her, but Dad appeared in his doorway.

"Let her be, Kelilah," he said gently.

"But..."

"Go to bed," he insisted.

I glanced back at her door, worry tugging at me, but finally nodded and went to my room. I slipped under the covers, still thinking of Loveth. I couldn’t bear to see her like this. I had to find a way to help her out of this mess. But as I lay there, the exhaustion finally took over, and sleep claimed me.