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living their lives, while mine disintegrated into dust. Dust. That’s what I felt like, as if the wind could pick me up and lift me away. Away from my present and my past. As I let loose my own disappointments, I went back to work in silence. My mind went back to Michelle and the possibility of her being a mother. “Lord, let your will be done in Michelle’s life,” I said to myself, as I wiped away all my hopes and dreams from my eyes. If only someone had intervened on my behalf. If only Taylor had been a snitch, it would’ve changed the course of my life. It seems to me that my destiny was sealed the day I was born to Mrs. Gabrielle Lauren Carter, because my mother didn’t take any mess; none at all. I mean me and my sister were expected to walk a chalk line. There wasn’t much room for mistakes, not in our sanctified house. Mother just wasn’t trying to hear it. I’m not blaming her for my cover-ups, but I’m just saying she sure didn’t make mistakes easy to live with.
    I picked up my cell phone to end this wondering once and for all. I still had Sister Harris’s number because she and I worked on an outreach project together a few months ago. I wanted to stop Michelle from making a bigger mistake than she’d probably already made. I had to call her parents and tell them what I saw. Despite the fact that they were clergy of the church, and despite the fact that I didn’t know them very well, I was going to tell them their daughter might be pregnant. I pressed the button for contacts, then pressed the letter H for the Harrises’ house and waited for someone to answer.

Chapter Six
    Unfortunately, just as Sister Harris picked up the phone and I was ready to tell her everything I knew, I heard Marisol’s voice. “Can I get the transcript for a Morris Johnson, please?” Marisol leaned against my beige, formica desk.
    My heart almost stopped as I clicked the END button on my cell phone. I hated to hang up on Sister Harris, but duty called, and I couldn’t risk Marisol overhearing anything. How Marisol managed to sneak into my cubicle without me hearing her coming was a mystery to me. If she weren’t my friend, I’d think she was spying on me.
    â€œOh, I’m sorry,” Marisol said. “I didn’t know you were on the phone.”
    â€œNo problem. I’ll make that call later.” I immediately stood up and started rummaging through the beige file cabinet. “Whose file do you need?”
    I glanced over at the pile of files stacked high in my in-box.“Morris Johnson. He is a recent graduate.”
    â€œYes, I remember him. Short? Bald?”
    â€œYep, that’s him.” Marisol threw her head back, laughing hysterically.
    I didn’t have time for Marisol’s sense of humor. I had things on my mind, too many things. “I’ll have it ready for you in a few minutes.”
    â€œGood, because he’s sitting in the lobby waiting for it.”
    â€œHere you go.” I handed the file to her and sat back into my chair. “Now I’ll just do a printout of everything else.”
    Marisol took the papers from my hand and began to look through them, one at a time. “Okay, this is interesting.”
    â€œWhat is?” I never looked up from the computer.
    â€œThat he’s from the west coast, South Beach.”
    â€œWhat’s so interesting about that?”
    â€œI never knew anyone from California. How about you?”
    â€œI did once.” The memory made me uncomfortable. Ahmad had been the sweetest talking thing from the West Coast. I drank in everything he was dishing out, right or wrong. I thought he was the one. He was the one all right, the one to help me destroy my future. Mama told me not to get involved with his trifling behind, but I didn’t listen. I thought I was too independent, too foolish, really. It took years for me to get over him. I hadn’t yet gotten