In the last few months of her pregnancy, she’d taken to avoiding contact whenever she could. She knew that her mother would never understand the bargain Amara had made, no matter how important it was to her. As for her coworkers and compatriots, she knew they’d never be able to respect the sacrifice she’d made — and it was for the best, as far as she was concerned.
There was a quick rapping at the door. It swung open and Kari breezed into her room, a much-needed breath of fresh air. She smelled of paint, turpentine and rain.
“Hey there!” Under her arm, she clutched a large cardboard box. “I got back as fast as I could. It’s storming like crazy out there. I brought you some stuff.” Her eyes darted around the room before she spied the food tray and smiled widely. “There we go.”
She placed the box on the tray and pulled out a smaller box. “Okay, here’s the big one. An essential oil diffuser! My yoga instructor uses this exact kind all the time in our class.”
She hurriedly unboxed it, her excitement making Amara smile for the first time, it seemed, since she’d gone into labor.
Kari quickly had everything set up. “I got patchouli, which helps to balance mood, lavender to calm and soothe, and orange to uplift and energize you.” She turned to Amara after switching it on with an expectant smile.
Amara inhaled deeply. She could still smell the slight scent of disinfectant under the prettier scents, but it was a huge improvement. “Lovely. Thanks, Kari. You always know how to cheer me up.”
It was exactly like Kari to think of something like this. Her grin grew wider with the thought of Kari telling her that her chakras weren’t in alignment or something. She was a wonderfully eccentric woman, and they’d always complemented each other.
Kari nodded eagerly. “Yep! That’s why I’m here. I know it’s a rough time, but you can count on me, just like I know I can count on you. That’s what best friends are for, right?”
She bustled back over to the box and pulled out a large, irregularly shaped, fluorite crystal on a gold chain. Fluorite had always been Amara’s favorite stone, humble and common as it was. “And a healing necklace, too. I made it myself.”
“It’s wonderful. Thank you.”
Kari brought it over and slipped the necklace over Amara’s head, placing the crystal beneath her collarbones. The golden thread spiraled around the crystal, terminating in a small healing symbol. Amara was never into Kari’s hodgepodge spiritualism, but it was still a wonderful, heartfelt gift.
Kari bounced on her toes, giving a quick motion of her head back toward the box. “The only other thing left in there is a gift certificate for a big day out at the Tranquility’s Abode spa for the two of us. It’s been way too long since we’ve done something like that, and I thought you could use a little pampering
after all you’ve been through, you know?”
Amara’s hand came up, fingers lightly trailing over the crystal as she nodded. “Yeah … I could use something like that, I think. It might be a little while until I’m ready to go, but it will give me something to look forward to after … after … you know.”
Kari eased herself down into the chair beside the bed where Raneesha had been sitting. “No problem, sister. I’ve got you. Anything you need. I talked to Jaslene, and she said she’ll come back later tonight to give your mom a chance to go home and get some rest. Between all of us, we’ve got you’ve covered.”
Amara’s throat tightened.
Kari patted her hand and rushed on. “There’s something else for you to look forward to, by the way. They announced the winner of the Carrington Award yesterday. Congratulations, friend. You won.”
“I did? Holy crap. I never imagined …”
“It’s true. Everyone’s talking about it at school. This is the biggest award for the university in a long time. You’re the toast of the campus. The dean is probably already printing out notices to the alumni along with donation forms.”
Amara smiled weakly. “Probably. The guy never misses a fund-raising opportunity.”
And neither did Quint, Amara thought. She knew he was the one who’d nominated her for the prestigious award and had campaigned for her with all the Carrington Board members.
The Carrington Award was given out annually for scientific advances which led to a significant contribution in the service of humanity. Amara could hardly believe she’d won. It was an honor that was usually only awarded to older researchers after a lifetime of work, and never before to someone in the agricultural sciences.
In many ways, she knew, Quint had earned this award for his ceaseless efforts on her behalf.
“And so you know,” Kari added, “Frederik is raising holy hell everywhere he goes because he wasn’t named as a partner in the award. He’s now claiming that he was responsible for what you did.”
“Of course he is,” Amara said. “Please tell me no one’s listening to him.”
“Oh, they’re listening to him, and then they’re snickering behind his back. He’s a joke after all the lies he spread about your work, and no one’s forgetting it. Anyway, good for you, Amara. You deserve this award. And I get the cachet of being your best friend, so that’s cool, too.”
“It’s been a crazy few days, huh?” Amara checked her phone. Still silent. Where was Quint?
“Hey, you,” Kari said. “I want you to know how proud I am to be your friend. You’re really amazing and strong and smart and everything I wish I were.”
“Kari, you’re all those things —”