anything else

Asa was listening. It sounded like a foreign language from Audrey's mouth about everything going on in Tech. She talked about Henry. How he'd learned a lot from Mildred who was in the hospital.

Kayla reminded him. "You are in charge, you know?" He was left in charge.

Still it was overwhelming, as he stared at both of them. It was as if he was about to choke. He didn't even eat lunch, and he was starting to feel it. Maybe it was an ulcer.

His cell buzzed. He took a look. It was Camille.

"Look, I have to take this." Asa sighed. "But, I promise. I'll call personnel. Tell them the situation. If you could handle Tech. I'd ..I'd be ever so grateful." Asa looked at Audrey. "You put in as many hours as you need. I hope I can get you on full time."

Audrey, of course, was ecstatic. She gave him the biggest hug before he could get to his phone call.

"What did she do this time?" It was a different story with Camille. Usually, she called to complain about Josie. He knew he had way too much going on. Maybe he didn't even deserve to be a father to a newborn. But he wanted his own family and as far off and whacky as it got, this was what he wanted. He wouldn't run away from it.

"No, I'm just calling you," Camille said.

Asa winced wanting to ask why. He was doing his best to get to his desk so he could at least sit for a moment.

"Well, I'm a little busy at the moment. Josie's keeping that job at the campus coffee shop." Asa wasn't sure if anyone had told Camille. He and Josie never spoke much about her mother, but Josie seemed to be happy, as of late.

"Oh, is she?" Camille sounded as if she didn't know.

"Maybe, you should talk to Josie." Asa thought that would clear this up.

"But she won't talk to me." Camille told him.

"I'll try to talk to her about that." Asa knew there was always something he wasn't doing. Yet, he kept going. He knew he was no super-hero.

"But how are you? You sound tired." Camille sounded so concerned. Asa almost laughed.

"Do I?" He hadn't even thought about being tired. "I didn't know." His left eye flinched then. He didn't even know if he could dare look at the computer screen.

"Look, I'm coming back early. In a few days." Camille sounded OK about it.

"Why's that?" Asa couldn't help but ask. Was she afraid he couldn't handle Josie, or anything else?

"It just feels so wrong being here. I should have never left. Sometimes, I dunno what I'm doing. I'm sorry." Camille sounded as if she might be sad.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about." Asa winced, trying to remember he must call personnel about Audrey before he forgot.

"I do want to help you. I do. Please, just let me help." Her words sounded more like an open wound than anything else. Asa guessed he couldn't stop her.

"OK." He wrote down the information when she was getting in from her flight. He supposed he'd have to pick her up at the airport.