“No, Ashley, I’m not okay,” Spencer snapped.  “What was that?”

“What do you mean?” Ashley asked, surprised. “I was helping you.”

“No, you just made things worse,” Spencer said, shaking her head.

“How?  She was clearly bothering you.  What was I supposed to do?  Ignore it?”

“Yes,” Spencer said exasperated.  “That’s exactly what you were supposed to do.  You don’t understand.  That  was my ex-wife.  That  was Carmen.  Sammy’s mother.  You had no right to butt in like you did.  Now, I have another mess I have to clean up.”

 “I wasn’t trying to make things difficult for you,” Ashley said.  “I was only trying to help.”

“Well, stop,” Spencer nearly yelled, standing up to face her boss. “Stop trying to be helpful.  You’re making me a nervous wreck just by being here.   I can’t take it anymore.  I have enough to worry about; I can’t keep constantly watching what I say and do in front of you.”

“I never asked you to do that.”

“You didn’t have to Ashley.  You’re my boss. We have a work relationship.  I can’t just break down and cry in front of you.  Don’t you understand how uncomfortable this is for me?”

Ashley looked away, her eyes falling on one of the colorful paintings lining the waiting room wall.  She turned back after a long silence, her face emotionless. “The only reason I was here is I thought you could use the support.  I thought I was making it easier for you, but clearly I was wrong.  Since you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.” Ashley turned to walk away but stoped to add, “I hope Sammy’s gets well .”  

Spencer watched as her boss left the waiting room.  Was this what people meant when they talked about being too honest?  Once she had started telling Ashley how she felt, it was like a leaky faucet; she couldn’t stop.  But now she felt regret tugging at her.  What she said was true.  Ashley was making her more nervous, more anxious, by being here. But to lash out at her like that was pretty much a slap in the face to her kindness.  She couldn’t let Ashley leave like this.

Spencer jumped up from her seat and raced out of the waiting room.  Ashley was still waiting by the elevator at the end of the corridor.

“Ashley, wait,” she called out to her.  But whether her boss didn’t hear her or ignored her, she didn’t know.  Ashley stepped onto the elevator, never looking up once, and was gone.