Page 29 of Written By a Woman

While Salma played with her son and tried to calm him down enough to leave, Signe stepped closer to where I was standing, crossing her arms over her chest as she addressed me, “Your nephew is the cutest.”

“He is,” I agreed, shoving my hands in my slacks attempting to look casual in her presence.

“I want to eat him.”

I raised my eyebrows at her, a smirk tugging at the edges of my lips, “I think Salma might have an issue with that.”

Signe turned back to my sister, who was currently munching on Zeki’s chubby cheeks right where his dimple popped, and making him giggle, “…Would she?” Signe asked with a laugh and tilt of her head. I found myself staring at Signe’s ample backside for a moment, because those jeans that she wore always drew my eye there, but I quickly lifted my gaze to my sister and scolded myself for being a jackass in the workplace.

“I’m willing to share,” Salma laughed after nibbling on her son’s cheeks one last time and settling him on her hip, “If you ever want to babysit, that wouldn’t suck.”

“I would love that,” Signe responded, her eyes wide as if she genuinely would love nothing more than to babysit my nephew.

“Wait, really?” My sister got visibly excited, “That would be great! We never go out anymore because finding a babysitter is so tough.”

“I’d really love to! Here, let me give you my number,” Signe replied. Both women pulled their phones out while I frowned at my sister.

“I can babysit, too.”

“You’re too busy,” Salma shook her head at me as she thumbed Signe’s number into her device. Something darkened my mood a little at her words. She made it sound like I didn’t have time for family, which wasn’t exactly…wrong. How many times did I show up late to dinner? How many times did I blow off drinks with Ben and my father when they closed the restaurant because work got in the way?

I knew I was busy when I was a developer before I was promoted to CTO.

But I was never so busy that I couldn’t make time for family.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t heard anything from Brandon since I emailed him that list of possible replacements for me.

I studied Signe as she and my sister chatted some more about babysitting. Signe pocketed her phone and brushed her dark red hair behind her shoulders, going as far as to tuck some loose strands behind her ears. How confidently she became friends with both my sister and Zeki. I briefly pictured a future with Signe as part of the family, standing there in the middle of the office with them. How Signe would finish writing on her laptop at the end of the day and run over to my mother’s house to help prepare family dinner. I could see Signe chasing little Zeki around my parent’s island, giving my sister and her husband a break while they focused on fun adult tasks like cooking.

I thought about how in that scenario, I would still be arriving late to the dinner party as CTO.

I caught myself frowning and I corrected my expression before anybody noticed it.

I didn’t want to keep being too busy. I wanted to show up on time. I wanted Salma to feel comfortable asking me to babysit whenever she needed. I wanted to show up at my dad’s restaurant and grab lunch with him more often. I definitely wanted to be present at my parent’s house when dinner was being made, not just when the food had gone cold. Maybe even watch a game with Ben or introduce little Zeki to the newest superhero movies coming out. I wanted to be part of the casual dinners, especially if I was considering bringing Signe home to meet my parents.

I…needed to really think about that.

“Say goodbye to Miss Signe!” Salma cooed, making me blink out of my spiraling thoughts as Signe leaned in to squeeze Zeki before saying goodbye.

“Bye!” Zeki shyly waved after his hug and snuggled into his mom’s side before we all walked Salma and Zeki toward the elevators. Signe and I stopped next to her desk, and it wasn’t until my sister and nephew disappeared behind the closing elevator doors that Signe turned and lifted a dark red eyebrow at me.

“What?” I asked.

“She called me Signe,” she sounded accusatory, though the upturned curve of her lips let me know she wasn’t upset about it.

I nodded once, not quite following.

“When she first got here, I introduced myself,” Signe explained, tapping the employee badge she wore on her hip that had her company picture and name printed, “And even after I said my name, she called me Sig-nee.” She lifted a shoulder and she casually walked around to her seat at her desk, “Which is normal. It didn’t bother me at all, because that’s what it’s like living with a name like mine. I hardly ever correct people unless I think we are going to be seeing more of each other…” Signe sat down and grabbed the edge of her desk to pull her chair in, “But when she left your office, she called me Signe.”

I shrugged my shoulders once, “I told her she was saying your name wrong.”

“I figured,” Signe smiled, a light pink color touching her cheeks, “…Thank you.”

I attempted to look confidently casual, inspired by Zayne, “It’s your name. It should be said correctly.”

Signe stared at me, the light pink lingering on her cheeks before she gave me a shy smile and nodded, “You didn’t have to correct her, but it feels nice to know that you did.”

“Of course,” I nodded, then awkwardly jerked my head back towards my office, “I gotta get back to work.” I was nervous that, due to how rapidly my heart was beating from this one-on-one conversation I was having with her, and after being busted for teaching my sister how to say her name, that I would blurt out something else. Something like, “I love the sound of your name and it feels like a sin to let others say it incorrectly” or “Last night I had a dream that you sat on my face.”

---