Page 44 of To Feel Like This Again
On the way home, we get caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the result of a sudden major power outage that is disrupting the traffic lights. Motorists are honking wildly and vehicles are blocking major intersections, further delaying the time to get home. I am getting impatient. “So… what’s been on your mind dear?” I ask while turning down the volume on the radio.
“It’s too noisy and chaotic… when we get home,” Emily responds before switching the topic. “On the weekend we should drive to Ocho Rios and try out the new ice cream place,Cool Dung, that everyone’s been talking about.”
“You really want to drive an hour and a half… just for ice cream?”
“Totally. Everyone says it’s the best ice cream they’ve ever had, even Karen from yoga and she hates everything that’s unhealthy, except Moscato.”
Emily has done a 180 and is now in a good mood. Back to being fun Emily.
Three hours later, we are still crawling in the traffic. So much for beating the 5:00pm traffic and reaching home in twenty-five minutes. At least the foot of the hill is now in sight, less than a hundred meters away. I switch the playlist to love songs, setting the mood for what I hope will be a good night.Thinking Out Loudby Ed Sheeran is first up.
I reach across the automatic transmission and cover her hand with mine. Listening to romantic music and navigating the car up the hill, dodging the potholes I know from memory… my thoughts drift to how remarkable it is to have someone who completes me in every way.
As we get home, I go straight to the kitchen and warm up the leftovers from Sunday’s dinner. Then, we make our way to the patio and, sitting at the bistro table, recap the best and funniest parts of our day… This has become our little tradition.Our little thing.
“Should I get ice cream?” I ask, after we finish dinner.
“I’m pretty sure we ate it off last week,” she replies.
“Okay, let me check to make sure.”
I come back from the kitchen with three flavours fromCool Dung. “Found it!”
“Wait. What! How did you know to get that?” she beams, like a child opening their gift on Christmas morning.
“Today, their Instagram page popped up in my feed and I noticed you liked their page and a few of their photos. Actually, you practically liked all four hundred of their photos. So, I wanted to surprise you. Surprise!” I say goofily, throwing my hands in the air.
“Aww… that’s so sweet babes… you did that just for me… I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We enjoy the ice cream quietly on the porch swing. She likely enjoying it more than she naturally would have because of my thoughtfulness to drive all that way to surprise her. Licking the spoon clean, Emily moans when it hits the spot.
Breaking the silence, as nice as it is, I callChubbleover to hang with us. “Here boy.”Chubblewags his tail and comes running to us from wherever he was digging up the garden. Unable to resist him, Emily pets and invites him to climb up and sit… this puts her further at ease.
The three of us sit there enjoying the magical view of the city.Relaxed.
“So, what’s been on your mind sweetie?” I ask, gently rubbing her arm. Then, using both feet, I push the swing backward.
As the swing gently rocks back and forth, Emily pulls closer, then, looking up at me declares, “I’m pregnant, Nick.”
Chapter 28
Lisa
Before going to bed, I check my phone one more time to see if Michael Barnes, Chairman of State Foods, Inc., has responded to my urgent email regarding the first net loss posted by the company in fourteen years. Instead, what I see is an even more urgent email. Markedhigh importance, it is from Heidi Maddison, the Group Chief HR Officer, with the subject line:
Dismissal – Justin Graham for Breach of Workplace Dating Policy
The phone slips out of my hand, crashing to the floor. The screen instantly morphs into a spider web, but still has enough openings so that I can read the email clearly. Alex tosses and unconsciously murmurs something, but remains fast asleep.
In the body of the email, Heidi has written:
Justin Graham was dismissed with immediate effect for being intimately involved with his subordinate, Lindsay Henriques.
For the record, Lindsay stated that the relationship was consensual. However, Justin’s failure to formally notify HR, in writing, about being intimately involved with asubordinate has automatically resulted in an immediate dismissal.
In light of several recent high-profile sex scandals at major companies around the world that have been dominating the news and negatively impacting the bottom line of the organizations, I am recommending we urgently schedule a meeting with the Executive Management team to revisit and update the Code of Conduct.
