"She's still asleep so it's all good. Her fever seems to be gone for the most part but just make sure she takes these when she wakes up. And please make sure she eats and gets a lot of rest. She can't leave this house and keep her away from anything she can use to hurt herself."
"Yes sir." Korra mocks him and Trevor places a kiss on her head as he picks up his bag, ready to leave. I close the bedroom door and walk into the living room.
Trevor notices me first.
"Oh Ree, you're awake. How're you feeling?" He places a hand on my forehead.
"I'm okay." This time I don't lie.
"I can tell. You have a real smile on your face this time." We laugh and Trevor pulls me into a tight hug before leaving.
Korra places her hands on my shoulders and pushes me back into the room. "You get back into bed, I'll get breakfast ready and bring it to you."
She pushes the curtains aside, brightening the room. Sam runs in just as Korra is about to shut the door. He jumps on the bed and places his head on my lap waiting to be pet.
"Hey buddy. How've you been holding up? Better than me I presume." He snuggles closer and I slowly pet his head down to his belly.
"Of course you're fine, you don't even know what's going on. I'm the one who's going through hell right now."
"Tea or coffee?" Korra shouts from the kitchen.
"Coffee, no sugar!" I answer and turn back to Sam.
"So what should I do now? I really don't know where my life's headed right now. I think I'm going to actually have to get a real job. I can't depend on my dad or Korra for the rest of my life. I don't even want to." Sam whimpers as if he feels the same way I do about working.
"I know boy. I'm dreading it too. What can I even do? I've never thought about what I want to do with my life before. I don't even know what I want to do with myself right now."
"Maybe being by myself for once will give me time to understand myself better. I'd call it running away but I'm not a kid anymore so it doesn't count as running away anymore. I'll just call it a vacation. I can't just sit at home and mope for the rest of my life right?" Sam turns around and the slow pet turns to a belly rub.
"Exactly. But I need to tie up all these loose ends lying around. I don't want to have to come back until I'm ready to start over. It's like HM used to say, 'shit happens, but that doesn't mean you should turn to shit too.' She used to give the best-worst advice". I laugh to myself.
I stand up and enter the closet to hang my robe. As I turn on the light, the first thing to catch my eye is the briefcase on the top shelf. Asher's briefcase. I almost forgot that I had it. I haven't even opened it.
I hang the robe, pull the briefcase off the shelf and take it to the bed. The passcode is 0218, our wedding anniversary. As I twist the last knob to 8, I hear a click. The latches snap open and I pull the handle up.
The inside of the briefcase is so disorganized, it looks like it had been tossed around quite a lot; it probably was. A picture of me and Asher that we took on our trip to Paris for our honeymoon was held back by an elastic string at the top of the case. Two books lay side by side on the very top, Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451' and Ted Dekker's 'Tea with Hezbollah'. His toothbrush and shaving stick are together under a blue and red striped cardigan.
I have so many questions.
First of all, when did Ash start reading fictional books? He's read 'Tea with Hezbollah' like three times but he would never read a book like Fahrenheit 451. And where did he get this hideous cardigan? I've always hated striped clothes and so has Asher, he says it makes him look fat.
Also, I packed his all his toiletries – including his toothbrush and shaving stick – in the small pouch of his carry-on. How did they end up here?
"Sam, don't you think all this just feels very off? Or am I just overthinking it? Maybe he was looking for something in both his briefcase and carry-on in such a rush that he disorganized it all. Seems plausible. What would he do without me?"
"Talking to the dog now? I told Trevor to do a brain scan before bringing you home." Korra comes in with a tray of oatmeal and French toast with a cup of coffee. I quickly cover the briefcase with the duvet and slide in under it.
"I was just thinking. Thanks for breakfast." She places the tray on my lap and Sam starts to sniff around for what he can grab.
"So what were you guys chatting about? Me?" Korra picks a banana slice from the oatmeal and shoos Sam out of the room.
"Nothing. Sam just told me to go to Ash's office later today and we were discussing what I would wear." Korra eyes me suspiciously but I just stare at the food to avoid her eyes.
"Sam told you that?"
"Yes." I give her an innocent smile and take a sip of the steaming coffee.
"That's too bad since you're not allowed to leave the house today. You need to rest."
"That's fine. I'll just wait till you fall asleep or when you're in the bathroom and then I'll sneak out." I shrug.
Korra narrows her eyes at me, sending a silent threat.
"You could lock the door, I'll just go out the window. You know I can." I flash her another bright smile.
"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? It's annoying when you don't listen. This is just like when we were kids. Do you think I like keeping you here? It's for your own good for goodness sake. But since you want to leave so bad then fine, I'll drive you there." She tosses the clothes she was folding on the bed and storms out of the room. I snicker as she slams the door behind her. I don't like riling her up but when I do it's the funniest thing ever.
3 HOURS LATER
"Are you ready?" Korra snaps as she snatches the car keys off the counter and pulls on her shoes.
"Yes ma'am." She scoffs and opens the door for me.
"See you later Sam. I'll be back before you know it." Korra slams the door behind her and storms to the elevator, not waiting for me. We take the elevator to the underground parking, the ride down is silent. I follow Korra to her car and she unlocks the door and gets in.
"Aren't you going to open my door for me?" I ask through the rolled down window. She gives me a dirty look and starts the car. I quickly get in and she zooms off before I can even buckle my seatbelt.
"I really hope we don't have to meet with Jennifer today. I don't think I can control myself anymore. Besides, it's the CEO that wants to meet with us so hopefully he's free today and we can just…"
"Either you stop talking or I turn this car around."
"Okay, geez. You didn't have to be so mean about it." I roll down the window to let the steam coming off Korra out the car.
A few minutes pass and the car stops. Korra unbuckles her seatbelt and gets out of the car, slamming her door. I rush to keep up with her as she approaches the building with long strides.
The inside looks the same, except that there are less people and less disorder in the lobby. I follow Korra as she walks up to the lady at the front desk; the same lady that walked up to us the last time we were here.
"Hi, we're here to see the CEO, we have an appointment. I'm Korra Prescott and this is…"
"Oh yes, I remember you ladies. Mr. Matthews has been expecting you. Please, right this way." She steps out from behind her desk and leads us to one of the elevators. We file in behind her and she pushes the button labelled 'TOP'.
Nine stories and three stops later, we reach the top floor. The elevator doors slide open to a wide office area with a single desk and chair by the wall. The lady behind the desk stands up to greet us before moving aside to talk to the one who brought us up.
"Ok just give me a minute, I will let Mr. Matthews know you're here." She walks to the large brown doors right in front of her desk and gives a slight knock before going in.
The lady who led us here leaves and Korra and I are left in the quiet hallway.
"What do you think he wants to do? Offer us money or…"
"Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?" She says without her expression changing. I'll have to find a way to make it up to her later.
The secretary appears again, "Which one of you is Mrs. Daulton?" I step forward.
"Please go in." She steps in front of Korra as she's about to follow me in.
"Sorry, Mr. Matthews said only Mrs. Daulton should come in. He said you should wait in the lobby for her. Please follow me." Korra and I exchange a look before she follows the secretary into the elevator.
Going into his office felt so much like being summoned to the principal's office. I take a deep breath before pushing the doors open, forgetting to knock. The room looks just like I imagined it in my head but a little smaller. The walls are white but one side is glass from top to bottom. A small glass table surrounded by three sofas are on one side of the room while on the other side is the 'big guy's' desk. Behind his desk is the glass wall and beside it is a few office file cabinets.
"Mrs. Daulton please come in. Have a seat. It's nice to finally see your face, although the situation is quite unfortunate." A man with his back turned to me motions to a chair beside the desk.
"First of all, I would sincerely like to apologize on behalf of the company. If not for the business trip Mr. Daulton was sent on, he would probably still be with us."
Probably?
He finally turns around and walks to his chair behind the desk to have a seat. He raises a small brown envelope and fiddles with it in silence before speaking again.
"I heard you weren't coming with your lawyer. That's a shame, we could have come to an agreement on the compensation." He cocks his head to the side and moves his chair closer to the table.
"That's alright. I don't need your money, that's why I didn't come with a lawyer. I don't know what you think but money doesn't change anything."
"No that's not it at all. We just want to compensate for any damages his passing has caused. I learned that you are currently unemployed and heavily pregnant. I guess the pregnancy was false information but I know for sure that you are unemployed. Do you want a recommendation instead?"
Tears prickle at the corner of my eyes and my hands instinctively go to my stomach, my now flat stomach. I abruptly stand up causing the chair to scrape the floor noisily. I haven't known this man for up to five minutes but I can tell that his cocky, straightforward self is not going to be my cup of tea.
"I said I don't want your money and I definitely don't need your help with anything. There is no 'compensation' you can do. Thank you for your time and thank you for wasting mine. I'll be leaving now." I grab my purse from where I dropped it and storm out of the office. He still has that now-annoying smile on his face as I do.
I slam the door, startling his secretary. She walks over to me with a concerned look behind her bright smile.
"You're done already? That was quick. Would you like to collect his things from his office now?" I nod and follow her into the elevator.
We stop on the fourth floor. Stepping off the elevator, she leads me down a hallway with offices on either side. She halts at a door with 'Office of Chemical Inspection' printed on it in bold letters.
The door opens to reveal a large room spanning from one side of the building to the other. Small cubicles and file cabinets fill the room. All four walls of each cubicle are glass so everyone can be seen working.
"His office is right there."
It's not that hard to find. It's the only empty cubicle there, slightly bigger than the rest. I slowly make my way to it at the end of the room with everyone's eyes on me.
The words 'Asher Caleb Daulton MSc.' are printed on the nameplate hanging on the door.
The desk inside is already cleared out and everything is in a box on the table. I take the lid off the box and peer inside. It's mostly filled with books and weird looking pens that Asher used to collect. On the very top, there's a framed picture of Asher and I from our honeymoon; a blue sticky note is stuck to the edge of the frame and a few things are scribbled on it in his handwriting.
· Talk to Ree about having more kids after 'watermelon' is born
· Start looking for better baby names than 'watermelon'
· Get Ree a new car for her next birthday or take her to Cabo, whichever's cheaper.
If I wasn't crying before, I am now. With my head down and my hair shielding my face, I exit the office and walk further down the hall in search of the bathroom. I reach the end of the hallway and rush into the bathroom perfectly situated on the left. Hunching over one of the sinks, I left the tear drops fall as I blindly try to reach for the tissue dispenser.
"Here you go." A tissue is finally stuffed into my hand and I grab it without a second thought.
I dab at my eyes which are probably swollen now. "Thank you for…"
Finally raising my head, I turn to thank the person who handed me the tissue but she already had the most condescending look on her face, her signature look.
Jennifer.
"Oh no need to thank me. I love helping the weak and helpless. Makes me feel better about myself." She crosses her arm and slowly walks up behind. We both turn to face my reflection in the mirror.
"Look at you. You haven't changed a bit since middle school. Even losing a pencil could make you bawl your eyes out. So dramatic." I turn to her reflection which seemed to be towering over mine. You're only slightly taller because of your heels, don't push it.
"He was my husband, not a pencil." The nerve of this woman.
"Yeah. It's not like you had a kid for the man. Oh wait." She lets out a small chuckle as she washes her hands.
"You know, if it wasn't for your pathetic ass he's probably still be alive." She leaves the bathroom and a trail of cackles follow close behind her.
"She will sue you if you pull out her hair or break her arms. You don't have the money to be sued." I say this to myself a few times before cleaning myself up and heading back to the office.
Everyone seemed to be awaiting my return; as soon as I enter the room, they all swiftly turn around like nothing happened. Without a single word, I return the lid on the box and carry it out. I take the elevator to the lobby where Korra is waiting.
Jennifer who found her way to the lobby quickly walks towards me as I approach Korra, intentionally bumping into me, almost making me drop the box. She saunters towards the elevators without a single word. Korra jogs up and takes the box from me with a glare on her face.
"Are you okay and did I just see you swipe her key card?"
"Yeah I'm alright. I didn't even think you saw that. It's a force of habit and besides, it doesn't look like she needed it. I mean, it was just safely tucked away in her front pocket, it was practically begging to be swiped."
"One day you're actually going to end up in prison and I definitely am not going with you. I don't look good in orange." I give her a wide smile as we head home.
It's just a key card. Besides, it's not like I'm going to use it.