Protecting Her(49)

I think it will take a while for her stop being so protective of Garret, just like it will take time for me to adjust to being away from the office. But at least this is a start.

“Should we go sit outside?” I ask.

She pulls back, her lips turning up. “Or we could do something else. Garret usually sleeps for a half hour.”

I check the clock. “Plenty of time. Get upstairs.”

She jumps up and races up the stairs. We meet in the bedroom and I make love to my wife for the second time today. We also did it when we woke up this morning. We’re making up for lost time, all those months when we should have been together and weren’t. I’m furious at myself for losing all that precious time, both with Rachel and with Garret. They’re my family, my life, and I cannot let work come between us ever again.





The next day I return to work, prepared for my father to yell at me for taking yesterday off. As I’m walking down the hall, I hear him behind me.

“Pearce! In my office. Now!”

I sigh and turn around and follow him to his office.

“Where the hell were you yesterday?” he asks as he sits behind his desk.

I close the door and remain standing. “I took the day off. I told your secretary I wouldn’t be here.”

“What was so important that you couldn’t be here?”

“My family,” I say, being honest. I could’ve lied, but why? I should be allowed to take a day off to be with my family. “I needed to spend time with Rachel and Garret.”

“That’s what weekends are for.”

“I’m always here on the weekends. I’m here seven days a week.”

“That’s called having a job.”

“I have both a job and a family, and the past year I’ve devoted all my time to my job and neglected my family.”

“How much damn time do you need with them?”

“More than I’m currently spending with them. So starting today, I’m cutting back on my hours. Rachel has been raising our son alone and it’s time I stepped in and helped.”

“Get a nanny, like everyone else.”

“We don’t want our son being raised by someone else.”

“He’s a baby. He doesn’t know if you’re there or not.”

“He does know, and he needs his father.”

He taps his pen on his desk as he looks at me. “I’m not allowing you to cut back on your hours. I’m your boss and I will not allow it.”

“You’re my father, and this is your grandson we’re talking about. You should want me to spend time with him.”

“He’s a damn child. He’ll never remember whether or not his father was around. I was never around when you were a child and you survived.”

He doesn’t get it. I don’t know why I thought he would. He’s never been a father to me. He doesn’t know how to be one. Growing up, he was a dictator. A disciplinarian. But never a father.

“We obviously disagree on this,” I say, “but despite your objections, I will be cutting back on my hours and will no longer be working weekends unless absolutely necessary.”

He goes to say something, then stops.

“You can’t fire me, Father. The organization forbids it. They expect me to take over as CEO someday.”

“I am well aware of that.” He scowls at me as he continues to tap the pen on his desk.

“I have to go. I have a meeting.” I turn to leave but hear him talking.

“This is all HER doing, isn’t it?”

I turn back to him. “If you’re referring to Rachel, then no. This was not her decision. This is my decision.”

“You’re lying. I’ve seen you the past few months. You’ve actually liked working here. You were seeing results from your efforts. You could see how all those hours of work were paying off. But then that woman told you to stop working so much so you could stay home and change diapers while she sits around watching TV.”

“That is not what happened. And Rachel does not sit around watching TV. She raises our son and takes care of the house. It’s a full time job.”

“Then she doesn’t need you to do it. Let her do her job, and you do yours.”

“I’m not arguing about this, Father. I am cutting back my hours whether you like it or not.”

“That woman is your downfall, Pearce. You’re just too blind to see it.”