The morning passed quickly, and around eleven I heard my cell chime and checked my messages.
LUKE: Hey, how are you doing? You upset about having to turn down the job offer? I want you to know that you’re a brilliant scholar or else Prof. Turner wouldn’t have asked you to be her assistant. I’m sure you’ll have numerous job offers over the years, so don’t let this discourage you.
I smiled and felt my heart swell at his words.
ALEXA: I’m fine. Really. Sure, it would have been a plum job, but I want to be able to focus on Leif for his first full year. I know how lucky I am that you and I can be with him for the whole year. Many parents don’t have that luxury. I want to appreciate what I do have. Like you say, I’m sure there will be other offers in the future.
LUKE: Good. I’m glad you have the right attitude to this. It was a vote of supreme confidence on Turner’s part to offer you the job, so keep that in mind. If you really like her, maybe in the future when your year is up, she’ll hire you for something else.
ALEXA: Maybe. We’ll see. What’s up with you?
LUKE: Going to meet with the PI about the issue we discussed. More later. I’ll be home for supper. I’ll pick up some Ricardo Ribs on the way home.
ALEXA: Sounds perfect. The weather’s nice. We can sit and watch the stars rise.
LUKE: Later. XO
ALEXA: Later. OX
I smiled and exhaled happily. Yes, I was sad that I couldn’t accept the job offer, but at the same time, I was happy that I had it all — a loving husband, a healthy baby, loving parents, and was living in such a beautiful spot on the coast.
I knew that Luke was getting really concerned about the whole business with the brakes of the company car — the car that crashed and killed his parents when he and his sister were still just children. It brought up a whole scenario that wasn’t one any child wanted to believe — that someone in his family business — maybe even his adoptive parents — arranged the deaths of his biological parents for the money.
Of the two Marshalls, I figured that Mrs. Marshall was the most likely culprit if the claim by the jailhouse snitch was true.
The problem was that often, inmates shared intel they received in prison for a lighter sentence or earlier release, and it was often doubtful if the intel was real or just a convenient lie.
Until there was an investigation, it would remain an open question.
What would the Marshalls do once they learned that someone was accusing them of sabotaging the company car?
* * *
Later,while Leif was in his chair after his noon feed, I got a call from Candace, and smiled when I saw the call display.
“Hey, kiddo,” she said, her voice ebullient as usual. “I was just going to take a ride out there for a visit. Are you available this afternoon? The weather’s nice and I thought we could go for a walk along the beach.”
“I’m all yours,” I said. “Do you feel like ribs for supper? Luke can pick up extra. You like the coleslaw from Ricardo’s, right?”
“Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Please. Ricardo’s Ribs are to die for. You sure you two lovebirds don’t want to be alone or anything? I don’t want to ruin your plans for the evening.”
“Our plans for the evening will be exactly as follows: We’ll eat, Luke will bathe Leif. I’ll nurse him, Luke will put him to bed, and then Luke and I will either sit on the patio and watch the stars or collapse on the sofa and watch something on Netflix. You will be an enjoyable addition to the evening so please, stay overnight if you want. You could take the limo into the city in the morning.”
“Nah, I have a car and I’ll drive back when you yawn and kick me out.”
“Okay, but the offer stands,” I said. “There’s always a bedroom for you if you want to stay.”
“I know. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye,” I said and ended the call. I turned to Leif. “Auntie Candy is coming for a visit.”
Leif was busy squeezing and smooshing the soft toys on his tray, but he glanced up at me and smiled, responding to my happiness.
And I was happy.
I knew I’d made the right decision. I didn’t want to miss any of Leif’s days for the first year.
* * *