“Okay, good. Anita can handle it. I trust her judgment. I won’t make the Acra call either, which is a preliminary discussion between our lawyers and theirs. They can hammer out the contract details without me there. Have Rafal send me a summary of the discussions. Same with the Minsk negotiations and the rest of these meetings.”
“Got it.”
I’m preparing to hang up when I remember yesterday’s conversation with Sophia. “Luis, when's your birthday?
“October thirteenth,” he responds, sounding confused. “Why?”
Because according to Sophia, I don't pay attention to the people around me. Because I lack empathy. “When it rolls around, schedule yourself the day off,” I tell him.
“Señor Cardenas, are you okay? Are you ill?”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I cross my fingers and continue. “And Emma and Olivia?” I really hope I’ve got their names right. “Everything’s good at their new school?”
Luis sounds puzzled. “Yes. They’re enjoying it very much. They have been there for a year now, you know.”
“Oh.” Has it really been a year? I feel foolish now. Luis probably thinks I'm losing it. “Okay, great. Talk to you later.”
At nine,I call Sophia at work. A woman picks up the phone. “Highfield Community Health Center,” she says. “Can I help you?”
“Could I speak to Sophia Thorsen, please?” I might not remember the name of Luis' children, but remembering Sophia's last name is not a problem. I don’t know what that says about me.
“Just a minute.”
Sophia picks up a moment later. “Sophia Thorsen,” she says cheerfully. “Hello?”
“It’s Damien Cardenas.”
“Damien.” Enthusiasm drains from her voice in an instant. “What a pleasure.”
Yeah, that sounds believable. The Health Center is hard up for money, and I'm not above using that to get what I want. “I thought we might continue the conversation we started on Saturday night.”
“The conversation where you promised to donate a million dollars to the Highfield Community Health Center in return for empathy lessons? I thought about what you said, and the only explanation I came up with was that you were drunk.”
“I wasn’t. Are you free for lunch? I’d like to discuss the donation I'm planning to make to the Highfield Clinic.”
“It’s the Highfield Community Health Center,” she bites out. “And unfortunately, yes. I happen to be free for lunch. Where would you like to meet?”
“I'll pick you up. Noon? Great. See you then.” I hang up before she can protest.
I have no illusions about lunch. Sophia would prefer to have nothing to do with me. She’s going to be hostile, snipe at me, and make sarcastic jokes at my expense. And I’m looking forward to it, more than I’ve looked forward to anything in recent memory. I don't know what that says about the state of my life, but there it is.
My mother's number flashes on my phone.
I reluctantly answer.
“Are you sick, Damien?” she demands.
What does she know? Dr. Zambrano wouldn't have said anything to her, as that would violate his ethics. What has she heard, and who from?
“What are you talking about?”
“Luis told Gisele that you were acting strangely. And you canceled all your meetings today? What is going on?”
Ah, okay. “Nothing is going on, Mama.”
“Then why did you have Luis cancel all your meetings?”
I try to keep the exasperation out of my voice and fail. “Because I slept two hours last night. I can barely keep my eyes open.”