“For this weekend? That doesn’t give you a lot of time.”

“I know. And I told him exactly that. I put a call in to my old boss and he gave me the names of some people to call, so we’ll see. On the plus side, Walter is willing to pay whatever it costs, but it means I’ll probably be working late all week. And I’ll have to go to Atlanta.”

“You’re kidding,” I said. “It’s only your second day at work.”

“Don’t be like that,” she said as she began browning the chicken. “It’s not like he gave me much of a choice in the matter. Pretty much every major developer from Texas to Virginia is coming, and all the executives have to go. And it’s not all weekend – I fly out Saturday morning and come back Sunday.”

I didn’t like it but what could I do? “All right,” I said. “It sounds like you’re already becoming indispensable.”

“I’m trying.” She smiled. “How was London today? Did she do okay at piano?”

“She did great, but I’m not sure she likes dance all that much. She was quiet after class yesterday.”

“The teacher was upset because you were late. So London was upset, too.”

“The instructor seems a little intense.”

“She is. And that’s why her dance teams win so many competitions.” She nodded toward London. “While I get dinner going, will you get London into the bath?”

“Now?”

“That way, you can read to her after we eat, and get her down for the night. She’s tired and like I told you, I’ve got a ton of work on tap.”

“Sure,” I said, realizing that once again, I’d likely be going to bed alone.

CHAPTER 7

Two by Two

When London was three and half, the three of us went on a picnic near Lake Norman. It was something we only did once. Vivian packed a delicious lunch and on our way to Lake Norman, and because the day was breezy, we stopped at a hobby store on the way to buy a kite. I’d picked the kind of kite that had been popular when I was a kid; simple and inexpensive, nothing like the kind of kites that avid enthusiasts would dream of flying.

It ended up being the perfect kite for a child. I was able to launch it myself and once it rose high, it seemed as if it was practically stuck to the sky. It didn’t matter what I did; I could stand in place or walk around and when I handed London the kite reel and secured it to her wrist, it didn’t matter what she did either. She could pick flowers or run around chasing butterflies; a nice couple had a small cocker spaniel, and she was able to sit on the ground and let the puppy crawl over her while the kite stayed fixed in the air. When we finally got around to having lunch, I looped the string around a nearby bench, and the kite simply hovered above us.

Vivian was in a buoyant mood, and we stayed at the park for most of the afternoon. On the way home, I can remember thinking to myself that times like this were what life was really all about, and that no matter what, I’d never let my family down.

But here and now, I was doing exactly that. Or at least, right now, it felt that way. It felt to me as though I was letting everyone down, including myself.

It was Wednesday, day three for Vivian at work, and I was on my own with London.

All day.

As I stood with London outside chiropractor number two’s office, I felt almost as though I were shipping my daughter off to a foreign country. The thought that she’d sit in the waiting room with strangers made me uneasy; the newspapers and evening broadcasts had led modern parents to believe that the bogeyman was always lurking, ready to pounce.

I wondered if my parents ever worried about Marge and me like that, but that thought lasted only a split second. Of course they didn’t. My dad used to have me sit on the bench outside an old tavern he occasionally frequented while he had a beer with friends. And that bench was on a corner of a busy street, near a bus stop.

“You understand that this is an important meeting for Daddy, right?”

“I know,” London said.

“And I want you to sit quietly.”

“And don’t get up and wander around and don’t talk to strangers. You already told me.”

Vivian and I must have been doing something right because London did exactly as she was told. The receptionist remarked on what a well-behaved young lady she’d been during the meeting, which soothed my anxiety about what I’d done.

Unfortunately, the client wasn’t interested in my services. I was O-for-three at that point. At the restaurant the following day, I upped that to O-for-four.

Forcing myself to remain optimistic, I had my best presentation to date on Friday afternoon. The owner of the spa – a blond, quick-talking woman in her fifties – was enthusiastic and though my sense was that they were already doing well, she knew who I was and was even familiar with some of my other campaigns. As I spoke with her, I felt relaxed and confident, and when I finished, I had the sense that I couldn’t have done any better. But despite all that, the stars weren’t aligning for me.

Not only did I fail to set up any meetings for the following week, I’d gone O-for-five.

Still, it was date night.

When there’s nothing to celebrate, celebrate anyway, right?

That wasn’t quite true, though. While I hadn’t had any work success, Vivian certainly seemed to be lighting things on fire at her new job. She’d even been able to line up a musical act, a band from the eighties with a name I recognized. How she’d pulled that off, I had not the slightest idea. I’d also spent more one-on-one time with London, and that was definitely a great development.