Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I answer the phone. We never talk in the mornings. She’s doing her thing, getting Dad out the door, and then doing the same herself. Dad is not self-sufficient in the morning. We’re two of a kind when it comes to waking up; neither of us likes it, and the snooze button is hit repeatedly. I’m hurrying until I’m out of the building, the security guards looking at me like I’ve got two heads. Worry saturates my every pore.
“It’s your father. He was out helping his friend Ralph on the roof.” I close my eyes. God love my father. The man is retirement age, not that he’ll admit defeat in settling down when it comes to any type of handyman work there is; he’s all for it, all the while working at his full-time job.
“Is he okay?” I ask.
“Well, honey, he fell.” It’s taking Mom longer than normal to get it all out, which is fine because I’m still a bit away from my car, and there’s nothing she hates worse than me driving while on the phone even if it is hands free.
“I’m on my way. Just tell me where I need to be, Momma.” I’ll email my boss as soon as everything is figured out and I’m off the phone.
“The hospital. We called the paramedics. He fell off the roof feet first. I’m pretty sure both hips are broken, and goodness knows what else. They were worried about internal issues. I’m following them in the car. I hate to even ask, but will you meet me there?” The independent streak runs strong in our family gene pool. I know what that took her to ask, much like I’d have rather quit my job than to ask for help.
“I’m already back at my car. I’ll meet you there. It shouldn’t take me longer than twenty minutes. Call me if anything changes. I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose your father,” she admits. I don’t bother getting off the phone with her.
“Nothing’s going to happen to that stubborn man; you’ll make sure of it.” Even if I have to gang up on him, Dad is still in good shape for his age. That doesn’t mean he should be climbing a metal roof, and clearly without a harness.
“You’ve got that right; we’re pulling in now. Call me once you’re here, and be safe. God, I can’t have anything else happen today, so stay off your phone.” I’ve yet to even reverse out of my parking spot, yet she was the one talking on the phone while driving. Talk about do as I say, not as I do in parent language.
“I am. Going to send a quick email, and then I’m leaving.” We hang up. I make a phone call to Cam, but it goes to her voicemail. I leave a message telling her that I’ll be out for the day, if not longer, then draft an email stating the same thing. I may be in the hot seat, but no way am I not covering my ass. Then I call Samuel, already knowing he won’t be able to answer, but he’ll respond when he can. I wait until the beep and then start, “Hey, Samuel.” I suck back the tears that are threatening to fall. “Dad fell off a roof. I’m on my way to the hospital. Love you.” This week is turning out to be a big pile of poop. First work, now Dad. The only good thing that’s going is Samuel telling me those three words. So, there is that, I think to myself as I put my car in reverse and make my way to my parents.
CHAPTER 18
Kavanaugh
“It’s not a violation in ethics at all. Probably a conflict of interest, but nothing we can’t fix. What I’m more concerned with is how it was handled. Eden can be transferred to a new judge, if she wants, for the time being, or stay with you. And tell her not to worry. I’ll be handling Mrs. Tervis. She overstepped her bounds. Majorly.” I gave Michael, the Chief Judge in our building, a small rundown of yesterday while we were on the phone, only getting into it further when our meeting took place, leaving Tyler out of the mix entirely.
“Thank you. I’d appreciate it. She was ready to put in her two weeks’ notice and call it a day,” I tell him.
“That won’t be necessary. I’m going to review the contract. There were revisions to be made after last year. Clearly, they haven’t been fixed.” Michael, much like me, met his now wife in this very courthouse. Only Jen is a court clerk. When everything was said and done, she was able to maintain her job, which means so should Eden.