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AMELIA:Could you apologize to Gracie for me?
SOPHIE:I mean I’m sure she’ll forgive you
SOPHIE:She’s a cat
SOPHIE:But I’m not a cat and I’m worried about how late you’ve been working
SOPHIE:You okay?
Not really, I thought. But I wasn’t going to dump how stressed I was on Sophie. In addition to being a mom to twin toddlers, her attorney husband had been in San Francisco the past three weeksfor depositions. She was no stranger to ridiculous demands on her time; she didn’t need to hear me complain about mine.
AMELIA:I’m fine. Just busy.
AMELIA:Tell Gracie I hope to be home by 9:30
AMELIA:Please give her scritches for me and tell her I’m sorry
SOPHIE:Will you be having dinner someplace where you actually can eat something this time?
AMELIA:It’s an Italian restaurant this time so hopefully
I’d been a pescatarian since college, and a lactose intolerance that cropped up when I was in grad school meant I was off dairy. Ever since my brother Adam’s twins were born eight years ago, though, my dietary needs were usually an afterthought at best when it came to family get-togethers. Because Adam’s kids were young, only casual restaurants with a children’s menu and a high level of background noise were options. And Dad liked red meat too much to take us anywhere that didn’t offer it.
It was fine, though. I was the only one in our family who was single. And I didn’t have kids. In the interest of being accommodating, I usually just went along with whatever the group wanted when we got together. Maybe it was the middle child in me, but making as few waves as possible had been my modus operandifor as long as I could remember. Sometimes I’d get lucky and my parents would pick an Italian restaurant with at least a few cheese-and-meat-free pasta options—like tonight. If I wasn’t lucky, I’d have to wait until I got home to eat dinner.
As if on cue, my stomach chose that moment to do a comically loud rumble.
SOPHIE:Well I picked up some Chinese for the kids. They’re getting fussy so I’m about to take them home, but I’ll leave the leftover veggie lo mein for you in your fridge.
AMELIA:You’re the literal best, Soph
AMELIA:When does Marcus get back from San Francisco?
SOPHIE:His last deposition is Thursday
SOPHIE:So he’ll be back Friday
SOPHIE:In THEORY
AMELIA:You should have him on diaper duty for at least a week straight when he gets back
SOPHIE:Oh, I’m demanding a full month
I smiled at my phone, feeling grateful. Hopefully Sophie would be able to take time for herself again once Marcus wasfinally back home. She was so giving to others, me included. She deserved to receive occasionally, too.
AMELIA:Thanks Soph
AMELIA:You’re the best
AMELIA:When tax season is over, I’m treating you to a fancy dinner and I’m not taking no for an answer
Dinner would likely go until nine, and I didn’t think I’d have the energy to go back to the office afterwards. I stuffed Wyatt’s latest paperwork into my briefcase, promising myself I’d finish reviewing it at home.
The thirty-second floor was still a hive of activity as I made my way to the elevator. I tried not to let the guilt over leaving at an hour some of the partners might considerearlywash over me.
Because if I stayed late tonight, I’d be bailing on my family. And a guilt of an entirely different kind would ruin my evening.
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