Page 35 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

“I expect Cecelia for lunch,” I let him know.

“Very good,” he responded.

It wasn’t very good. Cecelia hadn’t shown up before lunch, or even later. I waited for her but gave up and ate when I fed Georgie. I grabbed my phone and checked my messages. Nothing.

I was about to finally call her and see what was taking so long when the phone rang. Caller ID was hers.

“Cecelia, I thought you would be here already. Is everything all right?”

“Is this Mr. Sterling Alexander?”

“It is. Where’s Cecelia? Is she okay?” Nerves clenched in my gut.

“I don’t honestly know. I was told to call you?—”

“This is her number. You’re calling from her phone,” I growled.

“No, sir, this is the agency’s number. I was told to give you a call and apologize. You were expecting a meeting from your caseworker today. We’ve reassigned your case. Your new case worker will be by tomorrow.”

“What happened to Cecelia?” I demanded.

“She has been reassigned to something more suitable to her experience. That’s all I can tell you. We do apologize for the inconvenience. Have a good rest of your afternoon.”

How was I supposed to have a good afternoon? Cecelia wasn’t here, and apparently, I didn’t even have her phone number.

18

CECELIA

I couldn’t seem to move. I stood perfectly still and tried to make sense of the words Greta was essentially flinging at me. She didn’t talk to me. She spoke in my direction. And this morning, she was hurling words at rapid speed.

I should have tried to weave and duck. Maybe some of her barrage would have missed me.

Greta stopped speaking. After I didn’t immediately reply, she finally glanced up from her work, her face pinched. “Well?”

“I… I’m confused.”

“Cecelia, haven’t you been listening?” she snapped.

“Yes, I have been. And I listen every time you tell me anything. When I asked you about the situation with Sterling Alexander, you told me that I was only going to have one client at a time. So, how is it that I’m being punished for doing my job?”

“You’re supposed to help locate resources and work through difficult situations your client comes to you with.”

I nodded. Yes, that was my understanding, and that’s what yesterday’s very long day, evening activities notwithstanding, was all about. I opened my mouth to defend myself and say just that when Greta continued.

“It has come to my attention that you spent the day at the zoo with your client.”

I cast my eyes around the piles in her office. How had she learned that so fast? I had only mentioned it briefly to Peggy, the other agent in the office pool, when I came in this morning.

“Did you get a sunburn?” Peggy asked.

I had just arrived at my desk and started putting my bags away when Peggy started bombarding me with questions.

“You didn’t come in yesterday. What were you doing?” The inquiry continued.

“Yes, I spent a good part of the day outside. I took my client to the zoo, sort of a test run of his ability to take Georgie out into the world.”

“How exactly does that work? Did you actually learn anything?” Peggy continued with more questions.

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