Page 127 of More Than Words

“What’s the worst that can happen? She cries the entire time I’m in there like she does every other day?” she joked, but I could see through her attempt at humor for what it really was…exhaustion.

“Next time you go in, I’ll get her ready in the morning. You shouldn’t have to give up taking time for yourself to care for her when I can help. We can take turns getting her ready when we’re both headed in.”

“I know,” she sighed, and I decided to drop the argument for now. Kissing both of my ladies on the cheek and crossing my fingers that Isobel wouldn’t continue to disappear every time I left the apartment, I made the trek into the office. I felt like I was losing her and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

After sitting through a ninety-minute meeting—I didn’t pay attention to half of—I sat down at my desk and tried to concentrate on what I needed to get done so I didn’t have to work over the weekend.

“Why didn’t you tell me how adorable your daughter was?” Andrea walked into my office without knocking and sat down on my couch with her tablet in her lap.

“What?”

People had requested to see pictures when I’d returned to work, and the baby announcement had somehow ended up on the shared server, but Isobel had refused to bring her into the office in person.

“She’s got such tiny hands and those big blue eyes. I just want to squeeze her.”

“Why are you suddenly fawning over my daughter?”

Andrea frowned, glancing at the door before she looked back at me. “Because I just saw her in the elevator. Isobel got off on two to drop her off at the daycare when I was headed back from lunch.”

I closed my laptop, picking my phone up from where it’d been lying face down on the desk. “It’s not even noon. She wasn’t supposed to come in until this afternoon.”

“Well, she’s here early then. She said she had a meeting with Sloane.”

Pulling open my messenger app, I opened the thread with Isobel, but there weren’t any new texts.

Adrian: Are you at the office?

Isobel didn’t respond right away, but my eyes widened when I saw what she texted back.

Isobel: Sloane needed me to come in early to talk about some last-minute changes to a project she wants me to help with. I’ll come to find you if I have time later.

Adrian: Is everything okay?

Isobel: I think so, but it’s not something I can work on remotely, so I’m not sure if a slow transition back to the office is going to be possible.

When we’d talked about her returning to work, the plan had been for her to work in the office three days a week for a month, and then slowly ease back into visiting the other branches for a few days at a time. But we’d make it work if that needed to change.

Adrian: Did Finley get settled into the daycare alright?

Isobel: She lost her shit while I was in the shower, but she calmed down on the ride here, otherwise I wouldn’t have left her. I thought about canceling my meeting, but I can’t keep sitting in the apartment listening to her scream all the time.

Adrian: Why didn’t you call me? I could’ve come back home after my meeting if you needed help.

Isobel: You can’t always rescue me. I need to figure out how to balance my job and Fin.

Adrian: But you shouldn’t have to do it alone.

After dropping my phone back to the surface of my desk, I scrubbed my hand over my face. She was going to run herself ragged trying to take everything on by herself.

“Is everything okay?” Andrea asked, nervously perching herself on the edge of the couch.

“Yeah, Isobel’s meeting got moved up,” I said absently, feeling guilty for not being there to help her. If I had known Fin was going to have a rough morning, I would have insisted she let me help her more.

Four hours later, Isobel still hadn’t come to find me, and I was getting worried as the end of the workday approached. It wasn’t like her to completely freeze me out, but I had to trust she would come to me for help if she needed it.

Adrian: Haven’t heard from you all day. Is now a good time?

Isobel: Heading to your office now, I need to talk to you about something. But I’m not sure you’re going to like it.