Page 123 of Endgame

He’s not going to do or say anything else, so I walk out of his office. I have other issues to take care of.

My diary when I open it is packed. Samir has me going to every envelope-opening and opportunity. I’m not going to sleep at this rate; but I’ve been in worse situations. The team was great those first three weeks. The sales team offered to take on some smaller opportunities to give me space to breathe, becauseSamir’s strategy was to take everything and anything that came across our desks. Ariella had been much more discerning. We dived into huge projects that came in but for the smaller projects we identified how we could help for free, did that and returned ownership to the client to deliver. It was a win-win. Samir was dropping in dinner for ten internal staff projects with the same might as week-long, thousand-delegate conferences.

Akiko was the first to quit. The Ivory Bow entry and new job title on her CV landed her a huge role, working for one of our current clients. The same client hired two of her direct reports and that’s how delivery started to crumble. We’re only a month in and, with Samir not responding to what we needed as a business quickly enough, projects are beginning to fall behind. When Lydia starts to get freelancers in to help, projects do get pushed through, but at varying service levels.

Part of me is gutted to see something Ariella built so lovingly begin to crumble, but the glee of watching Dominic’s investment fail dominates that feeling.

The only thing that keeps my soul alive are the daily updates from Ariella. The little conversations we catch, the texts, the voice notes, the images; they all contribute to the lifeline that keeps me going. She’s cooking every week for the shelter now and volunteering on some days too. She’s still a little anxious about our future, but that’s okay. I’m happy holding us up, even though she still doesn’t know that I’m the landlord she’s paying rent to. Jasper Goldsmith saved this one. She’s working on her dad and he’s taking a little while to come round.

I manage to finally get a Saturday night free and I decide to spend it with Honey. We spend the first hour on a video call with Lara and Ariella. MsPat has stayed too, to catch up onour news. Aari is in the background, cooking for the shelter, and Lara is filling us in on the neighbourhood gossip. The best bit is when Lara carries us to the kitchen and makes Ariella show us her little bump. It’s so cute, I wish I could touch it. The urge to return home seizes me with such force that I have to walk away for a second.

‘Caleb. It’s okay. We’re okay. I’m okay,’ Ariella says lovingly to the camera.

‘She is, and so am I, not that you bothered to ask about me, you twerp.’ Lara grins, showing us all her teeth. They do seem to be having a lot of fun together.

‘You look lovely, Lara,’ Honey says.

‘I’ve gained eleven pounds. Aari is cooking daily and this place is wall-to-wall bread. It’s all baby weight though.’

‘But you don’t have baby, Miss Lara,’ MsPat teases, reminding us of their love–hate relationship. ‘It’s okay to be a little bit fat. It suits you.’

Lara’s mouth springs open in shock.

‘Stooooooop,’ Honey warns. Lara’s eyebrows meet in a v in the middle of her face, then she aggressively tilts the camera towards Ariella. MsPat, having established a victory, walks away from the conversation.

‘Have you felt the baby move yet?’ I’m careful because we’ve decided to keep the gender to ourselves.

‘No, but I’m only nineteen weeks. It’s still a little early, I think.’

Honey and I spend as much time as we can with our girls before they have to go to a farmers’ market in the middle of town. When the call ends, I am completely crestfallen.

‘I can’t do this, Honey. I need to find a way to get back home.’

‘They’ve got you trapped. The only way you had was Christopher requesting your support, but you’ve blown that.’

‘I can’t be away from my daughter until she’s fourteen months old. That’s insane.’

‘It’s a girl?’ Honey says delighted.

‘It’s a girl, and Jasper is having twin boys. I’m going to have to watch her like a hawk.’

‘It’s girl!’ MsPat emerges from nowhere, clapping until it ends with a warm embrace.

MsPat has this uncanny ability to make everything okay, and I feel the warmth of becoming a father settle over me.

‘Yes.’ It’s nice to say it out loud.

‘You know, MrCaleb, maybe MrDominic is not so clean.’

‘I know, MsPat, but unless I can prove it I’m stuck here.’

‘You know the person to prove.’

‘I wish I did, but I don’t, MsPat.’

‘Think, MrCaleb. Who can prove? That you know?’

MsPat is trying to tell me and I’m not getting it.

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