Page 38 of I Won't Be In On Monday

“Oh.” She looks disappointed. “I don't have to go. Maybe I can help you in the office, along with Juniper.”

“Today, you will go to school, but maybe when it’s your break, we can see about you doing a little job in the office,” I offer before I realize she’s probably far too young to be working. Even at her dad’s office.

"Ooh, will I make money?" I stare at her for a couple of seconds as we wait for the elevator. How is my young daughter so focused on money? She's just a kid. She couldn’t look any more like a little kid if she tried. Her hair is in pigtails, and she'sgot a wide smile on her face. Her familiar big brown eyes look back at me.

"You know you're only seven, Canyon. You don't have to worry about money."

"Mommy says you’ve got to count every single penny because it counts."

"Does she now?" I feel slightly guilty about her comment. I wonder if Karen and Canyon were a lot worse off than I'd initially realized. "Does your mom talk a lot about money?" I ask her hesitantly as we step into the elevator.

Canyon nods vigorously. "All the time.When I want to get a new Barbie she says, ‘No, you can't get it.’ When I want a new teddy bear, she says, 'No, you can’t get it.’ When I tell her I want to go and get burgers or pizza she says, 'No, you can't get it. Money doesn't grow on trees, Canyon.’ And so I asked her where does the money grow and can we go there and pick some?" She looks at me innocently, and I try not to laugh.

"Well, money doesn’t grow on trees, Canyon. In fact, money is quite hard to come by."

"But you have a lot of money."

"Why would you think that?" I ask, wondering if Karen had some sort of ruse to get a hold of my fortune. She had to know that Canyon would be well taken care of. I immediately dismiss the thought because if Karen is after money, she would have contacted me a lot earlier on and likely taken me to court for child support.

"Because Mommy told me you have lots and lots of money and because I'm your daughter, you'll share some with me. She said that if I wanted to go to Harvan or something, she might not be able to pay, so I might not be able to go. But if I'm a good girl with you, you might pay for me."

"Harvard,” I correct her automatically. “Canyon, don’t worry about college. You just do your best in school, and I'll definitelytake care of it." I frown slightly but try to hold back my frustration. I don't really appreciate Karen having had that conversation with Canyon, but I realize that I'm in no position to be upset. Maybe she's been struggling for years. A feeling of guilt washes over me.

I continue walking down the corridor to my office, with Canyon traipsing happily beside me. I'm glad that she's young enough to not really dwell on the challenges of life for too long.

I'm surprised to see Juniper sitting there at the desk, looking like a breath of fresh air on a dewy morning.

“Morning, Mr. Parker,” she says with a nod, and I see a flash of something in her eyes. Is she mad at me? "Morning, Canyon."

"Morning, Juniper." Canyon runs up to her desk with wild hair. She’s taken out her pigtails and created her own style. My lips tremble at the sight. She’s so cute. "How are you this morning?" she asks in her sweet, polite voice.

"I'm good, but what are you doing here? Don't you have school today?" Juniper looks up at me with an accusing glance like I'm already failing as a dad.

"I do have school, but Daddy has an important meeting, and he said I needed to come here first, and then he's gonna take me to school."

"Oh, okay." Juniper looks at me. "You know you can drop the kids off early at school. There's a program for working parents."

"No, I didn't know that. How do you know that? I thought you didn't know much about kids?"

"I don't, but I grew up in New York, and my dad was a single dad who had to work, and oftentimes I had to go to school early," she says. "But I'm sure your meeting with Mr. Gallagher will be quick, and you can get her to school on time.”

“I’m sure it will be quick, as well." Though we both know that's not necessarily true. Liam Gallagher is one of the firm’smost important clients. He is a self-made billionaire from England, though I believe his parents were Irish. He owns businesses all over the world, and I take care of the contracts for those businesses. So, when Liam Gallagher wants to talk, I make sure that I'm ready. "I'm just gonna go into the office now." I look at Juniper and then smile at Canyon. "Would you like to come inside with me and see my office?"

"I want to hang out with Juniper," Canyon says, and I look over at Juniper to see if she's gonna be upset.

"That's fine," she says, smiling. "I'm just going through some files, so I don't need too much quiet."

"If you're sure," I say, and she nods. I’m not sure if she really means it, but at this point, I don't have time to figure it out. "Thanks, Juniper. You’re the best.”

“I know!” she says in a teasing voice. “I’m the best assistant ever.” There’s a slight edge to her tone, and I pause for a moment, wondering if she’s being sarcastic, but I shrug and head into the office instead of furthering the conversation. If something needs to be said, it’s not a good idea for it to be said in front of Canyon.

I take a seat behind my desk, open my laptop, and wait for my emails to load. I can't help but think of Juniper as I stare through the glass windows and watch as she whispers something to Canyon. It must have been funny because Canyon is bent over giggling and hitting her palms against her legs. I wonder what she said. Is it about me?

Juniper must have sensed me watching because she stands up and heads to my door and opens it. "Hey, I’m just gonna take Canyon to the break room, get her some milk and maybe a doughnut. Is that okay?"

"Sure, that's fine," I say, nodding. "Appreciate it."

"No worries, Mr. Parker," she says. "A good assistant always makes sure to do the best job possible." There she goes again,using the wordsgood assistant. She closes the door and heads down the hallway, and I try to think why she's being like this. Wouldn't she appreciate the fact that I think she's the best assistant in the firm? I sigh as I click on my top email. It's from Liam.

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