Page 57 of Not My Finest Hour

A wide smile spreads across her face. “Really?”

I nod. “I’m still very early in the pregnancy, but I thought you should know as soon as possible in case this pregnancy doesn’t go smoothly, or if I get morning sickness, or something like that.”

“That’s wonderful news! All this morning I thought you were going to tell me that you were leaving this office. This is so much better than that,” she says, her smile never dissipating.

Her smile is infectious, and I can’t help but respond with one of my own. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Anything you need, just let me know. And if you ever need a day off or time off for doctor’s appointments, don’t hesitate to ask. Alexis and I can cover things here for you.”

I almost laugh because I highly doubt Alexis would be willing to cover the front desk for me. But I leave it alone because I don’t want to be the cause of a rift between the two of them.

“Do you have a doctor already? If not, I can recommend a few for you.”

“I could use a recommendation. My last ob-gyn was great, but I think I want someone different for this baby.” No need to mention my real reason for switching. I’d rather not think about him right now.

“The doctor at the top of my recommendation list is someone whose office is only a few blocks away from here. She’s a dear friend and is really great with new moms. I send all my pregnant patients to her because she’s so good at making new mothers feel at ease. She’s very supportive of whatever kind of birth you choose to have, and won’t pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”

“She sounds lovely. I’d love to have her name,” I say.

Kim gives me her contact information and leaves the room, giving me some privacy to call their office. I wasn’t expecting to make an appointment right now, but I should probably take care of it sooner rather than later. And when I call, I take their first available appointment for Thursday morning.

Kim comes back a few minutes later. “Were you able to get an appointment?”

“I was. Thank you for allowing me the time to do that. Thursday morning was the earliest they had, and I was wondering if it would be okay to come in late that day.”

“Sure! Take all the time you need. We’ll be fine here.” I stand up to leave her office, but she stops me. “I know it’s very early to be saying this, but I want to put it out there that if you want to continue working, even part time after the baby is born, we’d love to keep you here. When my children were young, I loved spending as much time with them as possible. But I also wanted some time to myself away from them, which sounds harsh. However, it was that time away that made me a better parent. It made me appreciate them more because I wasn’t with them all the time. Does that make sense?” she asks, looking unsure of herself.

I nod. “It does. And thank you for allowing me the option. It’s nice to have a boss as understanding as you are.”

Later that day, as I’m packing up and getting ready to leave, Alexis approaches my desk.

“Dahlia, it’s a good thing I caught you before you left,” she says, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

Just the sight of her raises my hackles, and I wait for whatever snide remark is going to come out of her mouth. But there’s something about her posture, something that hints at a lack of confidence. It’s an unusual look for her, and one I’m not used to. “What is it?” I ask, wanting to get this interaction over with so I can go home.

“I wanted to let you know that I overheard you talking to Kim today.”

Was she eavesdropping on my conversation? I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I want to have a private conversation with Kim. Knowing Alexis and how she operates, she’s probably plotting a way to use my pregnancy against me. I must be making a face because she looks concerned all of a sudden.

“I promise I wasn’t listening in on purpose. I only overheard parts of your conversation, but it wasn’t hard to piece it all together.” She straightens the cuffs on her sleeves and tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I wanted to let you know that I’m really happy for you.”

“Really?” I can’t believe that just came out of her mouth. I have to stop myself from staring at her too hard.

“Yes, and if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Alexis. I appreciate that—a lot.”

“And now, here’s the real reason I came up here to talk to you,” she says, handing over a stack of papers. “Whenever you get a chance tomorrow, I need you to file these for me.”

And there’s the Alexis that I know. I knew her niceness couldn’t last. I reach for the stack of papers, and before I can take them from her, she takes them back.

“I’m kidding,” she says with a grin. “I don’t actually need you to file anything for me. I can do it myself.”

Oh, my God. Alexis has a humorous side. I never thought it possible that she could say anything other than mean things to me. But to have her be nice…and funny at the same time? Wow. I should play the lottery today. I like this new side of Alexis. It’s a shame it took me getting pregnant to experience it.

“That was a good one. I definitely fell for it,” I say.

“I knew you would,” she says, still grinning. “I’m not stupid. I know how you feel about me, and that’s my fault. I haven’t been nice or made things easy for you, but I want to start over. I’m hoping we can get along. And if I ever do or say anything to make you feel bad or less than, I want you to let me know.”

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