Page 44 of 5+Us Makes Seven

“He’s a good friend of mine. I hired him when my wife was pregnant with Joshua.”

“Ah, so he’s a former employee of yours. Did you treat him to dinners like this as well?” I asked.

“No, I did not.”

“So who’s big news should go first?” I asked.

“Let’s go with yours. I’m dying to hear about what has you squirming around so badly.”

“I’m not squirming,” I said.

“You couldn’t stop moving in the car,” he said as he poured me a glass of wine.

“Thank you. Okay. Fine. So… I finally heard back from Clark.”

“This is the team leader in Africa, right?” he asked.

“Yes. Him. After months of silent emails, he finally got back to me. And guess where he is?”

“Bria?”

“Yes. The team went back. Apparently, Bria’s being liberated.”

“Wait a second, that’s great news, Natasha.”

“And it gets better. He’s been sending me all of these pictures and videos of the kids I worked with. You should see them. They’ve grown so much since I left.”

“Do you have pictures of them? Could I see?” he asked.

“I’ll forward some of them to you. They’re priceless. But they’re setting up all sorts of things. Freshwater wells and latrines. Medical tents that have gone undisturbed for weeks. Weeks, Carter. Weeks without pushing back because of gunfire.”

“That’s incredible, Natasha.”

“They’ve been established in the area for so long that they’re even building a school for the kids. A school. With books that have been donated and supplies that have been purchased with money they’ve been able to raise. It’s incredible what they’re doing.”

“I know you’ve been trying to get in touch with him for a long time. I’m glad you heard back from him,” he said.

“Oh, Carter. It gets so much better.”

“How does it get much better than that? Your efforts succeeded.”

“They want my efforts to continue!”

“I don’t follow,” he said.

“They want to hire me on at the head of the program they’re establishing there. They loved my enthusiasm the first time around and my excitement for everything Clark has been showing me has apparently been infectious.”

“They want to hire you,” Carter said.

“They have the funds and everything. It’s be

en insane what they’ve been able to accomplish. They want someone with my expertise to head up the program and, specifically, look over the school and make sure it takes off the way they want it to.”

“But you would have to go back to Africa.”

“For a time. I’d be flying back and forth during the next several months. Being the head of the program means I’d not only be hands-on in Bria, I’d also be in meetings and things, rallying for funds for the team and their work back here in corporate-land. It’s… the opportunity of a lifetime, Carter. And they gave it to me.”

“Did you accept?” he asked.

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