Page 33 of A Foolish Work Flirtation

“Hey, you’re up late.” The sound of her voice makes me smile.

I laugh. “You’re up early.”

She groans. “I didn’t sleep well. I’ve constant nausea. The only thing that helps is eating.”

I strip off my clothing and put on a T-shirt. “Be careful with that.”

“I’ve lost weight. I feel better eating, but most of it comes up.”

I slip between cool sheets and adjust the pillow under my head. “What is the size of your baby this week?”

“A fig. I can’t wait for it to be an avocado. By then, the morning sickness should end.”

I close my eyes. “Did Tallulah have a good pre-holiday week with you and Foster?”

My sister yawns loudly. “She did. She turned nine recently and loves the Natural History Museum. We also did all the touristy things with her. It took my mind off of feeling so sick.”

I can feel my body relax. “Did you and Foster have a romantic Christmas Eve after putting her on a plane back to her mom?”

“We did but we’re always a little sad to say goodbye, but we’ll see her when we return to London in two weeks.”

I close my eyes. “She is a lovely child.”

“How are you?” Ivy asks.

“Everything is fine here. But I do miss being home for the holidays.” I think of all the traditions I’m missing. Decorating the tree and giving each other books.

Ivy says, “Mom will make you a box and ship it to your apartment. I’m sure it will have a bit of Christmas in it. I’ll include some snapshots and unforgettable quotes.”

I smile. “I’ve discovered I hate being away on the holidays.”

I hear her moving about her kitchen, probably putting together breakfast. She says, “I know Kate appreciates everything you’re doing for her. I saw her briefly in the hospital. She said that by taking over, you bailed her out. She can’t wait to heal and fly off on her next tour.”

My sister’s voice is warm and reassuring. I start to get sleepy. “I’ve tried her a couple of times, but her mom said she was resting both times.”

Ivy takes a sip of water. “She looks good. She is healing. But still in pain. The elbow must be difficult to repair.”

I stretch out and turn on my side. “It was a freak accident. So, unlike her. She’s been doing these adventure tours for a few years. I get the impression that they are physically daunting. But then she comes home for vacation and breaks her elbow.”

Ivy clears her throat. “Are you worried? You’re such a bookworm. And always in a classroom.”

I look up at the ceiling. “I don’t have many survival skills. If I had grown up in a different family, I might be more adventurous. The only things I can do are swim, ride a bike, and run.”

Ivy laughs. “You’re good at dance and yoga.”

I keep my voice down and say, “That won’t help me in the woods or scaling mountains. Or learning to scuba dive.”

“It’s okay that you’re not good at adventures. Just come home. You did handle the wedding last minute for Kate. Maybe that is enough.”

I hug my arms close to my body. “That’s the strange thing. I want to go on adventures and learn new things. My everyday life is somewhat boring. Doing this requires me to step out of my comfort zone.”

“Your students will miss you.”

I feel a pang of guilt. I miss them. Spending every day with them makes them feel like an extension of my family. I become entrenched in their struggles.

“My supervisor told me that a teacher who went on maternity leave a year ago was desperate to return. They hired her back. So, they prefer I take the rest of the semester off instead of taking thirty days. It’ll be less jarring for the students. So right now, I’m set to return in September.”

“So, you won’t have a job when you come back? How will you pay your bills?” She sounds worried.

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