After Eleven: Liv & Callum

Last Halloween (Callum)

Callum

I hate arguing with Liv. As a rule, we don't and I think that's why I feel a vague sort of itchiness as I watch her leave to go pick up Olivia. Seeing her come out of the shower this morning made me realize how long it's been since we had enough alone time to just be two people who love each other.

Despite my jumpiness, I still watch her round ass and shapely legs as she walks out of the door. She looks a little more muscular than she did a few weeks ago, and I wonder if she's been working out more. Between being a supermom to Annie and trying to pull in more clients for her freelance data analyst business, I'm not sure how she would find the time.

That reminds me of a thought I had during our snit this morning, and I pulled out my phone to make a call. I take an extra moment to look my my screensaver; it's a photo that I took of Liv and Annie last Halloween. Annie went as a ladybug and made Liv dress up like a bumblebee because of a movie we had watched about animated bugs. Liv was holding Annie and making goofy buzzing noises and Annie was just about losing her little baby mind about how funny her mom is. I was walking behind them at the perfect moment to capture a truly beautiful interaction between mother and daughter.

I wasn't lying to Liv when I told her that I miss my family all the time, but I'm also thinking of the little beach cottage that Liv wants, hopefully welcoming a sibling for Annie, and sending however many children we have to school or helping them get a good start in life. I can support them better if I can prove the the firm partners that I have what it takes to pull in a client like CXE. I might be looking at my own partner position and I can't ignore something like that. We'll get through this, and I'll put in for PTO today so that I can surprise my girls with a trip away or something.

I made a mental note to email my boss about some time off after our CXE pitch, which I have more than earned.

I opened up the text thread with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. We've used it to plan surprises or gifts for Liv before, but I need it for something a bit extra today.

Me: SOS. I screwed up majorly last night because of a work commitment and I need to make it up to Liv. Is there a day this weekend when one of you could keep Annie for the night? If so I will kiss your feet and buy you something very expensive for your next birthday.

Andrea: If you agree to keep your mouth far away from my toes then yes, i would love to keep my niece on Saturday night.

Carla: Callum do not talk about feet. Very gross.

Every day I am thankful that I lucked out with my in-laws.

Me: Done. Mouth will stay a minimum of 100 feet from feet at all times.

Me: Seriously, I really appreciate it. I'm requesting PTO a few weeks from now so Liv and I can return the favor and keep all the cousins for a night or 2

Carla: Andrea, Grandma would love to stop by and make everyone dinner.

Andrea: I will take my shiny gift and the promise of childcare. What time do you want to drop her off?

Me: 7?

Andrea: Sounds good. What are you and Liv doing?

Me: Not sure yet, and looking to keep this a surprise from Liv. Messed up bad enough to need a gesture.

Carla: Best of luck, sweet boy.

With that taken care of, I switch over to my work email while I finish my coffee. Only 17 new emails since I stopped checking it yesterday. In all honesty, I left my phone in my office when I went to join everyone in the common area for happy hour. I wish I could say that I forgot but Liv's call yesterday freaked me out and the thought of coming home and having a scary conversation was the last thing that I wanted. Lately, all I want to do is come home, kiss my daughter, and snuggle up to my wife before passing out. I haven't gotten to do those things much recently because of work, but I know that we'll get back into it.

I have three separate emails from Emily, all about tweaks that we could make to our proposal. We're pitching our design, management, and consulting firm to CXE, one of the largest commercial real estate equity firms in our area. We want to show that we're ready to design, oversee, and then manage a portfolio of 11 different buildings through revitalization efforts and major construction projects. This would be a game-changer for me and the firm and would keep us busy and expanding for years.

I fire off a few quick responses to Emily with preliminary thoughts on the tweaks that she wants to make. She's been a real asset to me and this team since we brought her on. She was also at the happy hour last night where we spent most of the night talking about this project, meaning that she would have been up incredibly late to pitch me ideas with basic outlines and supporting figures. I checked and can see that the last email she sent came through at 2:17 am. I have got to give her a raise and then discuss the importance of proper sleep because I know that she'll also beat me to the office. Having someone who understands my drive and passion has been great, and I find myself leaning more and more on Emily for major parts of this project.

I assume that Jaime made a comment to my wife about Emily and the inside joke we have. Emily and I both know that it doesn't mean anything, just a fun way to rib each other about how much time we respectively spend at the office. I'm happy to call my boss my work grandfather, but somehow I don't think that it would go over as well with him. I'm also a bit annoyed at the idea of Jaime and my wife gossiping about one of my coworkers. On top of being new to our team, Emily is also young and that kind of gossip can travel back to the subject. That could result in an annoying HR situation for everyone, so I'll need to chat with Jaime today.

With that fun conversation on my mind, I put my empty coffee mug in the sink and head out the door.