Chapter 5
One week later, Lucy felt confident as she stood outside the four-story brick building housing the offices of The IT Group, the consulting company she worked for. The building was part of a cluster of rowhouses now converted into office buildings.
Last week, she had been a bundle of nerves, starting a new job while worrying her daughter would be miserable at her new school. Despite her angst, the first day had gone well for both of them. Lucy quickly found her groove at work, finding her co-workers easygoing and loving the laid-back atmosphere of the Irish work scene.
Kaylee’s experience almost mirrored her mother’s. She discovered the school environment to be relaxed, and the kids eager to make a new friend.
Smoothing down her skirt, Lucy ascended the steps and opened the bright red door. She loved the brightly painted doors on these beautiful Georgian townhouse buildings. It was modern and mixed into the rich history of the city. From her desk by the window, she could hear the traffic along the road in her office; occasionally, there came the faint clip-clopping of the horse-drawn carriage tours, reminding her of how life must have been long ago.
Once inside the building, she dropped her coat and purse on the desk and walked into the small kitchen a co-worker had called the canteen. The kitchen had a coffee pod machine similar to the one Abbey owned; there was none of that instant coffee here. The coffee pods sat perfectly arranged in a revolving stand, adding to the organized and inviting vibe of the office. Rotating the stand, she examined each pod, settling on a vanilla-flavored one. She popped it into the machine, placed a mug underneath, and set it to brew.
While she waited, she busied herself by tidying up the counter. After tossing stray stir sticks and empty sugar packets into the garbage, she pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and wiped the counter clean.
Once the coffee finished brewing, she pulled a small carton of milk from the fridge, adding a splash to her cup, along with one sugar packet. She cleaned up her mess and carried the steaming cup back toward her desk.
“Saunders! Conference room.”
Lucy jolted. Hot coffee spilled over the side of the cup, splashing onto her hand.
Lucy held back a curse. “Be right there!” She called through gritted teeth.
Backtracking to the kitchen, she set the cup down and ran her hand under cold water. Thankfully, the burn was minimal, but she had lost half her coffee. There was no time to make more.
With the mug wiped clean, she hurried toward the opposite side of the room, carefully navigating through the maze of cubicles. A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach as the big corner office loomed before her. Her residency in Ireland depended on this job; she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. The man on the other side of the glass door could change her future with a snap of his fingers. Desmond O’Neill, President of The IT Group, was kind and generous while holding an air of serious professionalism.
Lucy took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered the room. Desmond sat hunched over his laptop and didn’t look up when she walked in.
“Sit,” he said, motioning toward the row of chairs across the table from him.
Lucy sat.
“We’re moving half this office to the second floor,” he said, jumping straight to the point while staring at the screen.
Lucy wasn’t sure if she should respond as silence drug on for several minutes.
Finally, he glanced over at her and continued. “We’ve just finished installing a section of new servers downstairs, and we need to migrate the entire office to those servers.” Desmond liked to move his hands when he spoke, flaying his wrists around in the air. “Bigger, faster, better. And then we’ll need to move a few of our customers, but I’m getting ahead of myself.”
Lucy frowned. Migration. Her worst nightmare.
“It’s shite, but it’s a big opportunity for you,” he said, noticing the look on her face.
She raised a brow.
“I’m giving you the lead on this project.”
“Me? But I’m the newbie,” Lucy said.
“You came highly recommended.” Desmond waved her words away and slid a plastic folder across the table. “Proposed plans. I’ve already assembled the team for you. You and your team will be moving upstairs today. There are a few desks and chairs, but all the computers are in boxes. I leave it to you to set the space up however your team suits. Prep the team, make a plan, do the work, and prepare for the migration as soon as possible.”
Lucy leaned back, staring at the ceiling, her brain in full planning mode. “It’s going to take some time. We don’t have the office space set up, I’ll need to consult with the server team, we need to test everything repeatedly, transfer data….”
“I don’t need the specifics,” Desmond cut her off. “I only need a timeline and assurance this is something you can do.”
Lucy straightened in the chair. “I can do it.”
“Good,” Desmond continued. “I’ve emailed the team members, and they’re ready on your command. I’ll send up Rob to help configure the space. Necessary contacts are in the folders. I’ll need the strategic plan in a fortnight.”
Lucy furrowed her brows. “A what?”
“A fortnight,” Desmond repeated, turning his attention back to his laptop. “This is a huge project; you’ll be rewarded handsomely once it is completed.”
Lucy leaned forward. “Rewarded?”
“A promotion,” Desmond replied. “Systems Admin. Manager. Keep that in mind while setting up the office space.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. While it would be a massive project, the opportunity to move up the ladder within a few weeks of starting a new job was mind-blowing.
Desmond studied the perplexed look on her face. “Your credentials are impeccable. You’ve proven to be a self-starter from day one. I’ve been bragging to the big bosses, so let’s show them you deserve a promotion.”
“Thank you,” Lucy said, still in shock.
“Don’t make me regret this.” Desmond waved his hand in dismissal.
Twenty minutes later, Lucy stood alone in a large room with only two empty desks. It was hard to believe she was tasked with transforming this space into a bustling hub of activity. She placed her laptop and the folder on one desk and searched for a chair.
Once comfortable, she opened the file, curious about her new team.
“It’s quiet up here.”
Lucy jumped at the interruption. “You scared me.”
Her brother-in-law and co-worker, Rob, grinned. “Sorry.”
Lucy set down the file. “It’s a little eerie up here, to be honest.”
Rob sat on the edge of the desk. “I had a quick debriefing with Des; this is a brilliant opportunity for you, Lucy.”
Lucy blew out a breath. “I know, it really is. Of course, this project means longer hours for a few weeks, probably a few nights, and maybe some weekends. I’ll have less time with Kaylee.”
“Aye, but a big promotion once it”s all done,” Rob reminded her. “Don’t forget you have a team; use them, delegate; no sense taking everything on yourself. Things are more laid back here; there are time constraints, but we like to be home for dinner; no one will expect you to burn the midnight oil. We work normal hours, with overtime only when it’s essential. Remember that.”
Lucy sighed. “Old habits are hard to kick. That reminds me, I have a dumb question for you. What is a fortnight?”
Rob chuckled. “Two weeks. You’ll hear that a lot here. We get paid fortnightly, come back in a fortnight, finish this or that in a fortnight. It loosely means two weeks, but remember, we’re relaxed here, so it could be three.”
Lucy nodded. “Desmond wants the strategic plan in a fortnight.”
“He’s a good boss; he understands there is loads of work to be done, and he doesn’t want a rush job.” Rob jumped off the desk and studied the room. “Enough chit-chat; we best get started. We’ll need to map out the room configuration and set up all these desks and computers.”
*********
Lucy rushed through the door, shaking out of her jacket. “I’m late, I know. I’m sorry.”
Laughter drifted from the kitchen.
Lucy glanced behind her at Rob. “Sounds like they haven’t even noticed we’re late.”
Rob shrugged. “Maybe we should sneak off to the pub to celebrate your victory.”
“I’m not promoted yet,” Lucy said, hanging her coat and heading into the kitchen.
Opening her mouth to issue another apology, she quickly shut it as she entered the scene. Abbey, Kaylee, and Lola stood, covered in white powder, around a powder-coated counter. A bag of flour lay on its side, its contents spilling into a pile at their feet.
Abbey was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. “This is a failed attempt at biscuit-making,” she said between breaths.
“Flour bombs,” Kaylee added, brushing powder off her shirt.
“Never turn a fan on next to a pile of flour.” Lola burst into a fit of giggles.
Lucy furrowed her brows. “A fan? Why would you have a fan on the counter?”
Rob glanced at the mess and frowned. “That’s a loaded question.” By the look on his face, he wasn’t amused.
Abbey rolled her eyes at his comment and pulled a broom from the utility closet. “You girls tackle the counter; I’ll get the floor.”
Lola and Kaylee continued laughing as they scooped flour into the trash can.
Lucy set her laptop bag on the table and sat on a stool near the counter. “So, how was everyone’s day?”
“Great,” Lola replied. “We moved seats in class. I sit next to Julia, one of my best friends.”
Abbey sighed. “Oh great. I hope you don’t get in trouble for talking too much again this year.”
Lola made a face at her mom.
“I think you two are making a bigger mess,” Abbey protested. “Is any of that flour making it into the bin? It looks like half landed on the floor I just swept.”
Lola shrugged. “Then, do this area last.”
“Or, better yet, you two do it.” Abbey leaned the broom against the counter. “I need to get these mangled biscuits in the oven and start dinner.”
“And how was your day, Kaylee?” Lucy tried to sound nonchalant.
Kaylee grabbed the discarded broom. “It was good. I hung out with this girl Chloe in yard.”
Lucy sighed with relief. “That’s nice to hear. I’m glad you’re not on your own. How is your teacher? What is her name?”
“Aidan. It’s a man.” Kaylee swept around Lola’s feet. A pile of flour dropped off the counter, landing on the spot she had just cleaned. “Hey, watch it.”
Lola laughed, mischievously sprinkling another handful of flour onto the floor. Kaylee shot her cousin an annoyed look but couldn’t hide the smile tugging the corners of her mouth.
Abbey pushed the tray of biscuits into the oven. “This mess will never get cleaned with you two running things.”
Lucy ignored the chaos. “I’m amused you call your teacher by his first name. We would never have gotten away with that in my day.”
“It’s a very laid-back school,” Abbey commented, then pursed her lips in thought. “Aidan. I’m not familiar with that name. Is he new this year?”
Kaylee shrugged. “Everyone is new to me.”
Abbey made a face. “Funny.”
“I should help with dinner,” Lucy said. “It’s bad enough I’m late.”
“No, no, you’re grand; stay seated.” Abbey waved her off. “The girls and I have dinner sorted.”
“You’re grand? Sorted?” Lucy was still getting used to the standard terms.
Abbey patted Lucy’s hand. “Give it time, my dear sister; you’ll speak like a true oy-rish person in no time.”
“Spot on with that accent, Mom.” Lola’s voice oozed with sarcasm. She gave her mother an overly dramatic wink and formed the OK gesture with her fingers.
Abbey tousled her daughter’s hair. “Are you the accent police?”
Lola shrugged and playfully stuck out her tongue while Kaylee dumped the last bits of flour into the trash.
“It’s like nothing happened,” Abbey marveled. “Dinner should be ready soon. Do you girls have homework?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Lola grumbled. “We’ll go work on it.”
“And maybe put on some clean shirts,” Abbey called. “Please don’t drip flour all over the carpet.”
Kaylee and Lola looked down at their flour-dusted clothes and burst into another fit of giggles as they hurried up the stairs.
“So, I have some big news,” Lucy said once the girls were out of sight. “I got the lead on a big project at work.”
“Oh, Lucy, that’s great.”
“I’ve been told it could lead to a big promotion.”
Abbey looked impressed. “Wow, fair play to you, and you’ve only been there a few weeks.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “I know. It’s a huge and somewhat complicated project; lots of work. I see many late nights in my future, and I already feel guilty about it.”
Abbey shrugged. “Don’t. This is huge for you, and if it leads to a promotion, it will be worth all those extra hours.”
“I feel like I’m pawning Kaylee off on you.”
Abbey waved her off. “Please, Lola is over the moon to have Kaylee here every night. Most nights, it”s me and her on our own. You probably see Rob more than I do.”
Lucy smiled. “Funny you say that; I worked most of today with your husband. It’s the most I’ve seen him around the office,” Lucy spoke louder, intentionally tilting her head toward the living room. “I was beginning to doubt he actually worked there.”
“Haha!” Rob called from the living room. “I’m so good they have me working in multiple departments.”
“Maybe no one wants to work with you,” Lucy teased. “They have no choice but to keep moving you.”
Rob entered the room, grinning. “Funny. Just remember you’re stuck with me all day tomorrow. Unlike me, the boss doesn’t trust you to be on your own.”
“You think I can’t configure hard drives? You do know I’m heading up an entire migration project.”
Abbey threw her head back. “Oh no! Not another one. Nerd talk alert.”
Lucy laughed, giving Rob a friendly punch in the arm.
“You could talk nerdy too if you cared enough to learn some of the terms,” Rob’s playful tone evaporated.
“I’ve tried.” Abbey shrugged. “I just don’t understand computer talk. Besides, I convinced Lucy to move here so you would have someone to talk nerdy with.”
Rob’s eyes darkened; he opened his mouth as if to say something but instead pursed his lips together.
“You’re stuck with me for the next few days.” Lucy elbowed him playfully in the arm, turning back to Abbey. “We’ll keep the tech talk for the office.”
“I need to shower,” Rob said gruffly, abruptly retreating up the stairs.
Abbey turned toward the sink and concentrated on scrubbing a mixing bowl.
Lucy had caught the glistening in her sister’s eyes. “Is everything alright with you two?”
Abbey continued scrubbing, keeping her back to Lucy. “We’re fine.”
Lucy tilted her head to one side and raised her eyebrows.
Abbey stopped scrubbing, her back still turned. “He gets cranky sometimes,” Abbey said, staring into the sink. “I feel like he’s mad at me, but I don’t know what I did.”
“I’m the last person to ask for relationship advice.”
“I’m not asking for advice,” Abbey snapped, dropping the bowl and placing her hands on the edge of the sink. “I’m venting.”
“Okay,” Lucy mumbled.
Abby turned, drying her hands on a towel. Her tone turned soft. “Sometimes, I feel like I don’t have anyone to talk to you. I can’t vent my frustration to Lola; she’s eleven. And I can’t complain to my husband about––my husband.”
“Okay?”
“I want that kind of relationship with you.” Abbey looked across the counter at Lucy. “A real sister-like relationship. The kind you see in movies, where we talk about everything, laugh, and cry together.”Abbey sighed. “We used to be so close, and asking you to move here was selfish on my part. Remember how things were when the girls were small? I cherished those days when we were close and building a good bond. But every time Jeremy came back into the picture, begging you to give him another chance, you tossed everything we had aside and ran off with him.”
Lucy hung her head. “I know.”
“Then, he would leave, and we would start building our relationship again, only to have you abandon me when he showed back up. Somehow, I’m always the one getting left behind, and I–please don’t leave this time.”
Lucy was speechless, surprised by the desperation and pain on Abbey’s face. For years, all Lucy had wanted was to protect Abbey; she had worked endlessly so her little sister wouldn’t see the hell they were both trapped in. When Rob entered the picture, Lucy saw him as Abbey’s savior and felt she could finally let her sister go. At this moment, she realized Abbey’s world wasn’t as perfect as it had always seemed.
Lucy reached across for Abbey’s hand. “I’ve always been here for you, but I’m not going anywhere this time. Besides, I don’t have anywhere to go.”
Abbey gave a small smile. “I want you to know how much I need you to be in my life. I feel you need to know that, too.”
“Thank you,” Lucy whispered.
Abbey leaned back and blew out a breath. “I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster lately. I’m trying to start a new company with some colleagues, and the dynamic in our house is changing. It’s hard starting something new.”
Lucy nodded. “Oh, I know all about that.”
“Rob isn’t always the most understanding person,” Abbey confessed. “We love each other but know how to push each other’s buttons. He laughs and jokes with you so easily and then snaps at me. It hurts. I feel like a child watching my best friend run off to play with someone new.”
“Are you jealous because I joke around with Rob?” Lucy asked. “I hope you know he’s like a brother to me.”
Abbey straightened. “I know. I’m not jealous you two will run off together or anything. I’m jealous of the connection the two of you have always had.” Abbey’s eyes glistened again. “I know he feels protective over you, and I think you need that. You need a man who watches out for you instead of using you. But I’m scared to be left behind. I’m scared you two will team up and tease me or look down on me because I’m not as smart as you are. I’m scared you’ll always take his side.”
Lucy met Abbey’s tearful gaze. “Oh gosh, Abbey, I will always take your side. You’re my sister; we’re blood.”
“That’s all I need to know, then.” Abbey shrugged, wiping at her eyes. “Sorry, I’m so hormonal right now. I need chocolate and a heating pad.”
“After dinner, we’ll drink wine, eat chocolate, and talk about boys.” Lucy batted her lashes.
“I love all of that, except the boys part.” Abbey turned toward the oven. “I would much rather hear about this new project you’re in charge of. Maybe you can teach me a few techie terms.”
“You’re on!”