39. Mason
Chapter 39
Mason
August 2023
I’m moving back home.
I have to.
Spending this weekend with Callie and seeing my parents solidified the fact that moving back to Georgia is a need. It’s no longer a want.
Now, to figure out how I am going to make this happen. I guess the first thing I should do is discuss this with my partner since he’ll be a big part of making this work. Thankfully we are both in the office, so I walk over to my nightstand to grab my phone and send him a quick text.
Me : Good morning, Logan. I’d like to meet with you today to discuss something pretty big. Nothing bad, just something I’ve been thinking about, and want to see where you stand with the idea.
I put my phone on my dresser and continue getting ready for work. After taking a shower I grab the white shirt and black slacks that I laid out and get dressed. Walking around my bed I grab my phone off the dresser, I notice there’s a reply from Logan.
Logan : Uh oh. Sounds intense. I’ve got a client meeting at 11 this morning, but other than that I believe my day is free. Just let me know what time works best for you.
Me : How about we plan to meet around 1? I’ve got some client work to get done this morning but as of right now, my afternoon is just emails and such.
Logan : Sounds good. See you at one.
I slide my phone into my pocket and walk down the hallway to the living room. I grab my shoes by the door and put them on before grabbing my bag and making my way to work.
Logan and I are set to meet in just over ten minutes. Grabbing my phone and laptop, I head towards our conference room. I’m nervous to bring this up to him. I don’t want him to think this is a bad idea. Or for him to tell me he’s not comfortable with the idea.
During my meeting with Logan, I received a call informing me that I had an upcoming meeting with a new client in just fifteen minutes. I'm not sure how I overlooked it in my calendar. Luckily, by that point, Logan and I had already covered the essential details of the meeting, and we agreed to discuss the remaining points at a later time. He’s going to talk to his lender and try to see how long it will take to get the paperwork together and get back to me. He hasn’t been with me long, but I know that he’ll do amazing work even after I’m gone. He’s a trustworthy person who stands behind every one of his clients confidently.
Said new client, Mr. Hinton, had unrealistic expectations for his case. I attempted to explain to him that the requirements of his case could not be fulfilled within the time frame he had hoped for. However, my explanation only seemed to irritate him further, causing him to raise his voice. This is one of the parts of being a lawyer that isn’t talked about much nor is it a fun part of the job.
I did my best to de-escalate the situation by assuring him that I would review his case thoroughly and would be in contact with him tomorrow with a suitable time frame. He was happy with my proposal, and we ended the meeting on a positive note.
Walking out of that meeting I decided I was leaving early. I needed to get some space. I grabbed his case files off the table and placed them in my work bag. Sometimes taking your work home is the best-case scenario.
I let Logan know that I would be finishing the rest of my day remotely and that if he needed anything not to hesitate to reach out.
I made my way through the office toward the front door, stopping to speak with our secretary.
"Lizzy, I will be working remotely the rest of the day. Can you please have my calls forwarded to my cell, please?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Ward. Have a great day."
"Thank you. You as well. See you tomorrow."
The first thing I do once I’m back home is change out of my work clothes. When I am working from home I tend to be a lot more casual than I am in the office. Unless of course, I have a video meeting… but we all know dressing appropriately from the waist up is all we have to do on those days.
After changing into some sweats and a t-shirt I pull out Mr. Hinton’s case and begin to comb through it trying to come up with the best solution and a time frame I think will work best in both of our favors. I’m thumbing through page after page when I’m startled by the ringing of a phone. I jump to grab it off the kitchen counter and see Cal’s name plastered across the top of my screen.
“Hey, Cal.”
“You sound… well, like you’ve had a rough day. You good?”
“It’s been an extremely long day, but it’s just work stuff. How are you?”
“If you want to talk about it we can. I’m doing alright. Got off work a little late but now I’m getting ready to eat the Chinese take-out I grabbed on the way home.”
“No, it’s okay. I was working on a case when you called but now that I see it’s after 6:00 I need to put it away for the night.”
Cal and I talk for over an hour before hanging up. I’m realizing now that I should have fixed myself something to eat. My stomach is not so kindly letting me know that it’s hungry. I guess I’ll eat leftovers since it’s too late to make anything then I’ll grab a shower and maybe dig Mr. Hinton’s case back out before I lay down to sleep.
I’m lying in bed later that night when my phone rings. Part of me doesn’t want to bother but the other part of me knows that I should, at the very least, check to see who it is. Callie already called me today, so it’s probably not her. I grab my phone off the nightstand and notice that it’s my mom.
“Hey, ma.”
“Hey Mason. How’re you doing?”
“I’m doing good. Work has been keeping me busy, thankfully.”
“Oh, that’s good. Have you put any more thought into your plan to move home? I know that you had mentioned needing to discuss it with Logan before you made any permanent decisions.”
“Logan and I spoke this afternoon. He’s making arrangements to meet with his lender. We won’t know anything more until he hears back from them. But he’s willing to move forward with my plan to have him buy me out, so I’m hoping that the news from his lender will be positive.”
“Oh, Mason. I hope this goes well for both of you. I know how badly you want this. If there’s anything that your dad or I can do, please don’t hesitate to let us know.”
“I will, Ma. How are you and Dad doing?”
“We’re doing ok. Josh and his family were down this past weekend and helped out some around the house. We’ve decided to repaint some of the rooms so John helped your dad move some furniture around so we could get it done.”
“You’re not messing with my room, are you?”
“Actually, your dad has decided to redo both your and John’s rooms… he just hasn’t picked out paint colors or anything yet.”
“Ma! But you…”
“Calm down, Mason. We aren’t touching the upstairs at all. Jeez, can’t even take a joke.”
“Oh, thank God. I was looking forward to staying in my room if this all works out.”
“That’ll always be your room son. I better get going. Keep us updated.”
“Will do. Love you, Ma.”
“Love you, too.”
I climb back into bed without any more thought of work or anything, really.