“Seth.”
The way she says my name, gentle but firm, makes me look up and a pang of guilt zips through me.
“It's a board meeting,” I admit. “They moved it up and want me there next week.”
An adorable frown tugs her lips down, and she drops the dish into the dishwasher and plants her fists on her hips. “You're not supposed to fly for another two and a half weeks.”
I nod. She knows exactly what the doctor told me. One morning during our walk, she made me go over it word by word, and since my memory is fantastic, it was pretty much verbatim. “I know.”
She gives me a sharp nod back, a challenging look narrowing her eyes. “So tell them no.”
I huff and shake my head. Oh, how easy she makes it sound. But she’s not part of the business world, so she doesn’t understand. “It's the board,” I explain gently. “I can't just-”
“Yes, you can,” she cuts me off. Drying her hands, she comes and sits next to me at the island. “What's the meeting about?”
Okay, her asking questions is good. I can get her to see how illogical it is for me to skip this meeting. “Q3 projections. Strategic planning for Q4. The usual.”
“Do you need to be there in person for that?” she presses.
I start to say yes automatically because I’m the CEO, of course I should be there, but she's looking at me with those eyes that see too much, and I force myself to actually think about it.
“No,” I admit slowly. “I could video conference. They won't like it, but I could.”
Pleased, she smiles. “Then do that.”
“They're going to push back,” I tell her, already imagining the fuss I’m going to get from my COO over this. “People will say I'm not committed and that I'm abandoning my responsibilities.”
“Are you?”
The question catches me off guard. “Am I what?”
“Abandoning your responsibilities.” She reaches for my hand. “Or are you finally taking responsibility for the one thing that actually matters? Your life.”
I stare at our joined hands. Her fingers are small in mine, but her grip is firm and steady.
“I'm scared,” I hear myself say. “What if I let go and it all falls apart? The company, my reputation, everything I've built?”
“And what if you hold on and you fall apart?” She squeezes my hand. “Seth, you can't pour from an empty cup. You have to fill yourself first.”
Grinning, I squeeze her hand back. “When did you get so wise?”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t know about being wise, this is all just common sense.” She levels me with a look that says she doubts I possess much of that.
Coming from anyone else, I’d be insulted, but from her, I simply laugh as some of the tightness in my chest eases. “Okay. I'll video conference. I'll tell them I'm not coming back early.”
“Good.” She stands, and I immediately miss her warmth. “Now, I believe we have lunch to make. Grilled chicken salads, right? You’ll help with the dressing?”
We spend the afternoon researching more heart-healthy recipes. Mostly because I’ll take every moment I possibly can get with her and also because I’m getting tired of so much chicken. Surely other foods have to be healthy as well? My doctor mentioned the Mediterranean diet, and Jennifer immediately pulls out her phone, which I can’t help noticing is an older model with a cracked screen.
I’d buy her a new one tomorrow, but she won’t accept it. My sweet little Jennifer is far too stubborn when it comes to certain things. I have the money, so why can’t I spend it on things and people that make me happy? And nobody has ever made me happier than Jennifer.
“Okay, so lots of fish, olive oil, vegetables, whole grains,” she reads, breaking into my thoughts. “We can do this. What do you actually like to eat?”
I arch an eyebrow. “Besides coffee and determination?”
She swats my arm. “Real food, Seth.”
Laughing, we end up sprawled on the couch, my laptop between us as we go down a rabbit hole of recipes. She saves the ones that sound good and makes notes about the ingredients we'll need. It's domestic, comfortable, and everything I didn't know I was missing in my life. Or that I actually wanted.
