“Hmmm. Well, next time, I better be the first person you call. You’ve listened to me talk about my love life for years. It’s my turn to do the same for you.”
“I don’t think there will be a next time,” I explained. “Things with Jordan are serious.”
“How serious? You guys have only been going out for, what, six weeks? Maybe two months?”
“He mentioned marriage,” I declared.
“Holy fucking shit! That’s definitely serious.”
We chatted for another hour before Jordan returned and I hung up the phone. The rest of the evening, Jordan and I watched movies and relaxed on the couch. It was the perfect quiet Sunday at home.
When we walked into the firm Monday morning, I was completely recovered from my overindulgence on Saturday night. Jordan and I separated as we came off the elevator, each of us heading to our own office after a quick good-bye.
I settled in to work, answering emails and making my daily to-do list. At nine-thirty, Cynthia burst into my office, her eyes wet and her face flushed.
Immediately, I got to my feet. “What’s wrong, Cynthia? Is everything okay?”
She shook her head, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I-i-it’s Milton Buck. He h-had a heart attack this morning!”
“Oh, no,” I gasped. “What hospital did they take him to?”
Cynthia took a deep, trembling breath. “H-h-he didn’t m-m-make it,” she stammered. “He’s g-gone.”
My legs went weak beneath me and I collapsed back into my chair. “He’s dead?” I whispered.
She nodded, walking over to the sofa in my office and sitting down as well. “I can’t believe it. He just retired a couple of months ago.”
His granddaughter was just a few weeks old. He’d retired to spend more time with his family and now he was gone.
Milton Buck had always been a tough but fair boss. It sounded like a cliché, even to me, but it was the truth. He held us all to a high standard, but he was even-handed and compassionate when it was needed. He’d been a good boss and someone I’d considered a friend.
When he’d discovered that Cynthia was putting herself through law school while working full-time, Milton implemented a tuition reimbursement program. He’d also offered to help her with her coursework if she needed it. For that alone, he gained her undying love. The fact that he would pay attention to details like that in his employees’ lives, well, that was why I considered him a friend.
Then I thought of Lucille, who’d been encouraging Milton to retire for years before he relented. All the plans she had to travel and visit their grandchildren. Now she would do them without Milton.
“Poor Lucille,” I murmured.
Cynthia nodded, sniffling into her tissue. “She must be devastated.”
My eyes remained strangely dry as Cynthia pulled herself together. I’d known Milton for years and liked and respected him greatly, but I couldn’t cry. I was frozen, my brain still processing the news.
“I thought you’d want to know,” Cynthia stated, rising from the sofa and smoothing down her skirt. “We’ll have details about the wake and the funeral over the next couple of days.”
“Okay. When the information comes in, clear my schedule, okay? I want to be sure I’m free.”
“Of course.”
Cynthia left my office, shutting the door behind her. I stared at the papers on top of my desk, not seeing a single word, and thought about Milton Buck and the people who loved him who were now left behind.
