“No… I… was hoping you could just pick me up.”
“Sweetie, let me call your dad, and then I’ll come to you. Stay in the nurse’s office, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks.”
She called Terry, glad he answered immediately.
“Sandra? Are you okay?” he rushed.
Hating that he thought she might have another emergency, she hurried to reply. She relayed Emma’s situation, then said, “Iwanted to get your permission to pick her up. And since it’s the end of the school day, I can just pick up Toby as well. I’ll take them to your house.”
“Fuck, babe, I would go get her, but I’m stuck in a meeting?—”
"Terry, it's completely fine," she said gently. “She called me because I think she wasn’t quite ready to have this conversation with you.”
He sighed heavily. “I get that. This is when I wish her mom were closer," Terry said, his voice heavy with frustration. "I hate putting this on you, Sandra. I don't want you to feel like we’re using you."
"Using me?" The word came out sharper than she'd intended. "What does that mean?"
"I just feel like ever since we've been together, I've had to rely on you for things with the kids. The conference weekend, today with Emma, all the times you've stepped in when I couldn't be there."
Sandra felt irritation spike in her chest. "There's nothing wrong with that, Terry. I've always volunteered to help."
"I know, but I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Where is this coming from? We both said we want this relationship to continue, and it hasn't escaped my notice that you're a single dad. If I didn't want to be involved with your kids, I wouldn't be dating you in the first place."
Terry was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more vulnerable. "I just look at you and how different you are from their mom, and I feel guilty."
"Instead of feeling guilty, why don't you try feeling happy?" Sandra's voice gentled despite her frustration. "Because that's what I feel when I'm with all of you."
"Damn, I've pissed you off," Terry said with a heavy sigh.
"You think?" Sandra replied with a chuckle, but her tone had lost its sharp edge.
They both sighed, the sound carrying across the connection like a shared acknowledgment of the stress they were both under.
"Look, Terry, I don't know where this anxiety of yours is coming from," Sandra said, forcing her voice to remain calm. "If I were in the middle of something and couldn't pick up the kids, I'd say so. And if you couldn't do it either, we'd find a friend who could. I know Emma hates riding the bus if she’s embarrassed, so I can step in and pick her up. It's all good."
"Thank you, babe. Everything's coming to a head with the Blackwood case, but I can't make the final pieces fit. We finally decided to call Harry in for questioning, and I need to be here for that."
"And that's where you’ll be," Sandra said, her anger dissolving into understanding. "You take care of your business. I'll get the kids home, pick up takeout on the way, and talk to Emma before going back to work."
"Thank you. I love you, you know."
"Good thing you do," Sandra replied with a smile in her voice. "I love you, too. Just make sure I'm on the pickup list for both kids."
“By the way, Sandra? You once called me a real-life hero…”
“I remember.”
“Well, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. To me… to my kids… you are a real-life hero to us, as well.”
Her voice caught, and she blinked several times to wipe away the moisture gathering. After goodbyes and hanging up, Sandra grabbed her purse and walked to Portia's desk. "I'm leaving to pick up Emma and Toby from school, then I'll get the kids dinner and take them to Terry's. After that, I'll come back and work a couple more hours."
Portia looked up with concern. "You don't need to come back tonight. Work from home if you want."
"Actually, that sounds perfect," Sandra said, already feeling the appeal of comfortable clothes and a glass of wine. She returned to her office to pack files and her laptop into her oversized bag.
