3 Weeks Earlier

"The asshole cheated on her," Leona said.
It was around midnight on a Tuesday night. Charlie and Leona were sitting in Charlie's office discussing Leona's daughter Kate's marital woes. Charlie was drinking his usual bourbon and Leona was nursing a vodka soda. There was an empty pizza box in between them. Because of the Genoa situation the two of them had decided to put their differences aside. They were actually becoming friends again, like they used to be before AWM was even created.
"I never trusted that motherfucker," Leona said, wagging her right index finger back and forth. "Didn't I tell you that at the wedding? The guy was sketchy from day one."
Charlie sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that. Poor Kate."
"Meanwhile, she's been living in the middle of nowhere—"
"It was Sacramento, Lee. Not the middle of nowhere," Charlie interrupted.
Leona waved her hand, "Psst, it's practically the middle of nowhere. She left the workforce for three years to be a fucking housewife married to a sleazy politician. I thought I taught her better than that. No one's going to hire her after they see that three year gap in her resume. Nevertheless, she's decided to move back to New York. But of course she can't just get her own place. She wants to live with me."
"And you want me to get her a job here so that she's out of your apartment faster?" Charlie guessed.
"Bingo! A gold star for you," Leona said, taking a sip of her drink.
"I could give her a six month contract as a ratings analyst for News Night," Charlie suggested.
"That's perfect. The sooner she has enough money to move out of my place and into her own, the better," Leona replied.
"Then it's settled," Charlie said. "She can start in a couple of weeks."
"Wonderful," Leona said.
"Maybe her moving in with you will be good for the both of you," Charlie offered.
Leona scoffed, "We've barely spoken to each other in the last ten years."
"Exactly," Charlie said. "You two used to be two peas in a pod before Kate went off to college. Maybe you two will reconnect. I know how much you adore her."
Leona started blinking rapidly.
"And Reese must be excited that she's moving back to the city," Charlie said.
"He is," Leona said, pursing her lips together.
Charlie knew she did that when she was trying not to cry. He knew becoming estranged from Kate had been difficult for her. From the time Kate was seven until she moved to California at age eighteen to attend the University of Southern California, they had been a team of two and they were incredibly close. Because Kate had been a later-in-life pregnancy for Leona, time became more precious for Leona which led to Leona cherishing Kate dearly. After Kate's birth, Leona had become hyper aware of time passing. Despite her claims that she was invincible and immortal, in her heart Leona knew that she'd probably only live to see Kate turn 40, 50 if she was lucky. When their relationship became strained during Kate's freshman year at USC, Charlie knew it hit Leona hard.
"Maybe you're right," Leona suddenly said to Charlie. She was still blinking back her tears. She gulped down the rest of her drink.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
Charlie knew she was probably nervous because of the display of emotion and that was the cause for the abrupt goodbye. At times like this, it was best to just let Leona be.
"See you tomorrow," Charlie echoed.
He watched her leave his office and head towards the elevators. Offering Kate a job at News Night was the least he could do, he thought. He knew how much Kate and Leona loved each other (even though they didn't want to admit it). If working and living together was what it was going to take for them to reconcile, then Charlie was happy to oblige Leona's request that he offer Kate a position with Atlantis Cable News. She'd make a great addition to the team.
* * *
PRESENT

For the past five minutes, Jim had been standing in the same spot in Kate's bedroom unsure what to do. Kate was still asleep and he figured Leona would be awake soon. He really had to pee but he didn't know where the bathroom was and he didn't want to risk running into Leona. Suddenly, Kate started stirring.
"Hey," Jim whispered.
"Morning, sunshine," Kate said.
"Where's the bathroom?" Jim asked. His bladder felt like it was about to explode by now and maybe he wouldn't see Leona.
"Across the hall," Kate said. "But be careful, my mom will be awake any minute. She's an early riser."
Jim just nodded, "Right."
Not bothering to put on his pants or his shirt, wearing nothing except his boxers, Jim walked across the hallway to the bathroom.

After doing his business—in the biggest and most extravagant bathroom he had ever been in, in his entire life—Jim was washing his hands when he heard noises coming from the farthest end of the hallway. Was Leona awake?
Jim peeked his head from out of the bathroom door. Leona was exiting the master bedroom which was at the end of the hallway. She didn't look like the Leona Lansing he was used to seeing. She was wearing a cream colored silk robe, her hair was all over the place, her face was makeup free and she had black rimmed glasses perched atop her nose. She was yawning.
Maybe he'd be able to make it back to Kate's room without Leona seeing him, he thought.
He exited the bathroom and was standing just outside Kate's bedroom when he heard a sharp, female voice behind him.
"Mr. Harper?"
Jim nervously turned around.
"Ms-Mrs. L-Lansing," he stammered out.

TBC...