So the word count on this is maybe 1/3 of what I intended this chapter to be. I had it all written. Then the document didn't save.
Won't bore you all, but work has been exhausting and crazy (I'm covering maternity leave for someone which involves me spending 4 nights per week sleeping on a couch in the office since the place I'm covering at is too far from home for the driving back and forth to make sense) and it's left me with so little energy for other stuff, and I fear that if I wait until I'm less discouraged at losing the document to rewrite it all and publish, I will never update. So I wanted to give you the first part of this next bit, just for something, and hopefully to inspire me to re-do the rest of the chapter.
This fic may feel like it's starting to drag, and there was supposed to be more momentum in this chapter, but that got lost, so it will now be in the next one once I rewrite it. I promise this does still have direction. We're just getting there in a few more pieces than we thought we would.
Love y'all.
"I can almost get my hair into a ponytail now."
Sylvester scoffed. "No you can't."
"Okay I'm exaggerating. But it feels so long." Florence stared at her reflection in the stove. "I don't like it." She suddenly felt upset. "I can't go to Allie's birthday party looking like this."
"Florence, no one's noticed your hair is a little longer, and I guarantee they don't think you look weird or not like yourself."
"But I do."
"Want me to cut it?"
She blinked. "You? What do you know about cutting hair?"
"It's just math, isn't it? When you really think about it?"
"And steady hands. And proper equipment. And practice…"
"Rather go to a salon?"
"…no."
Sylvester pulled a stool away from the counter. "Sit under the light. We have to go to this party or else Cabe may actually kill us."
"I don't know that he'd kill us," Paige said, tucking the phone between her cheek and shoulder, "but he'd probably give one of his typical threats involving his foot going where the sun don't shine."
"Well, I wanted to convince her to let me trim her hair so she'd have the self confidence to go. And it doesn't look too bad; she even told me she liked it."
"I'll come to you next time I want a nice balayage for summer."
"Ha."
"We'll be ready to go shortly; Walter and Happy were working overtime last night to finish up that work for Miss Levitan so we can keep our promise to Cabe. Ralph helped, too. He should beat us there by a few minutes."
"He does have a point, I suppose," Sylvester said. "Cabe, I mean."
"Oh absolutely. It's true we've had cases on Allie's birthday every year since we met her, and with all the love she's put into us over the years, she deserves a birthday where no one is rushing off to save the world."
Allie wouldn't, however, get a night free of people thinking about work. Paige, at least, would be preoccupied with an email. An unread e-mail she saw in Walter's inbox. From Rocky Vogel.
Walter hadn't seen it. She'd convinced him not to work tonight. She'd turned off his e-mail notifications, or rather, had them off 'until alarm' the next morning. She wanted to know. She knew it would drive him crazy too, if he knew the e-mail was there.
The e-mail, though not guaranteed, likely held their answer.
Yes or no.
Of course, it would be worded differently, 'we are pleased to…' no, more like 'after a long and thorough review' no, not that either, first it would likely thank Scorpion again for their interest and the work they put into the technology they presented out East, perhaps a reference to the plane crash, and then they'd have their answer.
Their eyes would have to scan for the key words, like 'happy' or 'delighted' or 'pleased' to inform them; alternatively 'unfortunately' could jump out at them, or simply 'opted to go with another' or 'chose to move in a different direction.'
Who knew how they'd pretty all that up.
At least Walter hadn't seen it. If they both knew, yes or no, it would consume them. They wouldn't be able to give Allie the birthday gift she really wanted – a night free of Scorpion. Or rather, not a night free of Scorpion, but a night full of Scorpion the family without Scorpion the job.
"Stop kicking," Paige said as she buckled Amber into the car seat. Amber giggled. "I mean it, missy," she said with a mock stern look.
"I'm excited for the party."
"So are we. It will be nice to have some down time with Grandma Allie, won't it?"
"I always have down time with Grandma Allie," Amber said.
"You're right. It's us adults that can't chill the eff out."
Amber giggled again. "Well someone fed you the silly snacks today, huh?"
"Can we go?"
"Yep." Paige got in the driver's seat. "As soon as Daddy gets down here." She pulled out her phone, scrolling social media. Sylvester had posted a weird status update about his new career as a farmer. She scrolled a bit. When the feed refreshed, she saw Sylvester's post again, this time with an edit. He'd meant his new job as a barber. She was intrigued.
"Can we go?" Amber asked.
"I told you, when Daddy gets down here we can go."
"He's taking forever."
"Have patience, Amber," Paige said. She looked at the time. Actually, she thought, it was weird that Walter hadn't come down yet. She sent him a text, sang Amber a nursery rhyme, then checked her phone again. Four minutes had passed. Her message was unanswered, and unread.
Paige sighed. She wanted to go see what was keeping him, but she dreaded having to get Amber out of the car seat, only to possibly meet him on the steps and immediately maneuver her back into it. "Amber?" She said. "I'm going to run inside for a sec, okay?" The garage connected to the house via an inside door, and no one could see inside it from the outside. The garage door was closed. The engine wasn't running. Paige pushed her mom guilt down and got out of the car, slipping onto the steps and walking determinedly up them, to their side door. She pushed the door open, hearing it hit the wall as she strode inside. "Walter, you coming?"
It took her a moment to realize where her husband was. She put her purse down and rushed down the hall, where he was slumped against the wall, an arm up to brace himself, his head angled down and his eyes closed.
"Walter," she said as she approached him, leaning down slightly to get eye level. "Walter, are you dizzy?"
He answered her with a grunt. Paige grabbed his arm below the elbow, and he felt her lean, wobble, and push himself standing, although he was still leaning against the wall. She stepped closer. "Take your time."
His hands curled around the bottom of her shirt, the heel of his hand against her hip. "Thank you," he whispered, his eyes still closed.
"Take your time," she whispered again.
"Couch?"
She nodded. Then she said, "yes," because she remembered he wasn't looking at her. She slid her arm around him. They walked. He didn't lean on her too much, but she could tell he was grateful that she was there. Just in case.
He laid down on the couch, putting his hands over his eyes. She knelt in front of him, a hand on his stomach. "Does your head hurt? Dizzy? Tired?"
"Yes."
"All of it?" At his nod, she nodded herself. "Okay. I'm going to get Amber, and we'll stay home."
"No, go. Allie wants us all there. You two should go."
"No, Walter. She'll understand. And I don't want you here alone." It was more than just generalized worry. She feared he'd become bored, look at his email, and the answer, whatever it was, could send him into a spiral.
But also. Generalized worry.
"No," he said. "I don't want to hold you back."
"Don't be silly. I'll get Amber." Paige kissed his forehead, then headed back down the stairs to the garage. Amber was laying limp in her car seat, her eyes closed. "You asleep, goofy girl?" Paige asked as she opened the door.
"Uh oh!" Amber said, after a moment of quiet. She giggled.
"What's uh oh?"
"I was napped."
"No, I think you mean that you took a nap."
"No, I was napped. Don't be alone in the car!"
"Sweet one, I'm sorry, I don't know what…wait, are you trying to say kidnapped?" Amber giggled. "Do you think kidnapped means a kid napping?"
"Uh oh!"
"Dear God in Heaven," Paige mumbled. "Anyway, sweetheart, we're not going to the party."
Amber looked upset. "But I want to!"
"I know. I wanted to too, and so did Daddy."
Amber's lip quivered. "Please?"
That child did know how to break her heart. "Okay, tell you what," Paige said, "we will call Ralph, and see if he's still in the area. He can pick you up on his way over. Maybe," she emphasized, holding up a finger when the girl's eyes lit up.