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SONIC
"And then just like that the file got deleted because Knuckles told me too! He said he didn't need, and you didn't need it, so I just deleted it." Says my one of my staff that was working on the Texas graph.
"I- Because Sonic told me too!" Knuckles states his reasoning and I sigh. "Tell them Sonic! You told me to get them to delete everything because you were angry.
"I did but I didn't think you would go and tell everyone to delete the finance from Texas."
"YOU TOLD ME TOO- "
Cream bonks Knuckles on the head, and he winces.
"Don't yell at him. He is still your boss." Cream says and then Knuckles gets frustrated and stands up.
"OKAY SO WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO! AND ALSO, IF YOU TELL ME TO DO SOMETHING THEN I AM GOING TO TAKE IT LITTERAL!"
"You are right. I did mean what I said. But now can you gather everyone together so we can try to guess the amount of money they had or what we were going to make a deal on. I know it was 500k but for them to say no immediately there has to be something else we don't know about Texas." I say and everyone starts to think.
"It's over two million." Someone says and I look and see my assistant leaning on the wall. "We tried to work with them earlier with my other job and I found out that they were willing to pay two million for a different deal but after my boss trying to get more out of them, they cut the deal and blocked us also.
"Two million?!" Knuckles yells and I watch Ms. Rose step closer.
"Yes. And, if you look at their success and some of the charts, we have left of the information from Texas they were growing a lot every day so I say the estimate is about two million that they could have paid us." She says and we look at my finance guy and he double checks with the little information we had left and freezes.
"She is right. About two million… if Nebraska works out and we get them because Texas does then… we could get two million. Or possibly even more than that!" he says and then they look at me.
"Let's get to work then. Ms. Rose. Contact Nebraska for me and send them a welcoming email." I say and then my staff runs around to get to work, and I walk back to my office with footsteps behind me.
I turn around slightly, and I see Ms. Rose following me and I watch for a moment.
"Is she following me- "
MS. Rose stops by her office, and I turn away as I forgot that her desk was on the way to mine, and I brush it off.
I make it to my office, and I leave my door open as I get on my laptop and wait for Ms. Rose to forward me that email and then my phone rings. I see that its Sally, so I answer immediately.
"Hey babe" I say happily.
"Hi, so real fast um did Jules tell you about the play date he made?" she asks, and I cock my eyebrow.
"No- wait you let him make his own playdates?" I ask and she sighs.
"No but apparently, she told the neighbors kids across the street that they could play together, and the kid's parents are there. I'm not home and I know you aren't either, but our babysitter can't watch two kids. Could you go home and watch them?" she asks and then I look at the email Ms. Rose sent me that was for Nebraska, and I click on it.
"Um- "
"Sonic come on it's the least you can do. I watch Jules all the time and you need to spend time with him anyway. Just for a day. If you love me, you will…" She asks and I stand up.
"Yeah. I can do that. I'll be right there. Just let them know I am on my way."
"Thanks Sonic, you are the best." She says and my heart stirs and I smile.
"Yeah, yeah. You know I love you and Jules so I will be right there.
"Yeah… I'll see you at home." She hangs up afterwards and I remove my phone from ear and stare at my phone.
"She could have said it back…"
My door opens and Ms. Rose places papers for me to sign and then takes out a pen and give it me.
"Missouri sent more documents and a big thank you for our company's help. I just need you to sign here and here. I already went over it, and it is nothing bad, just a thank you note." She says with a smile, and I sign it but then stand up at the same time.
I grab my jacket behind me, and Ms. Rose watches me sign another one.
"Are you leaving?" she asks.
"Yeah, Jules invited the neighbors over and they were going to leave their kid there to play with them, so I have to tend to that. Could you make sure all these tasks get done and still forward me emails from Nebraska. Call me if anything is needed and maybe I can come back later but that's not a big possibility. "
"What about your meetings? You want me to push them back tomorrow? It might be really stressful if I were to do that, Mr. Hedgehog."
"It's fine. I must tend to my child. Take care of everything for me." I say and leave my office, but Ms. Rose was following me out.
"What about the office meeting? We were supposed to make a meeting for Nebraska- "
"Mhm. Create that one too. I want to see all my meetings scheduled out perfectly and I know you can do it." I say and I wave to some staff who was looking at me leave.
"You want to push back your meetings so that makes four meetings tomorrow, rescudle your office meeting which is technically five and then email Nebraska on my own? Are you sure? I know you hate long days, sir."
"Yep, that's fine. And push then back them back for two days. Plus, you will be with me the entire day and your help is usually the best so it will be fine." I say and she looks concerned but nods her head.
"See you tomorrow then." She says and I wave to her.
I drive home and I already see cars near my driveway, and I pull in around them so I would not trap them in. I walk in my house, and I see my babysitter trying to hold Jules and our neighbors' kid, Udio.
"STOP IT! THE BOTH OF YOU!" she yells and I watch Jules try to pull at Udio's hair and I clear my throat and they all look towards me.
"Da Da!" he yells and runs to me, and I kneel and press my finger on his forehead to stop him from coming close to me.
"What did I tell you about pulling hair. That's not nice Jules." I say and Jules pouts and turns around to Udio.
"s-Sorry." He apologizes and I sigh and walk over to my babysitter.
"Sorry, D, Coolette. I didn't know he was coming over either." I say and Udio waves at me and I give him a high five.
"Your mom leave you with us today?"
"Yes! Hungry!" Udio says and I laugh.
"Okay, we will get you some food. D' thanks for coming over but- "
I watch D Coollette leave annoyed, and she slams the door and I look back at the two boys who were looking at me.
"So, who made Ms. D leave like that?" I ask and they both look around and I wait for Jules to speak because he was usually the leaders of these things.
"Udio did it!" Jules says and Udio shakes his head, and I already knew Jules was lying.
"Jules. I know it was you who stressed Ms. D out. So, since you did then we are going to make her a "I'm sorry" card to give to her when she comes again." I say and Jules becomes silent.
"Go get your crayons and paper." I say and Jules walks off and Udio watches him leave and then his eyes come back to mine.
"Udio… you have to start sticking up for yourself. Jules doesn't mean to be meanie; he just plays rough so if you need to flick him on the head back then do so." I say and Udio laughs, and I pick him up.
Udio was one of
"What should we eat? Celery and peanut butter?" I ask and he nods his head and laughs, and I smile at Udio being such a sweet kid.
I walk to the kitchen, and I place Udio in the little kids table and he sits down. I walk to the kitchen and grab some celery and peanut butter but then I listen things falling behind me and I see Jules dropping his crayons bringing a lot more supplies needed to make a card.
"Jules… what is all this?" I ask and I pick up a fuzzy pipe cleaner and fuzzy balls that he uses for crafting.
"I am going to make the best card!" He says and places his stuff on the table and makes a mess.
"I'm going to add the fuzzy wuzzy tings and then cover it in glitter!" he says, and I watch him twist open a glitter bottle and Udio moves closer to watch, and I stop Jules before he made a big mess.
"Don't destroy the house. Here let me. You don't need that much." I pour him to use in a bowl but at the same time I knew that he would just end up messing up in first place.
Udio reaches for a crayon and Jules watches and the gasps.
"Here! You help!"
I smile Jules finally not being mean and they start to work together. I go back to making their snack and I yawn as I scoop out some peanut butter.
"I forgot I barely got any sleep. Maybe I can make this and then the kids will feel sleepy too and I can get a nap in."
I yawn again and make their snack but about time I was done they were too.
"Look Dad!" Jules holds the card for me to see and it spells out 'We are sorry! From Jules and Udio." There were also some drawings of them and her and I smile at what they created. There were pipe cleaners on the top to make the card look very festive and not a crazy amount of glitter which was surprising.
"This looks great guys." I say and Jules gasps. "Here are your snacks for your hard work. Eat up."
They start to eat, and I yawn again and walk to my living room. I turn on the tv for a kids show, and I eye my big sectional couch.
"Fuck I'm tired." I think and I slowly lay down on the couch. I lean my head back and I wait for them to get done eating so I watch the kids show for a moment. I blink once and then I open my eyes to see Jules closely in my face.
"What?" I ask and Jules looks at me.
"Can I lay on you?" he asks, and I see Udio wants to join me as well.
"Lay on me? Why do you want to do that?" I ask and Jules shrugs his shoulders and I lean up slightly and wave them over.
Jules and Udio plop right on me, Jules more on my side and Udio on couch. They watch tv for a moment before falling asleep and I sleep too because I was so tired.
Hours later
I felt a tapping on my face, and I turn over on the other side but then I open my eyes because I didn't feel the kids on me.
"So much for watching the kids." Sally says and I lean up quickly.
"It's fine. They were sleeping just as long as you were. They went outside to play though." Sally says and I lean back and yawn loudly before getting up.
"How was work?" I ask and she shrugs her shoulders and sits down on the love seat.
"Nothing different. But the kids across the hall got in a fight today over a boy. They are middle schoolers and are fighting for a boy? What is this world coming too?" She says and I laugh.
"Yeah, that's crazy that kids would fight over that." I say and she smiles and looks over my face.
"I really am proud of you and your five years. I remember you being so eager to start a business and that's exactly what you did." She says.
"It took a while, but it was worth it and now I can take care you and our perfect son and any of the friends he invites over without our permission." I say and she laughs and stands up and approaches.
I watch her as she moves her hands around my body and hugs me gently. I could even remember the last time she hugged me, but it felt… so satisfying.
I'll hug her back. I hope that doesn't ruin anything."
I place hands over her body that I haven't touched in so long and I pull her in more and then she leans on me and then climbs into my lap. I snuggle my face into her neck and sigh because this was all I wanted. I just wanted to hold her.
She leans up from me and touches my face gently and look into the same eyes I fell in love with years ago.
"Heh, how long has it been since we were like this." She asks.
"Maybe since Jules was born." I say and she giggles.
Her eyes flicker to my lips but then she looked away quickly. She gets off me and I already missed her being close to me. As she gets off me, I grab her wrists.
"Sally, wait."
"What Sonic?" she says, and I hold onto her wrist.
"…Can you at least try to… love me or something?" I ask nicely and she frowns and takes my hands from her.
"I know you are still… frustrated with me but Sally I am trying. You know I am, you just have to let me."
"Let you get close to me again so you can hurt my feelings?" she says.
"No. I just want you back Sally. I love you so much and when you act like this it hurts me. You know it hurts me- "
"You hurt me too Sonic. I already told you that my healing process from you cheating on me is going to take a long time. You hurt me and every time I look at you all I think about is what you did- "
"Sally, I was dumb. I was a kid! I… never meant to cheat on you and I would never do it again. You know that, Sally." I say and Sally watches me talk from afar. "Please Sally. We can start off slow with this, when I tell you I miss holding you like that I am serious. I love you more than you know, and I wouldn't hurt you again." Sally shakes her head and starts to walk away but I wanted to try harder. I had to try harder.
I stand in front of the entrance of the kitchen she was about to walk into she stumbles.
"Sonic, move."
"No. Tell me if you want to be with me or not."
Sally looks off and I wait for her response.
"Sonic… for the last time I am trying. I am trying to… become affectionate towards you again but- "
"Then try now. At least try so I know you want to try to be with me."
Sally looked scared and I am sure I was too. I couldn't lose her.
Sally moved in to hug me but then she backed away and I grab her and hug her myself. Sally thrashes and tries me push me from her, but I pull her in tighter.
"Sonic, let go of me!" she yells, and I felt sad that she had to yell that at me.
"Sally, please just try."
Sally gets out of my grip and walks away, and I let her.
Sally jogs up the stairs and slams the door and I look down to my hands.
The last place I touched her as she ran away from me.
Suddenly, a light piece of hair falls from shirt and onto my palm and I was about to fan it away until I saw the color of it.
"Pink?..."
I march to my toilet and through in there and flush it. I swallow heavily and watch the water swirl in a vortex, and I close the lid. My mind shows me a quick imagine of her the party and I push past it by running out the bathroom and going outside for some air.
"I can't do that… I can't cheat on her again."