Part Sixteen

The Vaughns have just settled down to dinner when Michael's cell phone begins ringing.

"Michael, honey, let them leave a message," Sydney says, glancing at Michael's mother.

Michael checks the caller ID on his phone, then frowns. "I'm sorry, Syd, I can't, it's the office." His mother shoots him a Look, and he adds an apologetic, "You know how it is, you leave early one day and the whole place goes to hell. Excuse me. Michael Vaughn," he says into the phone, rising from the table. "Jake, hi, what's up?…he did what? Jake, that's a multi-million dollar client!…Well if you know that, I'm not sure why you don't sound more upset. Do you value your job? Does--"

Now it is Sydney's turn to give him a Look, and Michael stops short. "Just a second, Jake." To his family, he says, "I'm really sorry, I have to deal with this now." He heads to the kitchen, but before he leaves the room, Sydney hears him say, "I want him fired, Jake. Call him as soon as you and I hang up and do it."

Marguerite turns to Sydney, perplexed. "What is this all about?"

"I-- I don't know," Sydney says, rising from the table. "Excuse me."

She moves into the kitchen to find Michael pacing, cell phone in hand. "Tonight, Jake. I don't want to see his face in the office again…do you understand how serious this is, Jake? Best case scenario, we've lost a client, worst case scenario, we've got a lawsuit on our hands. I want Todd Reynolds fired, and tell the attorneys working under him that as far as I'm concerned, they're starting over from the bottom rung."

Sydney's eyes widen. Todd Reynolds? He was Michael's golden boy; how many times has Sydney heard that "Todd Reynolds is going places" or "Todd Reynolds is going to make partner before he's thirty, I swear, Sydney, he's incredible."

"Tomorrow morning, we start straightening out the mess he made," Michael continues.

"Michael," Sydney says in surprise. Their flight leaves at ten a.m.

Michael seems to remember this at the same moment, because next he says, "Be there early, Jake, six a.m., I have a plane to catch…well, too bad, a couple of hours is all I have. If you don't think you can handle cleaning up this mess, then I'm sure Billy or Sheila-- That's what I thought. Six a.m. Sharp." Michael hangs up the phone without saying goodbye.

"You fired Todd Reynolds?" Sydney asks, eyes wide.

"He made a multi-million dollar mistake, Sydney, damn right I fired him."

Sydney just stares at him.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing," Sydney says, shaking her head. "I'm just surprised. I know you think he's a good attorney."

"Was a good attorney," Michael corrects. "I'll be curious to see what the hell he plans on doing with his life now."

"God," Sydney whispers. A man's career had just ended, just like that. One mistake, and it was over.

"Does this seem harsh to you?" Michael asks.

"Michael, I don't know enough about the situation to say that," Sydney says with a sigh. "It's just a little scary to me, how fleeting everything is. Eric and Kerri's marriage is gone; this morning, Todd was a hotshot attorney at one of the country's best law firms, tonight he doesn't have a job."

"Things are only fleeting if you fuck up," Michael says matter-of-factly. "Todd's career is over because he fucked up. Eric and Kerri's marriage is over because Eric fucked up."

Sydney stares at him in amazement, something in his words and tone of voice striking a nerve. "God help me if I ever burn one of your dinners or show up at one of your parties with a hair out of place."

"Sydney, come on," Michael says with a sigh. "Neither of those examples are in any way comparable to Todd making a multi-million dollar mistake or Eric committing adultery."

"But there will be things in our life that are," Sydney points out, crossing her arms before her. "What are you going to do when Jack's in high school and comes home puking drunk? When you catch a sixteen-year-old Emily in bed with her boyfriend?"

"We are not having this conversation," Michael says firmly. "I expect perfection from the associates at my firm, yes. We're talking millions of dollars there, jobs, the firm's reputation. What have I ever done to indicate that I expect the same sort of perfection from my family?"

"Nothing," Sydney says softly, biting her lower lip. "Everything. The house, the cars, the clothes, the parties, the vacations. Our life is pretty fucking perfect, Mike."

"So, what?" Michael asks, a hurt gleam in his eyes. "You start looking for ways I'm going to fuck it up?"

"Michael--"

"No, Sydney, tell me. Do you think I'm going to cheat like Eric? Lose my job like Todd? Turn my back on you and the children for any small imperfection? God, Sydney," he says, beginning to pace the room. "What have I ever done to make you have so little faith in me?"

"Nothing," Sydney says, tears coming to her eyes. "You're wonderful, Michael. But is it wrong to worry about things being so perfect when no one else's life is?"

"It's wrong to create problems where there are none."

Sydney bites her lower lip, staring down at her feet. "Maybe I'm the one who needs everything to be perfect," she whispers. "Anything goes wrong, I can't handle it. Eric and Kerri, Todd."

"Syd, I hate what's happening to Eric and Kerri, too, and I'm not exactly thrilled about having to fire Todd," Michael says, stepping closer to her. "But those things have nothing to do with us."

"I know," Sydney says, wiping away her tears with the heel of her hand. "God, I'm sorry, Mike. I'm a wreck."

"You're not a wreck," he says, kissing her gently.

They stand in silence for a moment, and she lets him pull her into a hug. "I'm sorry I have to go into the office tomorrow. I promise I'll finish early enough to make our flight, but I won't have time to come home first, I'll have to meet you at my office, or at the airport."

"Are you sure you don't need to stay and take care of things?" Sydney asks worriedly.

"No," Michael says firmly. "Jake and the others can handle it. It's a big problem, but it's not one that only I can solve."

"Will you still be able to enjoy yourself on vacation?"

He laughs softly. "Valentine's Day in Jamaica with my beautiful wife? I think I'll have an okay time, Syd."

Sydney smiles. "We should get back to dinner. I'm surprised your mother's not in here yet."

As if on cue, Marguerite appeared in the doorway. "Is everything okay in here?"

"Fine," Michael says, squeezing Sydney's hand. "Everything's fine, Mom."

Sydney can only hope that everything stays that way.