I Know Him By Heart
Edmund Grey sat behind his desk at Tempo Magazine. His shirt sleeves were pushed all the way up and his top two buttons undone. The telephone receiver was cradled on his shoulder.
"Edmund Grey..." he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "No, Brooke is on vacation... until the seventh of July... yeah... yes, of course..." There was a knock at the office door and it swung inward slightly. Edmund motioned the visitor in. He smiled a bit as Mia Saunders entered. "I'm writing it down now..." he said. "By the 20th... no, no, thank you." He hung up the phone and stood from behind his desk, approaching Mia.
"You're busy," she said. "I could come back."
"No," Edmund said. "I promised you lunch and that's exactly what you're going to get."
"Really," she said. "It's OK."
"I have everything under control. Brooke went with Tad and Jamie to the Caribbean. I'm just trying to keep her work in order until she gets back."
"I did hear that they were out on one of the islands." Mia paused. "I also heard that there might be some knot tying going on down there."
"Tad and Brooke?" Edmund said. "No, not yet. Tad doesn't want to rush into anything. from what Brooke's told me, they've only been back together since January or February."
"That's about six months. And they were married before." She paused. "Tad usually acts on impulse."
Edmund shrugged. "Who knows," he said. "We just might be surprised when they get back from St. Barts." he paused. "But until then... are you up for some lunch?"
Mia smiled. "Sure," she said. "I called up and got us a table at the Valley Inn."
"Sounds Perfect," Edmund said as the phone rang. "Just... let me get this." Mia nodded as Edmund picked up the phone. "Tempo..." he said. "This is Edmund Grey... Mrs. Andrews, yes. Is there a problem?.. Maddie did that?.. You are..." Edmund rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "OK... I'll be there in five minutes... I'm very sorry about this... Thank you." Edmund hung up the phone.
"What happened?" Mia asked.
"That was the principal at PVE," Edmund said. "She's running the summer camp this year." He paused. "Maddie was in a fight. I have to pick her up. We're going to have to put everything else on hold for now."
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Mia said.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, no. Really. It's not a problem. I've got some stuff back at Fusion I need to handle before Greenlee blows a gasket." Edmund kissed her forehead. "Call me later, OK? Let me know how things turned out."
"Yeah," Edmund said as he rushed out of the office.
Maddie Grey sat in a chair outside the principal's office at Pine Valley Elementary. Her feet didn't even touch the ground as she swung them wildly, her head down staring at the floor. She saw a pair of feet before her, afraid to look up.
"What happened here?" Edmund asked, crouching down in front of the little girl. "Maddie? Do you want to tell me what happened?" Maddie shook her head. "I know you got into a fight on the playground with Melanie. I thought you two were friends." Maddie frowned. "Did she do something?" Maddie shook her head. "Did she say something?" Maddie was silent. "What did she say, Maddie?" Maddie shook her head again. "I can't help you if you don't tell me."
"I can't." Maddie started to cry.
"Hey," Edmund lifted her chin. "Nothing Melanie said about you could have been that bad."
"It wasn't about me," Maddie sniffled. "It was about you and Mommy."
"Maddie, honey," Edmund said. "Don't you listen to what anybody says about your Mommy and me. Especially if you know it's not true."
"But..."
Edmund held his finger up to her lips. "No buts. You know that truth, right? You know that both your Mommy and I love you very much. No matter what happens and no matter where Mommy's living."
"I know," Maddie said.
"And now... What did we say about hitting?"
"Hitting's bad."
"That's right. It doesn't make your problems go away, right?" Maddie frowned, nodding slightly.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she sniffled. "Am I in big trouble?"
"We'll talk about it later," Edmund said. "We have the rest of today and the whole weekend to think about this." Edmund stood, taking Maddie hand. "Come on," he said. "I need to get back to work. You're going to be assistant today. Do you have everything?"
"Yes."
"Alright," he said. "Let's go." He led Maddie out of the school and to the car. He helped buckle her into the seat and then got in himself, heading back to Tempo.
Edmund Grey sat behind his desk at Tempo Magazine. His shirt sleeves were pushed all the way up and his top two buttons undone. The telephone receiver was cradled on his shoulder.
"Edmund Grey..." he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "No, Brooke is on vacation... until the seventh of July... yeah... yes, of course..." There was a knock at the office door and it swung inward slightly. Edmund motioned the visitor in. He smiled a bit as Mia Saunders entered. "I'm writing it down now..." he said. "By the 20th... no, no, thank you." He hung up the phone and stood from behind his desk, approaching Mia.
"You're busy," she said. "I could come back."
"No," Edmund said. "I promised you lunch and that's exactly what you're going to get."
"Really," she said. "It's OK."
"I have everything under control. Brooke went with Tad and Jamie to the Caribbean. I'm just trying to keep her work in order until she gets back."
"I did hear that they were out on one of the islands." Mia paused. "I also heard that there might be some knot tying going on down there."
"Tad and Brooke?" Edmund said. "No, not yet. Tad doesn't want to rush into anything. from what Brooke's told me, they've only been back together since January or February."
"That's about six months. And they were married before." She paused. "Tad usually acts on impulse."
Edmund shrugged. "Who knows," he said. "We just might be surprised when they get back from St. Barts." he paused. "But until then... are you up for some lunch?"
Mia smiled. "Sure," she said. "I called up and got us a table at the Valley Inn."
"Sounds Perfect," Edmund said as the phone rang. "Just... let me get this." Mia nodded as Edmund picked up the phone. "Tempo..." he said. "This is Edmund Grey... Mrs. Andrews, yes. Is there a problem?.. Maddie did that?.. You are..." Edmund rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "OK... I'll be there in five minutes... I'm very sorry about this... Thank you." Edmund hung up the phone.
"What happened?" Mia asked.
"That was the principal at PVE," Edmund said. "She's running the summer camp this year." He paused. "Maddie was in a fight. I have to pick her up. We're going to have to put everything else on hold for now."
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Mia said.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, no. Really. It's not a problem. I've got some stuff back at Fusion I need to handle before Greenlee blows a gasket." Edmund kissed her forehead. "Call me later, OK? Let me know how things turned out."
"Yeah," Edmund said as he rushed out of the office.
Maddie Grey sat in a chair outside the principal's office at Pine Valley Elementary. Her feet didn't even touch the ground as she swung them wildly, her head down staring at the floor. She saw a pair of feet before her, afraid to look up.
"What happened here?" Edmund asked, crouching down in front of the little girl. "Maddie? Do you want to tell me what happened?" Maddie shook her head. "I know you got into a fight on the playground with Melanie. I thought you two were friends." Maddie frowned. "Did she do something?" Maddie shook her head. "Did she say something?" Maddie was silent. "What did she say, Maddie?" Maddie shook her head again. "I can't help you if you don't tell me."
"I can't." Maddie started to cry.
"Hey," Edmund lifted her chin. "Nothing Melanie said about you could have been that bad."
"It wasn't about me," Maddie sniffled. "It was about you and Mommy."
"Maddie, honey," Edmund said. "Don't you listen to what anybody says about your Mommy and me. Especially if you know it's not true."
"But..."
Edmund held his finger up to her lips. "No buts. You know that truth, right? You know that both your Mommy and I love you very much. No matter what happens and no matter where Mommy's living."
"I know," Maddie said.
"And now... What did we say about hitting?"
"Hitting's bad."
"That's right. It doesn't make your problems go away, right?" Maddie frowned, nodding slightly.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she sniffled. "Am I in big trouble?"
"We'll talk about it later," Edmund said. "We have the rest of today and the whole weekend to think about this." Edmund stood, taking Maddie hand. "Come on," he said. "I need to get back to work. You're going to be assistant today. Do you have everything?"
"Yes."
"Alright," he said. "Let's go." He led Maddie out of the school and to the car. He helped buckle her into the seat and then got in himself, heading back to Tempo.
