"Wow. This place has changed since I was last in here." Eddie commented as he walked into Best Friend Windows.
"Yeah. I had to make a few changes." Nick explained to his best friend. "When Janet took on the human resources role and started dealing with payroll, insurance and all the other amazing things she does to keep us up and running she needed more space. Her desk wasn't cutting it so when the insurance company closed down and moved across town I or we; our company, bought it and did some remolding. Now as you can see we have a wonderful waiting room." Nick motioned at the room they were standing in.
"Nice. Professional."
"Yeah. That's the image I am going for."
"Come on. Let me show you my office." Janet took his hand and led him to her office.
"Fancy."
"Not really." Eddie looked around his wife's office. It wasn't fancy because that wasn't who Janet was. It was actually simple and tastefully decorated. On her desk he saw pictures of the kids and a pictured of them from their wedding. "I need to update the family picture; one with Jocelyn."
"We will have to do that." He took another look around the office before turning back to Janet. "I am so proud of you."
"For what? Having my own office?" She asked with a grin.
"For all of your hard work. Nick has told me that everything would have fallen apart without you."
"That's not true but it doesn't matter. I love what I do. I never saw myself doing something like this."
"Well for what it's worth, I think you found your niche. From what I can tell, you are fantastic at keeping this place running smoothly." He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
"Eddie, come check out your office." Nick yelled and Eddie reluctantly pulled away from his wife.
"I guess I should go."
"I guess you should. You are keeping me from doing my job." She joked.
"What could possibly be more important than me?"
"Adding you to payroll so you can get a paycheck."
"Yep. That is more important. Get on it Mrs. Latekka."
"Yes Sir Mr. Latekka."
"That's what I like to hear from my employees."
"Treasure it because you won't be hearing it again." With a laugh Eddie walked into his office.
"Well apparently, my absence hasn't kept the paperwork from piling up on my desk." He looked around his new digs; simple and manly, just the way he liked it. "This is pretty nice."
"It's all Janet."
"Where are you located?"
"In the office right next to you. The walls are so thin we can yell back and forth to each other." Nick motioned to the chair behind the desk. "Take a seat. I want to show what we have been doing." Eddie made himself comfortable in the really comfortable chair Janet chose. "Nice." He nodded his approval. "So fill me in partner." He requested as Nick pulled up a seat next to him.
Over the next few hours Nick updated Eddie on the current status of their business; their employees, their accounts and their overhead. He was especially excited to show him the new program that Janet had discovered and he had ordered. He can take a picture of the prospective clients house; download the pictures into the program and then the clients can see how the different window styles would look in their house or place of business. The clients loved it and it had improved their business; thanks to Janet.
"I can't believe how much has changed." Eddie commented.
"All good changes, I hope?"
"Yeah. Good changes Nicky." Eddie was impressed. "You did good."
"I was hoping you would say that. The computer program was crazy expensive and it hurt to buy it but in the long run, it was money well spent."
"I can see that. The numbers you have shown me are phenomenal."
"In a big part to your wife. Hiring her was the best choice we ever made. She runs this place like a well oiled machine." Eddie smiled proudly.
"That's my girl."
"Let me show you my calendar." Nick pulled up his calendar on the computer, another one of Janet's ideas. "As you can see, I am pretty booked." Every day was filled with multiple appoints. "We have three crews of four guys working full time and honestly, I think that we could use another one. Each crew has a leader or a man in charge because my days are spent meeting with the clients to secure and account and then a walk through and in between I am at each work site checking progress."
"You are busy."
"Now that you are back, I am hoping my schedule will lessen."
"What do you have in mind?"
"You have never been a fan of the schmoozing the client aspect of the business."
"You are a much better schmoozer than I am."
"True. What I am hoping you will agree to is I will continue to meet with the prospective clients and secure the contracts…"
"Sounds great." Eddie interrupted.
"And you do the final walk through with the clients."
"I like it."
"What do you think about hiring four more guys?"
"You have been the one here for the last year and a half, not me. What do you think?"
"I think we should hire."
"But can we afford it? From the numbers I have seen, we are making a profit but not a great one."
"A lot of that has to do with the amount of jobs we have had. With only me, the amount of people I can meet with is limited which leads to a limited amount of jobs. Now that you are back, that gives us more jobs which we will need more people which will lead to more money."
"You are the business man so I will go with whatever you think."
"When we hire another crew that will give us four crews and we can each supervise two of them."
"That's doable."
"So what's your plan on working?"
"This is the last week that I will have to have physical therapy every day. Next week I will only be going three times a week and I can do one of those days on Saturday. Tomorrow I won't be here because I have an MRI in the morning and PT in the afternoon and on Friday I have my follow up with the doctor in the morning and PT in the afternoon. Next week I should be able to work most of the week minus the two PT appointments."
"Are you sure you are ready for all that?"
"I think so."
"If not, let me know. Don't push yourself."
"I will."
"Feel like taking a ride; check on the crews?"
"Let's do it."
"Check this out babe." Eddie announced walking in the house with his dad behind him, proudly holding up his driver's license. During his follow up appointment with Dr. Weber, Eddie was declared to be tumor and seizure free and was subsequently given the clearance he needed to drive again and he was ecstatic.
"You look constipated." She commented examining his newly acquired license.
"I do not." He grabbed the license and looked at it. "Okay, maybe I do look a little constipated."
"Congratulations honey."
"What do you got daddy?" Josh asked, as the boys ran into the living room.
"My driver's license."
"What's that?" Jackson inquired.
"It's a card that lets me drive."
"Can I get one?" Jacob asked.
"Not for a very long time." Janet told him.
"Daddy, grandpa, come out and see our fort." Josh said, grabbing his dad's hand in an attempt to pull him out the door.
"In a minute kiddo. I need to talk to mommy first."
"Come on guys; take me to see your fort." Jack told his grandson's. The boys didn't need to be asked twice. They grabbed onto their grandfather and pulled him outside.
"What's up?" Janet asked once they were alone except for Jocelyn who was lying on the floor cooing at the ceiling.
"I want to take you out on a date tonight." Janet opened her mouth t o protest but Eddie was prepared for the protest so before she could speak, he put a finger to her mouth. "Before you tell me that we can't afford it, hear me out, okay?" She nodded. "If I move my finger do you promise to just listen?" Another nod. "I'm going to trust you." He slowly pulled his finger back.
"What am I five?"
"Can't just listen can you?"
"I'm done. Tell me about this date."
"I just happen to be in possession of a gift card for Ander's restaurant and the movie theater
"And just how did you come into possession of gift cards?"
"Belated birthday gift."
"From who?"
"Mom and dad."
"I see."
"So what do you say? Dinner and a movie?"
"What about our children? They aren't old enough to stay home alone."
"Mom and dad offered to hang with them."
"Okay then." Eddie grinned.
"Get online, check times and pick a movie. I've got a fort to check out."
"This has been really nice. We owe your parents." Janet commented as they waited for their dessert to be served. "I can't remember the last time I ate a hot meal."
"That's because you are such a good mom. You make sure the kids have everything that they could possibly need before you sit down and eat your own food."
"It's just what moms do." She said with a shrug.
"Yeah. Sure it is."
"Here you go." The waitress set down their dessert. "Can I get you anything else?"
"More coffee please." Eddie requested.
"Decafe." Janet added.
"Sure thing. I will be right back."
"This looks really good." Eddie commented looking at their chocolate fudge brownie and ice cream.
"It's huge."
"That's why we are going to split it."
"Yeah sure. You and I both know that you are going to eat most of it." Eddie laughed.
"You are right." At that moment the waitress came back and topped off their coffee.
"Enjoy."
"Thanks." They both grabbed their spoons and took a bite. "Yummm." Janet mumbled.
"Oh yeah." Eddie agreed as he shoveled another bite into his mouth. Janet shook her head and took another bite herself.
"Actually, this is so good we may end up going for a fifty fifty split." She commented.
"Ya know, I have been doing some thinking." He said after a few minutes of silent eating.
"About?"
"Remember after my first surgery and I was knocked out for a week?"
"How could I forget? That was your first coma."
"Okay, well remember when I woke up and told you about my crazy dream and then I was insistent about making our bucket lists?"
"We've had some really good times with those bucket lists."
"We accomplished a lot of amazing things on those lists, opportunities that we probably never would have had if we wouldn't have made those lists."
"You're right."
"Well what I have been thinking is what was really accomplished?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Sure we saw a lot of amazing and beautiful sites and landmarks that we never would have seen otherwise; we did things that we probably never would have done before; we bungee jumped off a bridge for crying out loud."
"We accomplished a lot."
"But what does it all mean? In the end does any of that really matter?"
"Eddie what is going on?"
"Our bucket lists were a great idea but when my time comes to an end, I don't want that bucket list to be the only list that I accomplished. There are more important things that need to be on a bucket list."
"Like what?"
"Like this." He pulled out a list out of his pocket and slid it across the table. She slowly opened it and read this new list.
1. Be the best father that I can be to my children
2. Be the best husband that I can be to my wife
3. Love my children unconditionally
4. Love my wife unconditionally & passionately
5. Make sure my children know they are loved every day
6. Make sure my wife knows that she is loved every day
Janet wiped her eyes when she finished reading and passed the list back across the table. "Where is this all coming from?" She asked.
"Nowhere. Like I said, I had just been thinking. I decided that I when my time comes I don't want to die with any regrets." Hearing him talk about dying made her panic. Was there something wrong with him; something that he was keeping from her.
"Is there something you are not telling me?" She asked.
"No."
"Eddie?"
"Janet, I swear. I am fine." She looked intently at him and decided that he was telling the truth. She reached across the table, took his hand and he lifted it to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on it. "I am fine; perfectly healthy."
After their dessert was finished they drove home in relative silence while holding hands. Once home, they thanked his parents, checked on the kids and then decided to have an early night themselves which translated meant make love while before any of the kids (Jocelyn) woke.
"I'm about to ruin the mood." Janet whispered in the afterglow of their lovemaking while still wrapped up in each other's arms placing kisses on sweaty bodies.
"Of course you are." He responded with a grin. "Are we finishing up our dinner conversation?" Janet smiled in response.
"When your time is up, you should have no regrets. You can cross off all six things on your list. You are the best husband and father we have no doubt that you love us unconditionally every day."
"I'm not chancing it." Before she could respond, Eddie flipped her onto her back and covered her body with his. "I truly love you more than I could ever tell or show you."
"I know that and sweetheart, I love you too." Janet pulled his face down to hers and kissed him passionately. They were done talking for the night.
As the sun was streaming through the window the next morning Eddie opened his eyes and smiled at the sight in front of him. Throughout the night, Joshua, Jackson, Jacob and Jocelyn all managed to make their way into their parent's room and bed and spent the night kicking mom and dad. Eddie slept horribly but looking around and seeing his four beautiful children sleeping surrounding him and Janet, he wouldn't trade it for the world. His life; their life was perfect.