Hello Readers: And welcome to another day of chapters, hopefully one with more updates than yesterday. But one can only hope, of course. Now, I hope that you guys are ready for this; as we all know that we are ready for a wild ride. One where we spend a bunch of time as a family. And right now, that would be Matt spending some quality time with his sons; while the girls take a nap.

Chapter Three Hundred and Seventy-Two
Happy Birthday Daddy, Part Twelve

Sitting back down on the couch of his living room shortly after putting both of the girls (rather than just Sofia) down for a nap, Matt took a breath as she ended up taking longer than he had expected to go down; and that was due to the fact that both of his girls are now in the phases of their lives that they are starting to get clingy. And that can only mean one thing, which is that they are very fussy when it comes time for them to go down for a nap; something that Camila could clearly see was the case as Matt sat down on the couch today. "Let me guess, both of the girls were clingy as you put them down?" Matt snickered as he set his water bottle down (which he just filled up in the kitchen) due to the fact that most certainly was the case, that his little girls were starting to get quite clingy. "Oh, they most certainly are. But can you blame them? They love their daddy and want to be with him today." Camila agreed.

After all, what daughter wouldn't want to get a chance to spend the day with their father on his birthday; Camila knows that if her father was still alive, that would be exactly where she would want to be…even in the middle of a pandemic. Well, maybe; she isn't too sure about that due to the fact that it may be dangerous for her grandchildren, whom she would still want to see on a regular basis. "Oh, just to let you know; I brought Andy inside." Turning his head, Matt agreed with Camila as he appreciated that. "Thanks Camila, I appreciate that you did that for me. I know that he was outside for a bit, and I didn't want to let him stay outside too long." Camila nodded. "Are you worried that he might get COVID too?" Matt snickered, as he wasn't even sure whether that was a possibility. "Honestly, I have no idea whether that's even possible." Camila agreed with Matt as he said that, as she didn't know either.

All she knew is that she didn't like what she was seeing on the news, as it was quite scary. "Have you been looking at the news lately?" Matt sighed, as he most certainly has. "Camila, is that really a question?" Camila just looked at Matt as he said that, not appreciating his tone. "OK. I know it's your birthday, but I most certainly do not appreciate your tone mister." Matt then realized that she was taking what he said literally, rather than sarcastically. "Sorry, I was being sarcastic Camila." Camila was a bit confused as she heard her yerno say that he was being sarcastic as he answered that question, as she had no idea why he would be answering that question sarcastically. "Is there a reason why you're answering the question sarcastically?" Matt sighed as Camila asked him why he would answer the question sarcastically. "I guess, as a way to ensure that I get a chance to laugh when I have a lot on my mind."

Camila agreed with her son-in-law, having come to realize recently that he truly does have a lot on his mind, which makes her wonder whether he wants to be down here not only so that he can spend some time with his children…well now, just the boys as Bella and Sofia are taking a nap in their room. "Do you need to talk to me about something?" Matt bit his lip, as he wasn't sure whether he wanted to talk about this on his birthday. "Not too sure whether I want to talk about this on my birthday, as that may make Gabby mad." Camila then realized just what her son-in-law was talking about, which would be that it was related to the business. "OK. What's going on?" Matt sighed. "I have sent an e-mail to my representative in Hawaii, hoping to get an update." Camila agreed with Matt. "And let me guess, you're nervous when it comes to the reply that you may get from him?" Matt sighed, as he wasn't sure what to say.

"Heck, I'm not even sure whether I should read the e-mail; as it may make me get worried and make me want to work."

Camila agreed with Matt as he said that, well aware that was the case; but the truth was, she's actually expecting that he may want to work at some point. "I had a feeling that was going to be the case at some point." Turning his head, Matt was surprised as he heard Camila say that; due to the fact that he thought that she would be one of the people who are trying to make sure that he DOESN'T work today, rather than be someone who thinks that he may work today. "Now that answer is quite surprising, as I would've thought that you would want me to not work today." Camila agreed with Matt as he said that, as that most certainly is the truth; she doesn't want Matt to work today. Yet at the same time, she also knew the amount of pressure that he had on him based on the conversations that she's had with her daughter since she and Matt first started the company almost a year ago after the boys were born.

"Well, that makes sense Matt. I mean, your company is about to enter it's second year of operation."

Thinking about that, Matt was surprised due to the fact that he hadn't even realized that it's been that long yet. He didn't think that was for a while. "God, that's crazy. I didn't even know that it was already that soon. To think what we already accomplished. I've already got three vehicles from design to delivery." Camila agreed with her son-in-law as he said that, well aware that was the case. "Well, that does make sense. I mean, you just made some changes to the inside. It's not like you had to change everything about the vehicle." Matt thought about it, agreeing with his mother-in-law due to the fact that was the truth; there wasn't much to be changed when it came to the vehicles, which allowed them to go faster than expected. "I think it's also due to the fact that we really started working before we officially started working on the company, making sure we got deals in place ahead of time." Camila agreed.

And that was actually something that really impressed her, due to the fact that it was good thinking by her son-in-law; thinking ahead so he already had everything done and ready to go by the time that they actually needed everything. "And you hire quite fast." Matt agreed with Camila, as he knew that was something that he was going to have to do. "Well, not as fast as I would hope. I mean, we are just over 200 employees company wide; heck, I think that we need to renegotiate some of the contracts due to the fact that we just may be going too fast. And I even think that the ambulance we already delivered wasn't even new, but it was refurbished. Not sure anymore what we did." Camila smiled as she heard her son-in-law say that, as she was still impressed by everything that he's accomplished. "Still, you should be proud of yourself when it comes to what you've accomplished." Matt agreed, smiling at her.

"I appreciate that Camila, I really do."

Camila nodded, well aware that he appreciates it when she compliments him. "You've created a beautiful life for your family, and I can only assume that you love the life that you and Gabby have with your children." Matt agreed with his mother-in-law once more, as that most certainly was the truth; he absolutely adores the life that he has with Gabby and the kids and will always love how he gets to live this life that he has with them. However, that doesn't mean that he loves that he gets interrupted at times by work, when he's supposed to be spending time with his children. And unfortunately, this would be one of those times as he just got an e-mail that he has to read from Rafael. "I just got an e-mail; do you mind if I read it Camila?" Camila shook her head. "Go ahead Matt." Matt agreed as he proceeded to grab his phone, so that he could read the e-mail that he just received; one he believes is from Rafael.

And it turned out, that was exactly who the e-mail was from.

From: Solano, Rafael
To: Casey, Matthew
CC: Dawson, Antonio; Casey, Gabriela
Subject: RE: Update on the Future of Casey

Hi Matt:
First of all, I can report to you that myself, Jane, and Matteo; as well as the rest of my family are safe and well. While not as dangerous as the pandemic may be in Chicago (due to the population density), we are still keeping safe; and that's possible due to the fact that we've recently found this quaint location where we live away from the office. As well, I have been working from home, which is something that myself and Jane both love doing now a days due to the fact that it allows us to get more time as a family. But with regards to the reasons why you reached out to me, on your birthday of all days (happy birthday from myself and Jane by the way); more specifically, about the future of the company…I think the truth is that, I had a feeling that your return to Chicago was something much more permanent than you led on. And that most certainly seems to be exactly what it is, based on what you are telling me in the e-mails. And I am more than willing and ready to be your permanent representative here at the office in Hawaii.

Well, that is; when we get cleared to return to the office and use it per state guidelines. But that also brings up another question that I have based on the way you are describing the future on the company in the last e-mail that you sent the me (and which I am now replying to), I am just wondering what you mean when you say that you're going to keep the office open (which is something that I'm happy about due to the fact that I really like working there as it allows me to get quiet time away from the family/in-laws whom are living with us so that they can help take care of Matteo). Still, I can gladly report that everything is all good, and that everything will continue to be good when it comes to working from home. And when it comes to the changes that we are making for the future of the company, I am ready to help you put those into motion; as well as ensure that all documentation which needs to be signed is sent to Chicago, as you may need to sign them as the Chairman and CEO…unless you would rather I sign them on your behalf.

You can let me know what you want me to do, including how you want me to help with the future headquarters. More specifically, how we are going to split the offices that we have here in Hawaii; and whether we are going to need to relocate staff from here in Hawaii to Chicago. Just let me know once you've figured that out, and I can ensure that we do it as quickly and as easily as we can; both for the sake of the company, as well as the sake of our employees who are our true concern at the moment. I get the point of the e-mail today is for me to say that I am ready to do whatever you need, so that I can make sure that everything goes smoothly. And if you wish that I start preparing a quick update/briefing on everything that happened while you were taking your break; then I am more than ready to do just that for you as we both work from home during the pandemic, something that I'm positive that we'll both have to get used to doing for the near future as we try and navigate our work life and the life we have with our families.

Thanks again for reaching out, and I hope that all is well in Chicago. Stay healthy and stay safe.

Sincerely, Rafael.

Rafael Solano
Senior Executive Vice-President, Casey
Asst. Deputy CEO for the Honolulu Office
1 (800) 837-2938 x. 121

Reading the e-mail that he just got from Rafael, Matt shook his head as he most certainly is one to write long e-mails; something that he forgot about when it came to Rafael. He really does like to put messages out in one full swoop, rather than keeping it short and simple. Then again, he does love that idea; due to the fact that it allows him to have everything he needs from him in less e-mails. That way, he can find things much faster; and he can do so in a way that means that he can spend more time with his family. But right now, he needs to take a moment in his office; that way, he can reply to the e-mail the way that it deserves, and with the length that it deserves. He also knows that he may need to send some e-mails to other people, which leads him to believe that he may in fact need to go to his office and work for a moment; he just hopes that Camila understands why he needs to spend a moment in the office.

"Camila?"

Turning her head, Camila smiled at her son-in-law. "Yes Matthew?" Matt smiled as he looked at her. "Listen, as much as I don't want to work; I just got a long e-mail that I feel like I should read on a big screen. After which, I need to reply to it in my office." Camila understood as she knew that Matt was a businessman with a lot of employees around the world, including herself. So, it makes complete sense that he needs to work on his birthday. "And I can only assume that Gabby is okay with it?" Matt agreed with Camila. "She knows that it has to happen eventually." Camila agreed with her son-in-law as he said that, well aware that was the case; after which, she watched as he looked down at his sons while wondering whether they should go down for a nap like the girls. "Do you remember when the last time the boys took a nap?" Camila snickered. "I'm sure that they're fine for now. I can text if they aren't."

Matt agreed with Camila as she said that, well aware that was something that she could easily do for him. "And I hope you know that I appreciate all you do for us." Camila nodded, smiling at her son-in-law as he got up; after which, she got up and walked over to him. "Come here." Matt nodded, before getting up so that he could hug his mother-in-law. "Happy birthday Matt." Matt agreed with Camila as she wished him a happy birthday, really glad that he was here at the moment. "Thanks Camila. Now listen, I promise not to be too long. I just can't stand to write e-mails on my phone." Camila agreed with Matt as he said that, well aware that was the case; after which, Matt proceeded to walk away to his office so that he could re-read the e-mails that he just got from Rafael before responding to them in his office. After all, that was going to be much easier when it came time to him writing the reply to his employee.

Matt's Home Office - Sitting down at his desk in his office, Matt took a breath as he proceeded to log into his laptop which was connected to the corporate servers; that way, he could work from anywhere in the home. But the truth was, he would much rather work here in his office when he needs to work due to the fact that it allows him to just relax and take it easy without having to worry about being disturbed by his children; not that he wouldn't mind if they disturbed him. He can already see it in the future, them wanting to come spend some time with him as he sits at his desk and just answers some e-mails. And he honestly believes that will happen someday, and not in the distant future but very soon. And that was something he believed as his sons where starting to become more mobile with the both of them crawling as they approach their first birthday. He wouldn't be surprised if they walk.

Oh, now that most certainly is something that they are going to need to look out for as it means that they're going to need to put out the baby gates that they've already purchased for the time when their little boys start to do just that. Move around the house independently, which will definitely make the both of them worry. But if there was one thing that didn't worry Matt, it was the fact that his company was in capable hands with his Assistant Deputy CEO for the Hawaii Office. And honestly, he has no idea just where he would be in the company when it came to how he does it with him. He truly is a great guy, and he is so lucky that he got to hire him to be part of his company. But right now, he needs to do something else; and that would be to provide him guidance when it comes to what he wants him to do with regards to the company, as he knows that he needs to let him know of his new plans now.

But first, he decided that he was going to read the e-mail that he already sent him today; the one that Rafael responded to in quite a bit of detail, which he actually appreciates due to the fact that it reduces the length of time that he needs to work here in the office. But right now, the length of time that he was spending in the office was not something that he was concerned about; rather it was the e-mail that he just received from Rafael, as well as just what he was going to write him back. And that was due to the fact that he knew that he couldn't just leave it be. He had to write something back, as he wanted to make sure that he and Rafael are always on the same page. And that started with his e-mail to him. Reading it, he then went ahead and proceeded to compare what he said to Rafael to what he said in return. And he also went to check for whatever discrepancies that Rafael may have gotten in his e-mail.

More specifically, he wanted to make sure that there wasn't any mixed messaging in between the e-mails that they exchanged with each other this afternoon. And that was why he felt like it was his duty to ensure that he was reading the e-mail that he got from Rafael much more closely than he first expected, while at the same time ensuring that Andy just relaxed next to him as he felt him rub against his legs. Looking down at him, Matt smiled as he rubbed the top of his head. "Lay down boy. Curl up at the endo f my feet and just lay down." Andy agreed with Matt as he said that, before proceeding to do just that for his patient; at the same time, Matt grabbed the bottle of water that he brought into his office and went to take a sip. And that was due to the fact that he was a bit thirsty at the moment, ahead of him writing an e-mail to Rafael. And for some reason, he had a feeling that it may be quite long.

From: Casey, Matthew
To: Solano, Rafael
CC: Dawson, Antonio; Casey, Gabriela
Subject: RE: Update on the Future of Casey

Hi Rafael:
Thank you so much for responding to me so quickly, as I love it when we can communicate to each other quite fast in times when we are talking about the company; especially during this new time where you are now my eyes and ears there in Hawaii. And speaking of there in Hawaii, I am glad that you and your family are safe; as I can unfortunately report that the same can't be said for my family, due to the fact that my nephew (Antonio's son Diego…I think you met him before) has COVID-19. However, we have a feeling that he is going to be okay at the end of the day; and we are going to just hope that nothing happens. Now, back to business as I give you some information on just what you said in your e-mail as I can just see that you have a lot of questions in there. Or at least, I saw some. First of all, I want to address the situation when it comes to my future here once more, as well as your role in the Hawaii Office.

I can see that you already changed your title in the e-mail, however I would invite you to change it once more from Senior Vice-President and Asst. Deputy CEO for the Honolulu Office to the Senior Executive Vice-President and Deputy CEO for the Honolulu Office. Honestly, you have earned that title due to the fact that you are now my representative there; as well as being the highest ranking official with seniority there in the office. So, I hope you enjoy the new title. Now, about the Hawaii Office. I have decided to leave that up to you when it comes to when the staff return to the office. When the state says that they can return to the office, they can of course return; however, you can also let the staff work from home for the duration of the pandemic, as to reduce the times where we have to open and close the office. After all, we are going to be getting some tenants in there eventually as to rent out space.

And that's what I mean when I say that I am going to keep the office open, as I have decided not to close the office, as it would mean that I need to relocate a lot of staff as well as their jobs. And I do not want to do that, when I have already invested so much into the state of Hawaii. I am therefore going to keep the Hawaii office open, which you are going to be in charge of when I am not there. And I will also be speaking to the legal team so that I can give you signing powers with regards to any easy documentation regarding dealings that you have with the state, legally speaking. I trust you to use your discretion as to whether you need to escalate items to my office here in Chicago, or whether you have the ability to do so there in Hawaii by yourself. But even if I do need to sign them, we have electronic signature software that I can use to sign them from here in Chicago; so, we shouldn't have too many problems there.

And now, to address the help with the future headquarters. I believe that I can handle that by myself, with the team which I already have here with me; as I have taken all the senior executives from Hawaii, and then I brought them back here to Chicago. But when it comes to staff, I am not sure what I am doing yet with relocation; and I believe that I am just going to leave it up to them where they want to work, as I do not want to inconvenience them. And now, with teleworking; we have the ability to work from far away. After all, that's exactly what I am doing right now; especially since we do not have a physical office here yet in Chicago. In fact, it may be a while before we get a physical office here in Chicago, due to the fact that we are exploring the idea of designing and building our dream office. But you can't share that yet, as we aren't sure just what we've decided to do so far when it comes to that idea.

But what I do know, is that I need to ensure that we have constant shipments for prototypes that come for Casey Apparel. I am not sure what is happening when it comes to the manufacturing room there in Hawaii, but I would please ask you to look into that; and see whether we need to make some changes with regards to the manufacturing process that we have for the clothes, including how we make prototypes. I know that we are going to start ramping up, including with our mask manufacturing capabilities. I believe that Gabby already spoke to Jane about it, but I am not sure due to the fact that I am not really dealing much with Casey Apparel as I trust my wife and have decided to give her liberty when it comes to how we run that part of the business. But you can always reach out to me if you have questions, and then I can speak with my wife should the need arise where Jane is in a bind.

I thank you once more for all the help that you have been over the past month, as well as everything that you continue to do which can easily take time away from your life as a family; and I can speak to this to you as a father. I just hope that everything is okay there, and that you are keeping safe. If you ever need anything, please just reach out; and I will be more than willing to help in whatever way I can, from a distance of course. Thanks again for everything you do Rafael. You truly are a great friend.

Sincerely,
Matt

Matthew Casey
Chairman and CEO, Casey
1 (800) 827-2938 x. 101

Quickly reading over the e-mail prior to sending it, Matt took a breath as he just hoped that he included everything that he wanted to include in the e-mail due to the fact that he would rather not have to re-write the e-mail all over again. He knows that Gabby is not going to be the happiest when it comes time to him being in here, yet he also knows that he doesn't really have a choice in the matter; and that's due to the fact that he is the Chairman and CEO of Casey. Then again, the children are asleep, and he knows that he has time right now. But later, they can most certainly do something nice, which would be to take a walk just the two of them. Heck, maybe they can do that while the kids are asleep. That would be nice, but Matt doesn't know what he's going to do yet. All he knows is that he's okay with Matt he's doing, as this is part of his job as the Chairman and CEO of Casey. The job of running a business.

And right now, that means that he needs to send another e-mail to some people who works at the Casey Headquarters on a regular basis regarding a couple things. One of which is critical during the pandemic, as it is related to how they are going to do business.

From: Casey, Matthew
To: Jacobs, Alexander; Adams, Gabriel
CC: Solano, Rafael
Subject: RE: Power and Utilities, Technology

Hi Alex and Gabriel:
I am writing you both today to wish you both the best during the COVID pandemic. However, at the same time I need to just touch base with you regarding how things are at the headquarters; and what we are doing when it comes to some things. First, I am going to touch on the power and utilities. Alex, I am not too sure who exactly is living/working there at the moment. But I believe that we should be at the minimum levels that we need to be due to the fact that most of our employees are working from home. However, there are a few rooms that I need to ensure that you need to keep active. And that would be the following.

The A/C needs to continue run, as we do not want the place to overheat. We have a lot of expensive equipment there, which I would rather not have to replace when I have plans to expand to a new office here in Chicago. As well, we need to make sure that the servers which we have in the office are up to date, and capable of handling what we have. I have already ensured that most of my executives do have mobile servers at their homes; that way, it is mostly in the cloud. However, I am not sure what we're doing with regards to all of the other employees. So, that's why I have decided to reach out to you guys so that you can figure it out.

I am not going to tell you what to do, as I know that you guys are the experts; and it's why I hired you guys. However, please realize that I would rather not have to spend a fortune if I don't have to. Instead, I would rather just spend what we need to ensure that we can keep running and that things don't overheat there at the facility. Thanks again for all the hard work that you do for the company, and I hope that you stay safe during this hard time. Thank you very much and have a good day.

Sincerely,
Matthew Casey
Chairman and CEO, Casey
1 (800) 827-2938 x. 101

Taking another breath as he finished writing that e-mail, Matt read over it one last time as he wanted to ensure that everything was okay. And that it was, due to the fact that he already knew what he wanted to say to his staff. He just has this knack for knowing what he wants to say ahead of time, which then leads to him writing it effortlessly. And that's exactly what he did, as he just went ahead and decided to read some of the e-mails that he received. One of which caught his eye, as it was from his lawyer in Chicago.

From: Adams, Jeffrey
To: Clients
Subject: Death of Partner

Hello Clients:
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today to report that one of our corporate attorneys Ms. Selma Moore has passed away due to COVID-19, which she caught while she was on vacation with her husband in Italy over Valentine's Day. We will therefore be closed on March 26th-27th in honor of Selma, as the staff will be attending a memorial for our partner. We will return to work on Monday, but I will be available at all times should an emergency arise. Thank you very much for your co-operation and stay safe.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Adams
Adams Law Group

In a little bit of disbelief as he heard the e-mail, Matt couldn't help but feel horrible over the fact that someone whom he's not even met yet has died due to COVID-19. And even though he hasn't met her, he still felt the need to write back; which he did.

From: Casey, Matthew
To: Adams, Jeffrey
Subject: RE: Death of Partner

Hello Mr. Adams:
Matthew Casey here, CEO of Casey. I am writing you to send my regards to the partners, as well as Ms. Moore's family on her tragic passing. I hope that you all are okay, and that you know what we feel horrible for your loss. Please, stay safe and take the time you need to grieve; I can speak from experience that you need to do what you need to do to grieve as I have lost people in the past. And it was sudden, as I used to be a firefighter. Thanks again for the update, and I hope to speak with you in the future.

Sincerely,
Matthew Casey
Chairman and CEO, Casey
1 (800) 827-2938 x. 101

Matt then went ahead and sent the e-mail that he just composed to Jeff, as he wanted to ensure that he got the message from him as soon as possible; yet he still felt horrible over the fact that he lost someone to this already. Someone has already died of COVID-19 and he could just feel something in his bones that said that this was already hard on his attorney. He just hopes that nothing goes wrong within his family, as he most certainly is not ready for another death close to him. But what he is ready for, is the feeling of his wife's hands on his shoulders as that was exactly what he got. "Thought I'd find you in here." Turning his head to look up, Matt sighed. "Hey." Just looking at Matt, Gabby was confused as she could see that something was wrong. "Hey, what's wrong?" Matt bit his lip. "One of our attorneys just died of COVID-19." Gabby just looked at Matt as he said that, nodding as she felt bad.

After which, she moved to sit down in his lap as she cuddled up to him; an action that was very much appreciated by Matt as he held her close, while running his hand up and down her side. He then went ahead and bent down to kiss her shoulder. "Sorry for working." Gabby shook her head, as it was okay. "I'm glad you worked as I knew you wanted to get some things settled when it came to the pandemic." Matt agreed with his wife as she said that, as that most certainly was the truth. Leaning back, Matt looked at Gabby. "I just put the girls down for a nap not that long ago." Gabby agreed with Matt. "I know, my mom told me; before she told me that you were in here." Matt agreed with Gabby as she put her hands on his face, while he put his hands on her back and leaned in to kiss her softly. "I love you." Gabby agreed with Matt, as she loves him too. "I love you too." Matt smiled as he heard Gabby say that.

He then rubbed her back as they held each other close. "Want to go sit in the living room together baby? Get away from this?" Matt agreed with his wife, as that was exactly what he wanted to do. "I want to hold you in my lap." Gabby agreed with Matt, before getting up and smiling at her husband. "I think I can do that for you." Matt smiled, glad that was the case as he got up and then got close to the woman he loves, who then wrapped her arms around him and stared up into his eyes. Kissing him, Gabby smirked due to the fact that she loves her husband more than anything. "I love you." Matt agreed with Gabby as she said that. "I love you too." Gabby smiled as she kissed him once more, before looking at him as she watched him close his laptop. "Keeping it on?" Matt shrugged. "I think it's better." Gabby agreed with her man, before grabbing his hand and leading him back to the living room where they'll relax together.

But first, he needed to make sure that Andy followed him and Gabby. "Andy, c'mon boy." Getting up, Andy agreed before following his boss away so that he could make his way out to the living room with his boss, as well as his wife.