He clicks the tip of his pen, shifts in his seat and stares down at the notepad on his lap. “Rosetta has had a fall.”
Oh no… “Is she okay? What happened?” I imagine the worst, possibly as a result of Weston’s nervous demeanor.
A whisper of a smile traces his lips. “She’ll be fine,” he tells me. “She took a fall down her stairs and broke her ankle. Apparently, she’ll need surgery.”
Wow. I think about the fun-loving kind woman I barely know, and I’m devastated. “What does this mean?” I ask. “She’s not coming back?” Of course she’s not. Not in the near future anyway.
“Well, she will be out of commission for at least a week or two. But knowing Rosetta, she’ll want to get back to work as soon as she can.”
“Wow…” I’m at a loss for words. We were meant to work together, and now she’s gone. “Does… this mean that I need to report to you?” I ask, my words faltering. Truth be told, I’m terrified to report to him.
He smiles. “Looks that way.”
We stare at each other for a long beat. Then he abruptly tears his gaze away. I do too and stare at the French doors, at a loss for words.
“And I’ll probably need some assistance with the day-to-day office goings-on,” he tells me. “I know that wasn’t originally in your job description, but I’m hoping you’ll humor me.”
I turn to him. “Of course I will. I’ll do anything you ask.”
At that, he pulls his gaze again, and I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but there’s a hint of a playful smile on his lips.
“Thank you,” he finally says. “I appreciate it.”
His eyes dart across his office, briefly over me, and back to his blank notepad. The man is even more bashful than I am. I foresee many awkward moments between the two of us. Yet, I’m looking forward to them. There’s something quite magnetic about him, a strong pull. I imagine he has this effect on most women. And he probably doesn’t even realize it.
“So…” I venture. “Those are your kids?” I ask in an attempt at small talk.
He smiles and stares at the framed photo on his desk. “Yes, that’s Ashton and Elizabeth.”
“They’re beautiful,” I tell him, and I’m not just being polite. They truly are stunning, especially his girl.
“How old is your boy again?” he asks.
I sit up straighter. “He’s two.” I spot a photo on the bookshelf just behind him, a beautiful blonde woman with her arms around Ashton and Elizabeth. “Is that your wife?” I ask before I have a chance to catch myself. It’s really none of my business.
He swivels his chair, and studies the photo. “Ex-wife,” he clarifies. “As I mentioned before, she and I parted ways a few years ago.”
I nod quietly. “Yes… I’m so sorry.” The words sound trite, but it’s the thing to say.
He turns back to me. “And you are a widow,” he says. “Do you find that challenging?”
I’m taken aback by his directness. “Uh…”
“I’m sorry,” he’s quick to say. “I just… I’m curious. It must be difficult for you.”
I stare at his desk, at the walls, at the small gold seahorse statue sitting on his bookshelf, nestled amongst his books. “Yes, it’s tough,” I admit. “But it also has its moments. I love him to pieces.”
“Of course.” His smile fades. “I’m so sorry, Gretchen. I shouldn’t have been so curious.”
“No, it’s fine,” I insist. “I get these kinds of questions a lot. People are fasciated by single moms, I guess.”
“I can imagine.”
“I’m not sure if ‘single mom’ is the right term for me,” I go on. “I suppose widow would be more accurate.”
“Well, they are both difficult, I imagine.”
You have no idea, Mr. Hanson.
A soft smile stretches across his beautiful face. “For some reason, the term ‘widow’ conjures up a certain image in my mind, an image very unlike you.”
“Yes,” I say. “I suppose I’m a young widow.”
“How are you faring?” he asks. “Do you have help?”
I smile. “Thankfully, I have the resources for daycare. And I also have my mother-in-law… she’s wonderful. And my mom helps occasionally, but she’s a bit of a flake. I can’t rely on her too much. She’s very unpredictable,” I blabber on. “Last week I asked her if she could sit for a few hours, and she couldn’t because she was getting her hair dyed. The next day, she shows up at my place with blue hair.”