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It should have been too early. I didn’t take Gen to daycare early every day to make a good impression with Helena, though it didn’t hurt. The main purpose behind our early morning exits was to avoid the mangled, snarling monolith known as morning rush hour. Yet, there I was, in the thick of it, nothing but a sea of shining metal roofs as far as the eye could see. I could be in trouble if I turned up late, though it wasn’t as if they could start without me.
Like a miracle, the traffic started moving again, a steady flow, like a river breaking through a dam. Rushing everyone to where they needed to be, without too much likely damage done to their schedule. It made a lot more sense, considering the time. It wasn’t the proper rush hour yet, not really. More like an early clog, before the real obstruction started.
White and White was one of the biggest law firms going. Famous throughout the state, despite having its main office in the city of angels. They were famous for rarely losing, a tradition I was doing my best to uphold as the latest addition to the firm.
Large in reputation but modest in stature, the firm was housed in a red brick building on the older end of retro. Having no extra land to spare, staff parking had been outsourced to a near-by parking garage, with a special rate of free for White and White staff members. The courtesy was extended even to those who worked at the onsite café. If you were on the payroll of the White siblings in any way, you were considered part of the team, and treated as such.
Ludwig Von coming to another abrupt halt, as I pulled into my assigned space, which literally had my name on it, in the form of a printed-out sign hung on the concrete wall. Still, it was nice to be recognized. Particularly given my rookie status. I’d only been at the firm for a year, yet, in addition to a parking space, I had an office and an assistant.
“Morning, Kate.”
“Morning, Ms. Boucer,” Kate Sims declaimed, getting up from her chair and doing a little bow.
It was difficult not to laugh, and I got an insight as to how Helena must have felt much of the time.
“Emilie will do fine, Kate.”
“Oh, right.”
I’d known Kate since elementary school and was well acquainted with her famous deference to authority, no matter how tenuously held. As far as I knew, she still let her older sister boss her around, even though there was less than three years between them.
“Are you ready for the case?”
“Let’s hope so,” I said, never one to be tempting fate.
“You look tired,” she told me sympathetically.
Not much got past her, head bowing as she could sometimes be, Katie also had near Sherlock Holmes level powers of observation and deductive reasoning.
“I just need some coffee, then I’ll be okay.”
“I thought you were off caffeine.”
She wasn’t wrong. I went through a long stretch when I wouldn’t even drink tea, while I was pregnant with Gen. Old habits died hard through, and I soon found the cravings coming back. I started gently with tea, and then added chocolate. Then cola, working my way up to weak coffee. Maybe it was denial, but I was fairly certain that only bad could come of me suddenly jumping back onto a three-espresso-a-day habit.
Hitting the staff room and loading up my travel mug with a large helping of break room coffee, I gathered my documents to head to the courthouse, which was just three blocks from the office. Whatever happened next, I was ready.
Chapter Two - Niles
There was a weight on the other side of the bed. A warm, familiar weight I should have recognized immediately. Goodness knew I’d felt it enough times before. Even so, in the haze of sleep, I couldn’t be sure exactly what was going on.
I decided it was best to err on the side of caution, in case Lily had another nightmare and got into bed with me. Something she’d made a habit of since getting tall enough to reach the doorknob to my bedroom. My five-year-old daughter was surprisingly tall for her age, taking after her mother no doubt. Cora had been close to six-feet tall, which was my exact height. It was a rare treat to meet someone I could kiss without needing to bend down.
The offspring of our passion appeared to be treading down the same path. She reminded me of her mother more every day. In addition to her unusual height, our little girl had the same long blond hair, intelligent blue eyes, and perpetual slightly amused expression. Like she was in on a joke that she wasn’t telling you. I still brought an orchid to Cora’s grave every year on her birthday.
