3. Back to Work

Chapter Three: Back to Work

Allen

After being a father for two days now, I think I was finally getting the hang of things. Sure, I was absolutely exhausted, and I don't remember the last time I shaved, but the baby was still alive. That's got to count for something, right?

I was just heating up his bottle when Mika knocked on the side door in the kitchen, which I told him to use in the morning. I also told him he didn't need to knock, because most times I'd probably wouldn't hear it, but he insisted.

"Come in," I called over my shoulder. The door opened and then shut as I grabbed the warm bottle. "Morning," I said, turning around with the bottle in my hand.

Mika nodded his head slowly, looking around. "Where is he?"

"What?" I questioned. "He's in his-shit." I left him in the nursery! How could I have left him there!

Dropping the bottle on the table, I ran out of the room and down the hall. Seconds later, I was picking up my son out of his crib, who probably didn't even realize anything was wrong, thank god.

Turning around, with my son tucked comfortably in my arms, I saw Mika leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. There's something about him that makes me trust him completely. I didn't even know him, and yet, it felt like I did. And that smirk seemed to fit perfectly on his face, like it belonged there. He just wouldn't be the same without it plastered there.

It was like no matter how bad of a life he's lived, at least, from what I've gathered, he's not letting that get to him. He just goes on with life. And that's something I really have to admire. I'm not even capable of doing that.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you going to hand me the baby so that you can go get dressed? You are going to work today, right?"

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts. If I thought I wasn't getting enough sleep before, I really wasn't now. I don't even know what I was thinking, thinking about him like that.

"Sorry," I sighed, handing the baby over. "Not enough sleep."

"Yeah. I can tell." Once he was holding the baby, Mika turned his face towards him, although kept talking to me. "I think you need coffee, man."

"No, definitely not. That'll put me right to sleep. And that's not what I want to do right now."

"Weird. But alright. Whatever works." Then he looked up at me suddenly. "Have you named him yet?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I think. I really like Sam. Samuel Jacob Carr." It was actually the first time I had said it allowed, and I loved the way it sounded. Those two names, in that order, were the only things I could think when I first woke up, and I think they fit perfectly.

"So glad you didn't keep Boris." Mika looked back down at the baby and smiled, heading out of the room and back towards the kitchen, but I still heard him talking. "Hey, Sam. Do you like Sam, huh? I think it suits you, little man. You'll be little Sammy Carr. Yeah. Yes you will be."

I had moved to take Mika's original place in the doorway of the nursery, just watching him and my son move down the hallway as he talked. One would think that I wouldn't want to have some stranger holding onto my son like that, but what can I say? This, for some strange reason, felt completely right.

A little while later, I was ready to head out to work. I made sure Mika knew where everything was that he would need, and that he had the spare key, in case he needed to go out or even if he wanted to take Sam on a walk or something. Then, with a kiss to my son's forehead and a promise to be home at six, I left.

With the morning traffic, it took a little over forty-five minutes to get to work. I usually leave earlier than I did today, but that was also before I had a baby to take care of. Although I was starting to think I wouldn't want to give him up for anything.

Sam was the closet I can get to Sarah. I've accepted it now, that she wasn't coming back. But my heart didn't have such a huge hole in it any more. Sam was already filling that hole up, and I've only had him for two days.

"What are you doing here, Allen?" Melissa demanded as soon as I stepped out of the elevator. "You should be home with your son! You didn't just leave him, did you?"

I scoffed. "Have a little faith in me, will you? I found a nanny to stay and watch him all day. I trust this guy." I had to add that last part in because I saw the question written all over her face the second I had said 'nanny'.

Thankfully she didn't push me about who this nanny was. She knew that if I trusted someone, they usually turned out fine. I don't trust lightly. "Allen, are you sure you should be here?" She asked instead, following me through the floor as I made my way to my office "Only taking one day off, after getting a newborn? You can take more than one day off. This place can function without you, no matter how much you don't want to hear that."

I sighed as I pushed open my office door. "I know that, but I still need to be here. There's so much work I need to catch up on from yesterday. I wouldn't be able to manage more than one day."

"That's a lie and you know it."

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my computer for the day. I didn't want to point out to her that I was the CEO of the biggest accounting firm in the area. She already knew that. She also knew the type of workload I needed to deal with every single day. She shouldn't be saying anything.

But I always had the option of taking some of this work home with me, although that would mean getting less stuff done over the course of the day. No, being here was definitely better. For my personal production and the company's.

"Alright fine. Change of topic: name?"

I looked up at her as I sat in my chair, confused. "I would seriously hope you know my name already, considering you've worked for me for two years."

"What? Oh, Allen, you need a whole lot more sleep. I was asking about that son of yours. Please tell me you've given him a name."

I let out a weak laugh. Maybe I did need more sleep. "Sam. His name is Samuel Jacob Carr."

Melissa sat down in the chair on the other side of my desk, a huge smile on her face. "That's beautiful, Allen. How'd you come up with that?"

Shrugging, I started rifling through the file folders on my desk. "It just sort of came to me this morning, and I couldn't get it out of my head."

"So sort of like fate?"

I shook my head. Fate wasn't real. There was no force directing your life. That notion was insane. "Don't you have work to do?" I asked, wanting my space.

Melissa stood up quickly, straightening out her skirt. "Don't forget that you have a meeting at eleven today."

I nodded my head. I couldn't forget about that one, it's about the biggest deal I could potentially make this year. Another reason why I needed to come in today.

The day passed by incredibly slowly. In the past, I've always seemed to lose track of time, burying myself in paperwork and meetings. But today was different. I kept looking at the time to see if it was getting close to when I could leave to get back to Sam and Mika.

Mika. He's been on my mind a lot more today than I ever expected. I felt really bad for the kid. It seemed like life hadn't been nice to him, and I was glad that I would be able to help him as he helped me with Sam.

There were moments today that I found myself doubting my trust in him. He had come to my house soaking wet and wearing drab, torn clothing, and yet, I let him hold Sam anyway. He was a natural at taking care of children, and they way he looked at him told me so without him even needing to tell me that he had raised his sister from infancy. There was a heart of gold buried somewhere within that boy, and I knew instantly that he was the best person to look after my son, no matter what my doubts might say.

Finally, the end of the day came around. I was in a good mood, having gotten the deal during my meeting this morning and the fact that I was leaving the office before the sun set. I couldn't remember the last time I had done that.

No, I know exactly when I did - the day I found out Sarah had left me. I had left work early because I had wanted to make a nice dinner for the two of us. I might have even proposed that night, if I would've be able to work up the courage, the way I failed to do three times prior to that night.

When I finally pulled into my driveway, I realized I had completely forgotten to go to the bank, too wrapped up in my thoughts of the past. But I hadn't promised Mika I'd pay him at the end of each day, so I'd be fine getting the money to him another day. Hopefully he'd be okay with that too.

With a sigh, I got out of my car and made my way inside. Mika stood up from the couch as I walked in, turning off the TV as he did so.

"Where is he?" I asked, looking around the room and not seeing my son anywhere.

Mika gave me his little smirk and held up the baby monitor. "Sleeping. Just put him down a little while ago. You've got a great kid. Really. Super easy."

I couldn't help but smile at his words. "Thanks." Then, taking the baby monitor from his hand, we moved into the kitchen.

"Now, I forgot to stop at the bank to get your money," I started with as Mika was pulling on his old sneakers. "But I'll get you it tomorrow, plus tomorrow's pay."

Standing back up, Mika shrugged. "That's fine. I figured you'd just pay me at the end of the week or something. Thought you'd want to see that I haven't killed your kid or that I didn't steal anything."

The thought hadn't even occurred to me and I suddenly realized how quiet the monitor in my hand was. I didn't say anything as I ran out of the room and into the nursery. Leaning over the edge of the crib, I let out a sigh of relief to see that Sam was absolutely fine.

"Nothing like a scared dad moment right there."

I turned around to see Mika, with that smirk of his, standing in the doorway. "Don't say things like that to me. I was afraid..." I cut myself off, not exactly wanting to accuse him of actually hurting my son.

"What? Afraid I killed him? Of course not. Although I'm surprised the stealing anything part didn't phase you one bit. Not that I stole anything. I have too much respect for myself to ever steal from my employer."

I shook my head. "No. For some reason, I trust you. Does that make sense?"

Mika shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I mean, most people I tried to get to hire me see me and immediately want me out of their building. But you were the first person to not even ask about my past work experience or anything like that. So, I get that you trust me, not sure why, though. Although you can. You can definitely trust me."

I wasn't sure, because he had looked away from me, but I thought he might have blushed. No, he couldn't have. Why would he? I must just be tired and imagining things. That's got to be it.

"Well, I should probably go," Mika said, already heading for the door. I followed behind him until he stopped and faced me again, one hand on the doorknob. "I'll see you tomorrow, Allen."

For some reason, the way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. I could only manage a single head nod before he was opening the door and walking down the front path.

I watched him for a minute as he made his way down the street towards town, his hood pulled up over his head. There was something about him, definitely, that intrigued me, and I had no idea why.