bapa: from here to eternity

chapter 28: the unexpected goat

Bose POV:

I woke up to the soft sounds of Chapa breathing beside me, her presence both a comfort and a reminder of the chaos of last night. I glanced at the clock, and my heart sank—it was much later than I'd planned. My mind immediately snapped into action, the warm haze of sleep replaced by the sharpness of urgency. I carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to wake her, and headed straight for the shower. There was no time to waste.

As I dressed, my thoughts raced through the day's tasks. There was no way around it—I was going to be late. I quickly scribbled a note for Chapa, letting her know I had to rush off to work. I wished I could stay longer, but the demands of my job waited for no one. Grabbing my keys, I made my way to the car, the familiar routine giving me a sense of control, however fleeting.

The drive to the office was a blur, a mix of speeding traffic and mental checklists. As I finally pulled into the parking lot, I could feel the tension in my shoulders. I'd barely made it through the front doors when Bridget intercepted me, her expression a mix of concern and impatience.

"You're late," she said, her tone almost accusing.

"I know," I replied, not slowing down as I walked toward my office. Bridget matched my pace, her heels clicking against the floor.

"But you're never this late," she pressed, clearly unsettled by the deviation from my usual punctuality.

"Yeah, I had something to deal with last night and I slept in," I said, hoping that would be the end of it. I pushed open the door to my office, and Bridget followed me inside.

"Well, today at 1 PM you have a meeting with all the department managers, and Andrew, Hailey, and Gabe. It's about the party your stepfather wants you to throw in two weeks. He moved up the date since we need to discuss the trip to Italy."

"Okay, great. Anything else?" I asked, already mentally shifting gears.

"Yeah, around 4 PM you have another meeting with the fashion organizers, teachers, and department manager for the fashion show on Tuesday."

"Thanks," I said, settling behind my desk. Before I could close the door, something else crossed my mind. "Oh, and make sure Lizzy Brown gets good assistance while working here on her first day as a cleaner."

"I will," Bridget said as she left, finally allowing me a moment to breathe.

I dove into the stack of student application files that Andrew usually handled. It was tedious work, and honestly, not something I'd normally be doing. But with the fashion show taking up most of Andrew's time, I had no choice. As I worked, I couldn't help but think about how close I'd come to not realizing Chapa would be attending school here. I wasn't sure if Andrew was even coming in today after everything that happened yesterday.

After approving a few applications and responding to emails, my phone rang. It was Chapa.

"Hey, are you awake?" I asked, smiling as I leaned back in my chair.

"No, I'm still sleeping," she joked, laughing.

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but grin. "Sorry I had to leave for work earlier. You can make yourself something to eat and use my bathroom and everything."

"Thanks, but I called because a package arrived for you," she said.

"Oh? I wasn't expecting anything. What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Well, it's an animal... a goat."

"You're messing with me," I said, not sure if I believed her.

"Bose, do you really think I'd call you at work just to joke about getting a goat in the mail?"