Lisa & Rokko - Missed Chances (english version)

Chapter 13

Rokko held the cell phone wedged between his shoulder and ear as he tried to close a file folder with one hand. His sister's voice sounded upset through the receiver.

Then he was heard saying, "What? Now?" A brief silence followed, then a resigned "Okay, I'll pick him up. But I have to take him to the office with me today. I have an important meeting I can't cancel."
A short time later he was walking through the entrance of the company with his nephew on his arm and a backpack over his shoulder.
If I'm lucky no one notices me, he thought, secretly relieved that the reception desk was currently unoccupied. Otherwise that spot is the central hotspot for gossip.

Once in his office, Rokko set the boy down, opened a cabinet, grabbed a few documents, and gathered some blank sheets. Then he took his nephew by the hand again and disappeared with him into one of the presentation rooms where the press meeting was about to begin.
At a side table he positioned a chair and helped the him climb onto it. He carefully placed the paper and a few pencils in front of him. Then he knelt down, looked the little one in the eyes with a serious but gentle expression, and said quietly, "I have to take part in an important conversation now. After that we can go home and do something fun, alright? You just need to stay quiet for a little while. The rest of the day we can do whatever you want."
The boy beamed and nodded eagerly. Rokko smiled, relieved and at the same time tense, and stood up just as the door to the meeting room opened and the first journalists entered.

While Rokko worked, his nephew sat obediently at the side table and drew. Initially with great enthusiasm. But after a while, he got bored, let the pen drop, and looked around.

He glanced at Rokko. His uncle seemed busy, currently talking about "target audience," and "digital strategy." Didn't sound particularly exciting.
He propped his head up with his hand. Then he looked at the gap in the door. Open. Only a small gap, but open. His eyes began to gleam.
Slowly, very slowly, he slid off the chair. A last look at Rokko, who was talking to one of the press representatives and didn't notice anything.
He carefully pushed the door open a little further and slipped out.

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Lisa had just entered the main entrance of the company. She had barely closed the door behind her when the noise overwhelmed her. There was chaos everywhere. Massive rolls of fabric were being carried through the hallways, models in half-finished outfits rushed past her, and an assistant tried in vain to resolve a delivery issue over the phone.

In the middle of it all stood Hugo, gesticulating wildly and speaking at an exhausting pace.
"No, no, no! I want the pieces from the 2008 spring collection, not these terrible discontinued models! Bring me the items from the second warehouse! And where is the silver bustier? I repeat: Silver, not beige!"

Lisa raised her eyebrows, trying to make her way through the creative chaos, when she suddenly stopped.
A small boy was standing in the middle of the hallway, all alone. He pressed himself against the wall, his shoulders slightly hunched, his eyes wide. People rushed past him, but no one paid him any attention.

Lisa immediately walked up to him, knelt down to be at eye level, and said gently: "Hello, little one. Did you get lost on your way?"

He said nothing, but he looked at her and then nodded slowly.
Lisa smiled reassuringly. "What is your name?"
Just as she was about to speak further, there was a loud crash. Two rolling garment racks had collided, and clothes hangers clattered to the floor. The boy flinched in fright.
Lisa immediately stood up, offered him her hand, and said: "Come with me. It's much too loud here for you."
He tentatively took her hand, and she led him through the halls to her office. There she closed the door behind them, and it suddenly became much quieter.
He plopped down on the chair opposite her desk. Lisa sat down opposite him and examined him curiously.
"You look somehow familiar to me. Have you been here before?"
The boy shook his head.
"Okay... And how did you get here?"
No answer.
Lisa thought for a moment, then she tried a different approach:
"Does someone in your family work here?"
This time he nodded.
"Aha... And how old are you?"
The little boy held up his hand and showed four fingers.
"Four years old," Lisa said, smiling. "Quite big already."
She was about to ask another question when the door suddenly swung open. Rokko rushed in, slightly out of breath, his eyes searching frantically.
"Niklas, there you are!" he exclaimed when he saw the boy, then froze when his gaze fell on Lisa.
Lisa looked at Rokko—surprised, but also suddenly very clear inside. Of course. Now I know why he looked so familiar to me... That's Rokko's son.
She turned her gaze to the little boy, who was now smiling in relief when he saw Rokko. Then back to Rokko. "He was wandering around near reception," she explained calmly, answering the unspoken question on his face.
Rokko took a step closer. His shoulders relaxed a little. "Thank you for taking him with you. I don't want to imagine what could have happened if he had left the building."
Lisa nodded. Her heart beat a little faster, partly from the commotion and partly because of Rokko. The boy slid down from the chair, ran to Rokko, and wrapped his arms around his leg. Rokko placed his hand on the boy's head, then looked back at Lisa.
A moment of silence followed.
Rokko glanced down at the little boy still clinging to his leg. A faint smile crossed his face as he leaned down and said in a quiet voice,

"We better not tell your mother about this, hm?"

Niklas giggled softly and nodded enthusiastically.
At the casual mention of the mother, Lisa's heart sank. Of course. He has a family. He is happy without me. The thought hit her suddenly, like a stab.
"Okay, Uncle Rokko," the boy said cheerfully.
Lisa's eyes widened. "Uncle  Rokko?" shot through her head.
"Excuse me?" Rokko asked, irritated, and looked at her.
She was startled. Apparently, she hadn't just thought it but had actually said it out loud.
"Uh... nothing," she murmured quickly.
Her gaze darted between the boy and Rokko. Her heartbeat picked up speed, this time for a completely different reason.