Daddy Material

I'm Not Paying for a Jet

The work of a CEO was never done. A fact that I had learned fairly quickly when I was usually the last one to leave the office, sometimes after the cleaning staff too. Some would say I was a workaholic. They would not be wrong. I got to work early, went home late, and took some of it home with me.

But with Zafirah around now, a few of those habits had been curbed. Seeing as how Zafirah didn't own a car (I should do something about that), we carpooled. Now she was a workaholic like me and would probably be right alongside me late into the night, but she had a little human to think about now. So I made some changes to my schedule.

Instead of getting there three hours before everyone else, it was not an hour and a half. And rather than leave after 10PM, we left when everybody else left. Except on the off chance that a meeting ran late or I didn't have a choice but to stay late. That was when Zafirah would go home without me, usually being taken by Seungsik, Chan, or Subin. Like tonight.

I rubbed at the back of my aching neck, ready to take a hot shower and go to bed. That meeting had taken much longer than it should have and by the time it had finished, it was well after 9PM. Going to sleep at 9PM? I've gotten old.

Opening the door to the apartment, I expected everything to be shut off and Zafirah probably upstairs in her room. I took of my shoes and placed my jacket on the coat rack, but as I was about to go up to my room, I stopped in my place. Curled up on the couch with the fluffy black blanket on her lap, Zafirah was dead asleep.

I quietly walked over and squatted down in front of her. "Zafirah," I said softly, slightly shaking her.

Her eyes blinked open and she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Your home."

"Why're you sleeping in here?" I asked her.

She sat back and smiled sleepily at me, making my heart skip a beat. "I wanted to wait for you to get home. I made dinner. It's in the microwave."

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"All the time," she said.

I chuckled slightly as I stood up. "Go on to bed. I'm home."

She sleepily nodded and got up, blanket in hand. But she didn't get much further than leaning against me. "You're warm. I like it." I would have to say the same thing. Her warmth washed over me and just eased the tension out of my body.

"Come on," I said, taking it upon myself to lead her upstairs. After getting her settled in and closing my door, I sighed. I didn't realize how lonely it was here until Zafirah moved in. Having someone to sit around with, to cook for, to come home to. It was nice. It was even better that that someone was Zafirah.

This was a life that I could get used to.

If I have to sit through one more of these late night meetings, I was going to start firing anybody who couldn't wrap shit up by 6. It made no damn sense why I was leaving out of the office almost everyday now at 8 or 9. I had a pregnant girl to get back home to.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I was expecting it to be quiet and a possibly asleep Zafirah sitting on the couch. She had started waiting for me to get home before she went to sleep. Normally she still fell asleep, but it was the thought that counted.

And walking a sleepy, cuddly Zafirah to her room had become something of a highlight for me. It was the only thing I looked forward to after these damn meetings.

Except today, there was no sleepy, cute Zafirah to walk to bed. She was wide awake and loud with an equally loud Quanetta. Should have seen this coming. "Welcome home!" she called when I closed the door. Her welcoming me home was an act that I never got tired of.