Page 28 of As the Years Pass

I get my briefcase from the back seat and head toward the sleek, modern building. It has floor to ceiling windows, allowing the passersby to look in and see us at work. Though, us realtors don’t spend much time in the office. We’re mostly out showing houses and browsing for new properties. When I pull open the front door, I’m not surprised to see it empty, save for one co-worker.

“Morning, Adam,” Vernon calls out cheerily from his desk.

It’s an open space, with nine desks lined up three-by-three. There is a break room around the privacy wall to the left, along with the bathrooms and the storage room.

“Morning,” I respond as I put my things down on my desk.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he says, coming over to me. “The coffee machine isn’t working, and since you’re much younger than me, I was hoping you’d take a look at it. I really need some caffeine.”

I chuckle as I pull out my laptop. “Sure thing. I could use some coffee too, actually. My flight was late, so I wasn’t able to stop.”

“Hopefully, you can get it working then. It’ll brighten our Monday.”

“If not, I’ll run out to get us some.”

“Well, now I wish it wouldn’t work,” he says with a laugh.

He follows me to the breakroom. I nearly fall on my ass when a crowd of people jump up and shout “Surprise!”

“Jesus,” I mutter, laughing and looking back at Vernon, whose face is red from laughter.

“Surprise,” he says.

I shake my head, walking deeper into the room. I’m greeted by my co-workers and my boss, all of them wishing me luck and telling me they’re going to miss me. There is a huge cake laid out on the table that smells so good. Normally I eat healthy, and cake in the morning isn’t an option, but today, I’m making an exception.

I’m handed bags of gifts, and given hugs, and then Vernon walks up to me with a cup of coffee and a grin.

“Here you go. Sorry for lying.”

I take the coffee and take a sip. “You’re forgiven. It’s made right.”

He chuckles, then leaves, disappearing into the crowd with the rest of the people.

My boss, Tim Brogan, comes over, patting me on the back.

“I’m sad to see you go,” he says.

“Thanks for that, Tim.”

He’s been my boss since I started here. He and another guy, who I don’t remember the name of. because he left a few months after I started, were the ones who hired me. Leaving here is surreal.

“I always knew you would do good things here,” he adds. “If you ever decide to come back and need a place to work, you call me directly.”

“I’ll do that. Thank you.”

“Oh, also, I didn’t get you a gift exactly.”

“No need—”

“Nonsense,” he says, waving me off. “My gift to you is that today is your last day.”

“What?” falls from my lips. “No. I couldn’t.”

“You can and you will. I’m sorry if it’ll be a pain changing flights and stuff, but go home and spend the extra time with your kids. It’s Christmas. You only get so many of them while they’re little and happy.”

Tears sting my eyes. It’s the best gift he could have given me.

By the time I finish up with my day, I’m exhausted. I met with clients, showed houses, added listings, and cleared out my desk. Now, I’m staring at said desk as if I’m leaving a person and not a chunk of wood. I’m grateful for being able to head home today and not have to come back—at least not for work. I hadn’t scheduled any clients for the rest of my days because I knew I would be busy dispersing listings and finishing everything up. Tim assured me he would handle all that.