Page 26 of Power Move

“No, but?—”

“Well, do you not like the job? Is there something I can fix?”

I teared, wanting to be honest.

“I’m sick. And I think it’s going to be an issue.”

She furrowed her brow in concern. “An issue? How sick? We don’t kick people when they’re down around here, Eva. Not if you ask me, anyway.”

“If I tell you something… will you keep a secret?” I asked.

“Of course. If it’s health information, the only one I can talk to about it is HR.”

Spoken like an attorney.

“Okay. So, I am pregnant and… it’s making me sick. Your brother just caught me puking and he’s like… livid.”

“Oh, because he thinks you came in sick with norovirus and he’s a supergermaphobe. Wait? You’re pregnant?”

I nodded.

“Oh, Eva, that’s so exciting! You’re doing this on your own?”

“It looks like it,” I answered.

“Well, I think that’s great.”

“It does not protect me with FMLA.”

“The City of Chicago guarantees labor protections for pregnant employees so, even if I wanted to fire you—which I don’t—I couldn’t, Eva.”

I shook my head. “You won’t want me. No one here?—”

“Eva, who is bothering you? Is it Davey? Is he being an ass? God!”

She rose slowly and paced. I held my tongue, confused about where this would lead.

“He has such a bug up his ass about that fucking computer! I told him not to ask you to fix it but he’s still angry.”

Daphne turned her attention to me. “Let me fix this, okay? Don’t panic. Don’t quit. And take tomorrow off if you feel sick. I found that spending a day getting hydrated vastly improved my chances of staying well. Did they give you good drugs?”

“I just took my first Zofran.”

“Good. It will help. It gets better. If you need to take time for appointments or even just need to vent, let me know, okay?”

Davey

“Sit your ass down!” Daphne barged into my office as I watered plants on my windowsill.

“What?” I groaned. “Why are you so hormonal?”

“Sit down. Because I’m fucking angry.”

I sat with a thud. Daphne stood, hands on her hips, ready to explode and reminding me very much of Mum.

“I’m a woman who has just been told she isn’t able to consume the one type of food she craves—simple carbs—and my BISO is about to once again quit. And why? She thinks my brother is an asshole who hates her!”

Eva again?