“Tony, one more screw-up, and you’re fired!”

Tony didn’t make eye contact with his boss. Her instructions were ambiguous, but he had learned not to question her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Laura was hard to get along with. While everyone knew it, they still wanted to work for that company.

Only after Laura repeatedly rebuked them did they finally decide to leave and find a new company to work for.

“What did she fuss at you about this time?” Sarah asked.

Tony glanced at Sarah before lamenting. “I missed the ‘mind reader’ part in the job description.”

Sarah chuckled. “I think it was in the fine print. What are you going to do?”

He stopped typing and glanced at the snow falling in the parking lot. “It’s too close to the holidays to be out of a job. My daughter is expecting Santa to be generous this year. She has been through so much with her health issues and losing her mom. I mean to make it happen if I have to go into credit card debt.”

Sarah peered at him. She clenched her jaw before asking him, “How do you manage this job and being a single dad?”

He shook his head. “I focus on my little princess at home, and I don’t let the wicked witch of the company upset me.”

Sarah tried to imagine Laura as a girl and not an overbearing witch.

“You know, she has nobody at home. She travels so much that she is giving away her prize, Snow Bengal.”

Tony stared at Sarah. “That cat had to cost more than my house payment; she’s just giving it away?”

Sarah pulled up the ad she designed to place on the company website. She showed it to him, causing him to shake his head.

“She has to go to DC after Thanksgiving. I think she’s planning to shed herself of any responsibilities so she can travel as her job requires.”

Tony shook his head. “I think pets are like family. What’s wrong with her?”

Sarah placed her two hands together to mimic that of a heart and then pushed them together to make them smaller. Tony caught the reference to the Grinch.

“I feel for her, but I have to bite my tongue when she acts a fool. Sarah, don’t place the ad yet.”

She cocked her head while pinching her eyebrows together, causing her frown lines to become exaggerated.

“Why?”

“She needs to find a way to make it work.” He smiled, “That heart of hers needs a little defrosting, is all.”

Tony left early that afternoon to take Tina for her therapy on her leg.

***

“You’re pretty quiet this afternoon. Is everything okay?” Tony asked.

Tina took her eyes off the kids sliding down the snow-covered hill.

“I miss mommy.”

Tony’s vision became blurry as he hid his tears behind the sunglasses. “I do, too. She would want us to press on.”

Tina nodded while rubbing her leg. “I think I can feel a couple of my toes.” She exclaimed.

Tony smiled, pulling into the parking lot. “One day at a time. Let’s see what the therapist says today.”

***

“Sarah, where’s Tony? I need to speak with him about this presentation?”

Sarah glanced at Laura before admitting that Tony had left early.

“Doesn’t anybody have a work ethic?” She lamented as she stormed off.

***

Tina was not her usual self the following morning. Tony couldn’t call in sick. The workload was overwhelming. Taking her to the office, he pulled her Barbie tent, toys, and sleeping bag out of the closet and set them up in the corner.

He had brought her to work multiple times when he had things to do on the weekends. She was happy to be with him and not at some childcare.

Today was different. The day was Friday.

Laura stormed into his office. She intended to talk to him about leaving early and making up the time, but she got distracted by his curly blond-haired daughter peeking out from her pink tent.

The two were silent as something in that picture stirred a memory from her childhood. Those same pajamas and that same pink Barbie branding stirred her emotions.

Her tone changed before she ever spoke. “We have such a thing as child labor laws, Tony. Who is your helper?”

Miss. Holloman, this is Tina. We had a difficult time with the doctors yesterday, and … She cut him off.

“Hello Tina, how old are you?”

She attempted to stand as her gown fell, covering her to her knees. Laura could see the scars from surgeries as Tina grabbed her father’s arm to keep from falling.

“Four,” she said.

“Have you been here before, dear?”

She nodded. "Lots when Daddy needs to work on the weekends. He brings my tent out of the closet, and I try not to bother him while he works."

“Weekends, where’s your mom?”

Her face turned red as she started sobbing. Tony grabbed her close.

“It’s okay, sweetie, she doesn’t know.”

He peered into his boss’s face. His glassy eyes told the story before he ever spoke.

“My wife was in an accident with a drunk driver several months ago. The accident caused injuries to Tina. Had it not been for the car seat…” his voice trailed off.

She exhaled as if the demons of hell escaped their dominion over her.

“Why doesn’t anyone tell me these things!?”

She moved behind his desk, kneeling in front of Tina. “Honey, I will make it my mission to ensure your daddy can be home with you on the weekends.”

She looked at Tony. “Does Sarah know her?”

Tony nodded. “I need to talk with you. Can Sarah watch her?”

Sarah came in, picking her up as she had done hundreds of times before. Laura noticed the familiarity and envied the bond for only a moment. They watched as Tony followed Laura down the hall.

“Did I get Daddy in trouble?”

Sarah glanced at her, touching her button nose. “Don’t be silly. She needs to talk with him about work stuff.”

***

The rest of the office could hear through the closed door. Laura was very vocal.

“How can you take time away from that child when she clearly needs you?”

Tony stood there, not being able to find the words. Winning an argument or debate with her was impossible.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Tony was thinking about their savings account and wondering how long they could survive until he found another job at this time of year.

“I do what I have to do, Miss. Holloman. I have to take time off work for her doctor appointments, leaving less time for projects because the job requires longer hours.”

She shook her head, peering at the project on her desk.

“That’s another thing. Why didn’t you tell me that you lost your wife? Do you think I am some kind of heartless bitch?”

Without asking, he sat in a chair before her desk. She peered at him as if she was seeing him for the first time.

“You do, you think…Oh my god…is that why nobody told me?”

He glanced at her, and she saw his cheeks were wet.

“You have a company to run, and you do what it takes to make it successful. I am good at what I do, but this playing mom and dad and nurse takes more time than I have.”

She glanced at the project on her desk and then back at him. “This is some of your best work. I came looking for you last evening to tell you and talk about a few changes. I was upset that you were gone before closing time. If I had known why…shit Tony, talk to me. I am not some monster.”

He peered into her eyes.

“You threatened to fire me yesterday morning. I don’t know how to talk to people who say things like that when they are upset?”

She leaned back in her chair, thinking back to the conversation.

“You’re not the only person I say that to. I say it to motivate people to do their best. Maybe I should find a different way.”

Tony glanced at her and chuckled nervously. “Yeah, we have lost a lot of talent, and if that is what you say to them, I guess I understand why.”

She glanced back at him.

“I get frustrated easily. I need to let someone else focus on managing the talent and leave me to wine and dine the clients.”

“Won’t that take you away from the office more?”

She rubbed her chin. “If the numbers look better and the manager I hire does a good job, I think I might be gone less.”

He sat up in his chair, noticing the picture of her Snow Bengal behind her on the credenza.

“I heard you were trying to re-home your cat? Would you still have to do that?”

She turned to grasp the picture of Snowy.

“Snowy is like your daughter. She needs attention. She is soft and cuddly, but she destroys things if I am gone too long. In your daughter’s case, I guess your mind is on her more than work if you are gone too long.”

Tony nodded. “It’s been tough.”

“Do you like cats, Tony?”

“Tina loves cats. I have found that, unlike dogs, they can be rather aloof.”

Laura smiled. “Snowy is kind of like a dog. She plays fetch and comes to you if you call her name. I am considering re-homing her, as she needs love and attention.”

“If you are home more often, maybe you can keep her. You should try it,” he said.

She nodded, not committing to anything.

Laura made Tony the manager of the creative department. He had to promise to keep his work hours and home life balanced. She didn’t tell him she had been raised by her father because of her mother’s passing from cancer. Tina was a kindred spirit, which moved Laura to tears when she thought about the similarities between her life and Tina’s.  

A year passed as the company grew, as did a friendship between Laura and Tony.

Christmas came when a ring at the doorbell surprised them with a visit from Laura and a meowing package.

“Tina, I am going to Europe for a while, and Snowy needs a friend. She has favorite toys, and I even have a video of how to work with her. Will you take care of her?”

Laura was taken aback when the five-year-old hugged her neck. Christmas day was the beginning of regular visits from the witch of the advertising company.

The last snow disappeared from the mountain tops as cherry blossoms were everywhere. Laura and Tony talked more than ever. Sarah noticed her demeanor was that of a lap cat compared to the lioness she had been. Employee morale changed with the variation in management.

Another year passed, and the two became inseparable. Tony was her go-to person for anything with the company and when Sarah could spend time with Tina.

Tina was taking dance lessons; her first recital was that Friday night. Most of the feeling had returned to her leg. Laura was emotionally invested in Tina and her father.

Tony had her over to dinner after the recital. Tina and Laura played with Snowy. Tony heard a story she told to his daughter that shocked him.

“Miss Holloman, you changed since I first met you. What happened?”

Laura sat on the floor with Tina in her lap. Tossing a cat toy for Snowy to fetch, she glanced into Tina’s face. “You did.”

“Me?”

She nodded. “When I came into your daddy’s office and saw you, I saw me as a child. I grew up without a mommy. Unlike you, they pawned me off on a nanny or people who took care of me for money.

Your father risked his job to ensure you were cared for and loved. He also informed me of things I didn’t know about myself. I learned to admire him that very day.”

She smiled while peering into her eyes.

“Do you love him?”

Tony dropped the spatula with a clanging sound echoing throughout the living room.

Laura glanced into the kitchen to see him peering at her. “I love him. What do you think about that kitten?”

She giggled, hugging her neck ever closer.

Tony took the food off the burner and headed into the living room.

The curly-headed blond child pressed her nose to the brunette while holding her close. She whispered into her ear. “Are you going to live with us?”

Laura glanced up at Tony, who was looking down at the both of them.

“Tony, your daughter just asked me if I would live with you.”

Being a rather stout man, Tony reached down and scooped up both of them.  

Not to be outdone, Snowy leaped from the couch into their laps while he held them. Rubbing his nose on Tony’s face, they all giggled.

“I guess Snowy approves,” he said.