CHAPTER 14: THE OVERTIME
1076 Words
Monday. 6:00 AM. Meridian Warehouse.
Ethan’s phone was buzzing on the locker.
Priya: `Saturday shift still open. Double pay. 12 hours. We need you.`
He stared at it. Then he deleted it.
He had custody on Saturdays now. That was non-negotiable.
"Blackwood!" His supervisor yelled. "You on overtime this week?"
Ethan shook his head. "No ma. Sundays only."
The supervisor frowned. "You leaving money on the table."
"I know," Ethan said. "But I have somewhere to be on Saturdays."
He said it with his chest out. For the first time in years, he had somewhere to be.
---
10:00 AM. Sophia’s Office.
Sophia was in a meeting but she wasn’t listening.
She was staring at the photo Ethan sent on Saturday. Ethan and Leo. Both smiling.
Her assistant knocked. "Ms. Miller? The board is waiting."
Sophia closed the photo. "Coming."
But her mind was still at Blackwood Family Center.
Was Leo okay? Was Ethan okay? Did he remember the snacks?
Her phone buzzed under the table.
Ethan: `Just checking in. No emergency. Just thinking of you guys.`
Sophia didn’t reply in the meeting. But she smiled.
---
3:00 PM. Ethan’s Apartment.
Ethan was cleaning. Again.
He cleaned every day now. Because Saturdays. Because Leo might come here someday.
He bought a pack-n-play. A high chair. A box of toys. All secondhand but clean.
His phone rang. Unknown number.
"Mr. Blackwood?" A woman’s voice. "This is Ms. Carter from the Family Center."
Ethan’s heart dropped. "Yes?"
"I’m calling about Saturday," she said. "Everything went well. I just need to file the report. Did you have any concerns?"
Ethan sat down. "No ma. It was perfect. Leo ate. He napped. We played."
"Good," Ms. Carter said. "The court will want to hear that. And Ms. Miller’s lawyer too."
Ethan hung up and exhaled.
Court. Lawyer.
This was real now.
---
7:00 PM. Sophia’s Apartment.
Leo was in the bath. Splashing.
Sophia’s phone rang. Arthur.
"Did you hear?" Arthur asked.
"Hear what?" Sophia said, washing Leo’s hair.
"Ethan turned down overtime," Arthur said. "Priya told my assistant. He said he has custody on Saturdays."
Sophia stopped. Water dripping from her hands.
"He said that?" she asked.
"Yes," Arthur said. "He chose Leo over money."
Sophia didn’t say anything.
"That’s big Sophia," Arthur said softly.
"I know," Sophia whispered.
After she hung up, she opened her chat with Ethan.
Sophia: `I heard about Saturday. Thank you.`
She hit send before she could delete it.
---
9:00 PM. Ethan saw the text.
He read it 3 times.
`I heard about Saturday. Thank you.`
His chest felt tight.
Ethan: `You don’t have to thank me. He’s my son too.`
Send.
Three dots. Then nothing.
---
Thursday. 5:00 PM. Blackwood Family Center.
Another supervised visit. But different now.
Because Saturday happened.
Ethan was already there when Sophia came in.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," Sophia said.
Leo ran to Ethan. "Da-da!"
Ethan picked him up. "Hey buddy. Miss me?"
For 2 hours they played. Sophia watched from the chair. But she wasn’t tense anymore.
At 6:45, Ms. Carter said, "5 more minutes."
Ethan looked at Sophia. "Can I... can I ask you something?"
Sophia nodded.
"What if," Ethan said carefully. "What if next Saturday we do it at the park? Still 4 hours. Still supervised by Ms. Carter from far. But outside."
Sophia blinked. "The park?"
"Yes," Ethan said. "Leo loves outside. And I thought... maybe you could come too. Not to supervise. Just to be there. If you want."
Sophia didn’t answer right away.
"I’ll think about it," she said.
---
8:00 PM. Sophia’s Car.
She called Arthur.
"He wants to do Saturday at the park," Sophia said. "And he wants me to come."
Arthur was quiet. "What do you think?"
"I think," Sophia said slowly. "I think I’m tired of being scared."
---
Friday. 11:00 PM. Ethan couldn’t sleep.
He kept thinking about Sophia’s face when he asked her to come.
Was it too much? Too soon?
His phone buzzed.
Sophia: `Okay. Park. Saturday. 10 AM. But Ms. Carter has to be there.`
Ethan sat up in bed.
Ethan: `Yes. Thank you. I’ll bring snacks.`
Sophia: `I’ll bring Leo’s ball.`
Ethan: `See you then.`
Sophia: `See you.`
Ethan put his phone down and smiled at the ceiling.
---
Saturday. 9:45 AM. Riverside Park.
Sun was out. Kids were playing.
Ethan was there early. With a blanket. Snacks. Water. The toy guitar.
Sophia pulled up at 10:00 with Leo.
Leo saw Ethan and kicked in his car seat. "Da-da!"
Ethan’s heart melted.
Ms. Carter was sitting on a bench 20 feet away. Reading a book. Pretending not to watch.
"Morning," Sophia said.
"Morning," Ethan said. "You came."
"I said I would," Sophia said.
They spread the blanket. Leo ran between them.
For 4 hours, it wasn’t about custody. It wasn’t about lawyers. It wasn’t about the past.
It was about a ball. And sandwiches. And Leo learning to kick.
Ethan showed Leo how to kick the ball. Leo fell down and laughed.
Sophia clapped. Ethan looked at her and smiled.
At 1:00, Leo got tired.
"Nap time," Sophia said.
Ethan pulled out a small pillow from his bag. "For him."
Sophia took it. "Thank you."
Leo fell asleep on the blanket between them. With Ethan on one side and Sophia on the other.
No one talked.
They just sat there. Watching their son sleep.
---
2:00 PM. Time to go.
Sophia picked up Leo. He was still sleepy.
"Thank you," Sophia said to Ethan. "For today."
"Thank you for coming," Ethan said.
They stood there for a second. Awkward.
"See you Thursday?" Ethan asked.
"Yes," Sophia said. "Thursday."
She walked to her car.
Ethan watched her go.
Ms. Carter walked up to him. "That went well, Mr. Blackwood."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. It did."
---
5:00 PM. Ethan’s Apartment.
He wrote in his notebook.
Saturday at the park: Success.
Sophia came.
Leo was happy.
We were... okay.
He closed it.
His phone buzzed.
Sophia: `Leo’s home. He’s still asleep. Today was good.`
Ethan: `It was. Thank you for trusting me.`
Sophia: `I’m trying.`
Ethan stared at those 3 words for a long time.
`I’m trying.`
---
10:00 PM. Sophia’s Apartment.
Leo was asleep. Sophia was on the couch.
She opened her notebook.
Step 13: The Park.
Step 13.1: He asked me to come.
Step 13.2: I said yes.
Step 13.3: It wasn’t terrible.
She put the pen down.
Outside, it started to rain. Soft.
- Writer
