Geek Goddess
Epilogue: Dawn
It’s been nearly 10 years since I lost my husband and kids in that crash. I still think about them often, especially when I’m about to land at an airport. I can’t get the picture out of my mind of Jon and the kids coming to pick me up at the airport and then getting killed by an out of control truck. Before I started to cry, I thought about how much my life has changed in the last 10 years. While I lost one family, I had gained another.
As the plane touched down, I started thinking about retirement. All of this traveling really drains the soul. I wondered if it wasn’t time to turn over control of my company to someone else. Someone younger, who has the drive and energy to keep going. While I’m not as young as I used to be, I’m still in fairly good shape. Maybe it really is time for me to retire, before I get too old to enjoy it.
Waiting for me in the baggage claim area was Kevin and the twins. It seems like I leave for a few days and they grow another inch or two. Shortly after I spot them, they see me in the crowd and start racing toward me shouting, “Granny, granny!” I wished Kevin taught them to call me Aunt Dawn. I’m way too young to be a grandmother, I thought to myself with a grin.
Jon and Ashley nearly knocked me over when they reached me. Jon looks so much like his father it’s uncanny, except for his eyes of course, while Ashley clearly has her mother’s hair. Together, they latched onto my legs with the grip only a four year old can manage. Kevin strolled over to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome home,” he said, “Everyone missed you while you were gone.”
On the drive home, Kevin briefed me on his latest project. Kevin is the only person who I will admit is smarter than me, and I’m glad he’s heading up the research group at my company. With Kevin’s ideas, our company has doubled its size and profits every year since he started working there.
I told Kevin that my meetings were a success. It looks like we’ll be able to buy that company for ten percent less than I had thought. He said he thought that Amy would be really happy, since she was very worried that they might hold out for every last dollar.
Soon, Kevin pulled up in front of our house. I can’t believe how many times I nearly sold it in those years after the crash. For a long time it was an empty reminder of what my life was like. Too many memories – good and bad. Now I’m glad I didn’t. The twins make this place feel like a real home again.
I grabbed my laptop from the back, while Kevin grabbed my suitcase and shut the tailgate. The twins disappeared the moment we walked inside, while Kevin walked me to my room. He put my suitcase on the bed as I thought longingly of a relaxing bath in that antique claw foot tub.
Reading my mind, Kevin spoke. “Kim said dinner should be ready around 6:30, so you have time to get cleaned up from your trip.” Carefully, Kevin closed the door to my bedroom on his way out.
* * *
A knock on the door woke me from my nap. It’s easy to fall asleep in that comfy tub. I heard Jon say, “Mommy told me to tell you that dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” Then he giggled and said, “Daddy said he’d eat your steak too if you were late.”
Even though I knew Kevin wouldn’t carry out his threat, I pulled myself out of the tub and dried myself off. I reached in my closet for a clean t-shirt at random. It was the Kokomo’s shirt from the wet t-shirt contest seven years ago. I started to put it back, but then what the hell I thought. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and slipped my feet into some sandals and followed the scent of grilled steaks to the dining room.
Everyone was sitting at the table already. Kevin sat next to Kim, while Jon sat across from his mother and Ashley sat across from her father. Amy was there too, sitting in her usual place at the end of the table. I sat down at the head of the table.
With a nod from her mother, Ashley said grace. While she was thanking God for our food, I thanked God for my new family – two daughters, a son-in-law, and two wonderful grandchildren.
* * *
For some reason, I couldn’t go to sleep that night. I guess I had a lot on my mind. I thought back to that night that when Amy admitted that she was in love with Kevin and how she wanted to kill herself just like her mother did, shortly after her father divorced her mother. Amy was then forced to live with a father that really didn’t want a child. That’s more than any 14 year old should have to bare.
I guess that’s why I decided to adopt Amy shortly after Nick was killed. I knew with some love Amy could go very far. While adopting a grownup doesn’t make much of a difference, it’s one way to tell someone you love them without sex. My faith in my new daughter was rewarded when Amy graduated near the top of her class and decided to go back school and earn her MBA.
For the last several years, she’s been in charge of Digital Networking in everything but name. When I retire, she’ll inherit the title too. Amy has the knack for running a business I never did.
On the other hand, Kim is a different matter. Even though I adopted Kim at the same time, Kim is far closer to me than I have ever admitted to anyone. I started college at 16 and breezed through most of my courses. Somewhere about the time I earned my first degree in engineering, I discovered boys. It wasn’t long before I became pregnant.
I didn’t want to give up my baby, but my older sister and her husband had just found out that they couldn’t have kids. I knew that they would give her a better home than I ever could. I made sure over the years that my daughter had everything she needed. I always made sure her parents had money for those little extra things and had made sure that when she wanted to go to college, money wouldn’t be a problem. I was very pleased when she decided to go to the same school I did and choose to follow in my footsteps and study engineering.
When I lost my family, I hid from the world. It was only when my sister and her husband died that I was able to get my act together. I knew that Kim needed me, so I was able to set aside my grief and focus on my first daughter.
However I’m a real coward as I still haven’t been able to admit to Kim that I’m her birth mother. Her real mother is dead. However, Kim was happy to become my adopted daughter. One of these days I really must tell her…
Kim is nearly as brilliant as Kevin, and together they are the research department. While that department employs quite a few people, nearly all of the innovations that our company is famous for have come directly from either Kevin or Kim.
Kevin is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Not only is a good father to the twins, but he’s kind and caring and very supportive of both my adopted daughters. And the way he interacts with his children proves to me that Kevin is much more than just a father. He’s their friend.
I’ll come home from work in the afternoon and find Kevin lying on the floor with the twins building a highly detailed Lego city. Or they’ll be out at the pool having a swimming competition. Or perhaps I’ll find him curled up on the sofa sleeping with the twins. It touches my heart deeply to see him love his children like that.
* * *
The next morning, I walked into the kitchen and found Amy fixing breakfast for the twins. I waved hi to her and walked over to the coffee maker to fix myself a cup of liquid energy.
Amy said, “Good morning, Dawn. K & K have already left for work, and it’s my turn to help out at the preschool.”
I looked over at the clock and saw that Amy had another hour before she had to take the twins to school. I asked her, “Do you have some time to talk?”
Amy looked over at the kids and saw that they were happily eating their oatmeal and said to them, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Finish your breakfast and then wash up. Then we’ll go find some clothes to wear to school today.”
Amy grabbed my hand, and together we walked into the living room.
“I’m not sure how to begin, Amy, but I’m not one for beating around the bush.” I took a deep breath and said, “As of today, you are president of Digital Networking. I’m retiring.”
The color drained out of Amy’s face. After stammering for a few moments, she managed to ask, “Why?”
“I’ve given this a great deal of thought and I believe that you are the best person for the job. I’m not going to walk away from the company, but this last trip nearly took everything I had. Since I’m not having fun anymore, it’s time for me to pass the responsibility to someone who is,” I explained.
All Amy could say, was, “Are you sure?”
I nodded my head yes and said “I’m not leaving the company. Perhaps I’ll work with Kevin and Kim in the research department, or maybe I’ll just spend some time at the pool with my grandkids. I don’t know. But I do know that the company will be in good hands with you.”
Amy reached over and gave me a big hug. “Have you told Kevin and Kim yet?”
“No, I wanted to make sure that you were willing to take over before I said anything to anyone else,” I replied.
We talked about the company for a while, until I heard the grandfather clock strike eight. “Oh my God,” said Amy. “The kids aren’t dressed and I have to leave for school in 15 minutes and I’m not dressed either!”
“Don’t worry, I am. I’ll take care of the kids today. You’re needed at the office, so run along Ms. President.”
With a laugh and a flip of her red hair, Amy raced off to get ready for her first day in her new job.
* * *
It was highly unusual, but not unheard of for me to take the kids to preschool. It’s a wonderful school filled with caring teachers and parents, who work together to insure that our children are prepared to go to Kindergarten the following year. Each parent takes a turn helping out in the classroom. Two parents, plus a teacher makes watching the nine children relatively easy.
Today it looked like my partner was another grandparent. “Hi,” I said to the new guy, “My name is Dawn. I’m Ashley and Jon’s grandmother.”
He looked at me with steel grey eyes and said, “Hi. My name is Steve. Laura over there is my grandchild.” He pointed towards a girl with long red hair and freckles. I looked at his hand – no ring, and I noticed him checking out my finger on the sly too. Hmmm…
After school, I took the kids to the McDonalds with a huge indoor play area as a treat. Steve and Laura came with us. We talked for a long time, while the kids played. It was nearly three o’clock when we left. I think I’m going to love retirement…
* * *
When we got home, I noticed Kevin’s car in the driveway. Amy’s was parked next to it. I wondered why they were home early. I saw the three of them through the back door sitting around the pool. I told the kids to go up and change into their swim suits and then they could go jump into the pool.
While the kids were changing, I walked outside and said, “Hi”.
Amy looked at Kevin and Kim and said, “Okay, it looks like I’ve been elected spokesperson.” Turning to face me, Amy said “Why the fuck are you retiring?” with a corporate president tone of voice.
Never let it be said that Amy was someone to beat around the bush. “I’ve decided there’s more to life than Digital Networking, so I’m retiring. End of story.”
Kevin, acting as peacemaker, said, “Are you sure you really want to do this, Aunt Dawn?”
I smiled at his use of Aunt Dawn. I haven’t heard him call me that in years! I said, “Yes Kevin. You and Kim and Amy are the future of Digital Networking. I’m its history. You don’t need me to run the company, and I’m ready for a change. I want to spend time with Ashley and Jon before they grow up, and I want to give you the freedom to handle the company as you want to, not as I may want you to.”
Kevin started to speak, but I held up my hand stopping him for a moment. “Let me finish,” I said. “I’m not running way. I’m not even moving out. You’ll see me each and every day, unless I choose to take a trip somewhere.”
“Think about this. I was in Memphis yesterday. Did I get to see Graceland or visit anything interesting? No. I was in New York last week. The only places I saw besides the airport were my hotel room and the offices of the company I was visiting. I wasn’t even there for 24 hours.”
“Look guys It’s been years since I took the time to see a play or go to a concert. The most fun I’ve had in months was when I took the kids to McDonalds for lunch today. I’m closing in on 50, and I want more from my life than the corporate treadmill. I’m bored and ready for a change.”
Just then, the kids ran out of the house shouting, “Mommy, Mommy” at the top of their lungs. Ashley with her short red hair and freckles ran over to Amy, who picked her up off the ground and gave her a big sloppy kiss. Jon with Kim’s bight blue eyes ran over to Kim who bent over and have him a big hug.
“The three of you have the most perfect relationship I’ve ever seen. I don’t claim to understand it, but I know success when I see it. I can’t believe that after I lost my family all those years ago, that I’d ever find happiness again. Now I want you three to celebrate this day. Take the girls out and buy them a nice romantic dinner. I’ll watch the kids tonight.”
Kim looked over at me and gave me her best evil grin. “Of course it’s a little too early to leave for dinner. Dawn, would you mind watching the kids while we get ready to leave.”
Amy looked at me with an equally evil grin and grabbed Kevin’s hand. “I think a nice long shower is in order.” Kim grabbed his other hand and together the girls dragged Kevin into the house to get ready for dinner at Kokomo’s.
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