Chapter 7 - Deanna

I walk into the house.  The smell of dinner instantly fills my nose and puts a smile on my face. 

My feet follow the delicious aromas while I call out, “I’m home.  What smells so good?”

Barbara pops her head out of the dining room.  “Some of your favorites, including a honey glazed ham.  Now go get cleaned up and come back down.  The meal is ready, and we are waiting for you.”

She doesn’t have to tell me twice.

I bolt up the stairs and to my room.  I don’t waste any time before I’ve cleaned up and back downstairs in the dining room and sitting at the table. 

My eyes roam across the table and my mouth waters.  Most of the dishes are my favorites. 

Dotty chuckles beside me and nudges my arm.  “Mom is pulling out all the stops.  She is going to make sure that you have no desire to move out.  Look at this.  These are all your favorites.”

While I lick my lips, I nod.  I guess a little bribery doesn’t hurt anything.

She nudges me again.  “Hey, stop drooling.  I see my mom’s trick has worked.  You are already putty in her hands.”

With my eyes still feasting on the various foods, I shake my head.  “No.  I will not give in because she is cooking my favorites, but I have to admit that it helps to sway me to her side.”

Barbara walks in with another bowl full of food and sets it down on the table.  “Now, now, girls.  Stop that.  We are going to have a nice peaceful meal for once.”  She turns to the end of the table and stares at her husband.  “That means we will not have a bunch of company talk.”

Cliff flashes her his bright smile.  “I can’t promise anything.  Dear, you know what it is like when Deanna and I talk.  It often ends up being about business.”

She shakes her head and sits down next to him and across the table from Dotty and me. 

Well, I can’t help it if I end up talking about work.  Some days, the only time I get to talk to him is when we are sitting around the dinner table. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I glance down at the end of the table towards Dotty’s parents.  The two look lovingly at each other before Cliff clears his throat.  “We better eat before everything gets cold.”

You don’t have to tell me twice.  I eagerly dig into the food and dish up my favorites.  Within a matter of seconds, my plate is full of food and my hands are itchy to feed me. 

A comfortable silence falls over the room as we eat.  The only sound being the utensils clicking while we devour the feast. 

After several minutes, Barbara glances down the table towards me and clears her throat.  “Deanna, did you have another nightmare?  I think I heard you scream a couple times in the middle of the night this weekend.  Each time I got up to go check on you, the screaming had stopped.  Are you okay?”

A pain tugs on my heart as my hand with a spoonful of food stops for only a moment, as I mumble, “I’m fine.  You know that this time of year is hard on me.”

Dotty perks up next to me and looks at her mom.  “Don’t worry, mom.  I ended up sleeping with her this weekend, so I was there when she woke up.”

I turn my focus back on my food.  However, the same mouth-watering aromas now don’t seem to smell as delicious. 

Barbara sighs and scoops up some food off her plate.  “Maybe you should make another appointment with the doctor, dear.  I don’t want you to take any steps backward.  You are doing so well.”

Cliff looks up from his food and nods.  “Yes, Dee.  You need to make sure that you don’t stumble backwards.  Why don’t you make an appointment with Dr. Davis?  He told me he would always make time for you, even if it was on the weekend.  Maybe he can come visit you here at the house, so you don’t have to miss any work.”

His wife instantly huffs.  “Cliff!  Our daughter’s wellbeing is more important than any work she has going on.”

He takes another bite of food and swallows down quick.  “Don’t get me wrong, dear.  I am worried about our daughter’s health, but I’m also worried about the company.  If we can get the appointment done at night, it would help everyone, including the company.”

Dotty nods her head.  “I agree with dad.  You do not know what kind of snide and hateful employees we have.  Well, it is usually only the women, but they don’t give Deanna a break.  She is already the talk of the office because she often leaves early on Fridays.  I don’t want to see what stupid things the office ladies will think up to say about her if she leaves during the workday again.  I would like to fire all of them for their attitude alone.  They are so jealous of anything that Deanna does.  At the same time, they ignore all the good things that she is doing.”

I silently eat my food as Monday morning’s incident flashes through my mind.  Those nasty women think I sleep with our new customers just to get the work.  I don’t even know what to say about it. 

Cliff clears his throat. 

I glance up at him and sigh.  He knows all too well what I’ve gone through. 

Barbara shakes her head.  “Those hussies.  I have a notion to walk into the company tomorrow and see if I can catch them saying stuff about my baby.  I may not be an official employee of the company, but I’m still one of the owners.  If I decide to fire someone on the spot, I can do it.”

Dotty scoops up some food on her fork and stops it in mid-air.  “Don’t worry, mom.  Nathan walked into the break room and told those nasty women off.”  She then turns towards her father.  “Why aren’t we firing them for such behavior?  I know Deanna won’t say anything.  But if we catch them on security video or another employee overhears it and reports it back to us, why not fire the people on the spot?”

I choke down the lump in my throat and cut in.  “Don’t worry about it.  I’m fine.  A few rude and nasty comments won’t take me down.  I’m stronger than that.”

Cliff looks down the table at me and smiles.  “Yes, you are.”

Dotty shakes her head and shoves the food into her mouth as she huffs. 

Cliff keeps his attention on me as he folds his hands together in front of him with his elbows on the table.  “Speaking about being strong.  Do you think you are going to go after this big fish that appears to be looking for a new glass company to partner with?  I got some inside information that says the company might look for a company in the Midwest.”

I shake my head.  “No.  We are too small of a company to handle the volume of orders the big fish would want.  Unless we expand our manufacturing plants, we wouldn’t be able to keep up and not only the big fish will be affected, but all our customers will be.  Maybe in a few years when the expansions have taken place, but not right now.  It will put us at too much of a risk of producing subpar products and damaging our reputation which we have spent the last two years building back up.”

He remains silent and stares at me.  After a few moments, he adds, “Well, I think our rival is planning on bidding on the project.  You know what that means if they get the job, right?  They will be catapulted ahead of us in the industry.  Do you want that to happen?”