10th Vhalar, 717
She didn't really know why she was nervous, yet she was. These people were her employees, but it had become more than that since they opened. In the seasons since she had opened these doors, Cally's had flourished and it had done so because of these people. Jo'get, her sous-chef who worked so enormously hard. Trudi, the flirty but dedicated waitress. Paul and Taylor, too. They each had their role to play, Paul was invaluable in the farms and Taylor just seemed to be everywhere as needed. Faith had called them together for a meeting this morning. This was not an unusual turn of events on any given trial, they met regularly. However, this time, she had a flutter of worry which was entirely new for her. The crisp white linen tablecloths were piled, ready to begin laying the tables once this meeting was over. At the moment, they were sitting around one of the tables and talking. Meetings were never formal here, everyone had cups of coffee or tea and there were sweet pastries on the table, left from the night before but still good.
"Thank you for coming. I wanted the five of us to talk because I have news. Information you need, really." Faith looked at them and breathed in, wondering how to phrase the next bit. She didn't get a chance to, however, as Paul spoke. "Are you opening up another restaurant?" It was the most outlandish thing he could think of and, in the seasons he had known her, Paul had come to the conclusion that Faith had to do that; she had to push herself to the maximum. "No, Immortals, no." Faith looked, and felt, a little horrified at the thought. This season, she had enough money that she was going to double the number of trainees who worked here, but that wasn't the issue, not at all.
"Are we going to have another branch in Viden?" Taylor asked and Faith looked at him like he was going insane. "No. It's nothing to do with expanding. Or, not the business, anyhow. That is. It's me that's going to be expanding." She put her hand on her stomach and gave a slight, somewhat nervous smile.
"You're pregnant?!" Trudi's eyes showed her delight, but her voice was teasing. "Who's the father?"
Faith looked at the waitress and grinned. "Padraig." Trudi had no idea of what had happened on Rharne, had no clue of how close to the bone that was. So, she smiled and Trudi did a truly dreadfully acted gasp and lifted her hand to her forehead. "He's cheating on me? How could he, the brute?" Faith couldn't help but smile. Trudi did her very best, in fairness, to get Padraig to notice her flirting, but thus far she'd been almost spectacularly unsuccessful even in that. Faith had no doubt about Padraig's heart and so she simply shook her head and let Trudi have her fun.
"So," Jo'get asked, the serious young sous-chef thinking things through, "what's going to happen with the restaurant?"
It was typical of Jo'get to go straight to practicalities and, in truth, it was part of what she really appreciated about her. "I'm going to close .." there was a collective gasp and Faith looked around at them with a perplexed expression, "for Cylus. When the baby is due. In Vhalar, Padraig and I are going to Desnind for a few trials, how you do then will be good practice. Then, in Zi'da, I'm going to step back from doing long shifts. I'll still be here every trial, but not cooking. That will give us time to get used to it all." She looked around and smiled, wondering when the inevitable question would come and, perhaps quite importantly, who would ask it. It turned out, it was Paul.
"What about once the baby's here, Faith?" Paul asked, his voice quiet and concerned. His concern, though, was obviously for her, not himself. Faith smiled and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I believe that, at some point in Ashan, I will come back to work full time. That's the plan." It was a plan and could be no more than that, she knew. How many mothers had been sure of what would happen once their child came only to find that the actual arrival meant that they did not follow those carefully thought out plans at all? "I don't know how it will all take shape.I know that I will do my best to ensure that you are all impacted to the smallest amount."
Trudi shook her head, "Faith, this is wonderful news. We're delighted for you. For you both. This baby will have lots of aunts and uncles, right here." Faith smiled and lowered her head for a moment, looking down at her hands clasped together on the table. With her head looking down, they could not see as she blinked back tears and instead, she spoke. "Well, that is why I called the meeting. We should get ready for to-trial."
"Thank you for coming. I wanted the five of us to talk because I have news. Information you need, really." Faith looked at them and breathed in, wondering how to phrase the next bit. She didn't get a chance to, however, as Paul spoke. "Are you opening up another restaurant?" It was the most outlandish thing he could think of and, in the seasons he had known her, Paul had come to the conclusion that Faith had to do that; she had to push herself to the maximum. "No, Immortals, no." Faith looked, and felt, a little horrified at the thought. This season, she had enough money that she was going to double the number of trainees who worked here, but that wasn't the issue, not at all.
"Are we going to have another branch in Viden?" Taylor asked and Faith looked at him like he was going insane. "No. It's nothing to do with expanding. Or, not the business, anyhow. That is. It's me that's going to be expanding." She put her hand on her stomach and gave a slight, somewhat nervous smile.
"You're pregnant?!" Trudi's eyes showed her delight, but her voice was teasing. "Who's the father?"
Faith looked at the waitress and grinned. "Padraig." Trudi had no idea of what had happened on Rharne, had no clue of how close to the bone that was. So, she smiled and Trudi did a truly dreadfully acted gasp and lifted her hand to her forehead. "He's cheating on me? How could he, the brute?" Faith couldn't help but smile. Trudi did her very best, in fairness, to get Padraig to notice her flirting, but thus far she'd been almost spectacularly unsuccessful even in that. Faith had no doubt about Padraig's heart and so she simply shook her head and let Trudi have her fun.
"So," Jo'get asked, the serious young sous-chef thinking things through, "what's going to happen with the restaurant?"
It was typical of Jo'get to go straight to practicalities and, in truth, it was part of what she really appreciated about her. "I'm going to close .." there was a collective gasp and Faith looked around at them with a perplexed expression, "for Cylus. When the baby is due. In Vhalar, Padraig and I are going to Desnind for a few trials, how you do then will be good practice. Then, in Zi'da, I'm going to step back from doing long shifts. I'll still be here every trial, but not cooking. That will give us time to get used to it all." She looked around and smiled, wondering when the inevitable question would come and, perhaps quite importantly, who would ask it. It turned out, it was Paul.
"What about once the baby's here, Faith?" Paul asked, his voice quiet and concerned. His concern, though, was obviously for her, not himself. Faith smiled and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I believe that, at some point in Ashan, I will come back to work full time. That's the plan." It was a plan and could be no more than that, she knew. How many mothers had been sure of what would happen once their child came only to find that the actual arrival meant that they did not follow those carefully thought out plans at all? "I don't know how it will all take shape.I know that I will do my best to ensure that you are all impacted to the smallest amount."
Trudi shook her head, "Faith, this is wonderful news. We're delighted for you. For you both. This baby will have lots of aunts and uncles, right here." Faith smiled and lowered her head for a moment, looking down at her hands clasped together on the table. With her head looking down, they could not see as she blinked back tears and instead, she spoke. "Well, that is why I called the meeting. We should get ready for to-trial."
