Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

01

𝕽

"What exactly do you expect m to do? I work for the government, there aren't exactly pre-scheduled work hours," I exclaim, exasperated and just ready to finish getting ready and report to my SAIC.

"I don't expect anything from you, I just wish you would spend some time at home every now and then," Jasper, my fiancé, retorts seeming to be quite sick of this conversation himself.

"I can't spend time at home, Jas! Not when they need me at the White House, or presidential events, or at the Pentagon, I don't control when they call me in, and I can't change that I'm one of the top agents within my ranking and that they call me in almost every time someone in my ranking is needed," I raise my voice slightly, fed up with this stupid argument. I start lacing up my formal shoes as I shuffle my Nokia 6310 to keep it in place without holding it.

"Robin, you can't honestly blame me for wanting to actually spend time and get to know my fianceé better before we get married, what's next? We have kids who barely know their own mother?" He tries to justify his anger, and I can see where he's coming from but I can't help the fact that my job requires this.

"What do you want me to do, Jasper?! Quit my job?" I lash out a bit, anger clear in my tone, sarcasm lacing the words that escape my throat.

Silence. Realization fall over me.

"You can't be fucking serious, Jasper?! Do you honestly expect me to leave this damn job after seven years of service and climbing to get where I am?! Just throw everything I've worked for away just because of you?!" I shout, snapping at him. He knows this job has always been and is my passion, I can't just give that up.

"Well, I'd that I'd actually like to know what the fuck I'm getting myself into by marrying into your hellish family!" he shouts back.

"Look, you can go fuck off, and I'm gonna head and report to my boss, you go to work and you call me when you actually get some goddamn sense knocked into you, got that?" I snap, just over it, sliding my blazer over my button-up shirt, buttoning it. I almost immediately hang up on him.

I sigh, shaking my head as I place my phone into my pocket. A tear of a whole bundle of different emotions slides down my cheek. I reach up, aggressively wiping it from existence.

I head into the bathroom, slicking my hair back into a military-style bun and sliding on my black sunglasses. I grab my earpiece, my wallet, and my keys before heading downstairs to the lobby of the hotel that they've put us in and out into the hot and humid weather of Florida in September.
•••
𝔍

I sigh in frustration as I realize that she hung up. I wish she would just understand that I miss her. Ever since she became an ATSAIC, I haven't seen much of her at all.

I finish tying my tie after putting my cellphone away, looking out the windows at the nice morning weather of September in New York City.

I grab my blazer and my briefcase before sliding my keys and wallet into my pocket, and walking out into the streets of Battery Park, heading to the nearest subway station to reach my workplace in one of the twin towers.

I think over what she said, contemplating that she's right, but I just wish that she could see it from my end, I know how much she loves her job and I know that I'm being selfish, but I just want to see her.

Just once even.

I miss my fianceé. I miss my babydoll, my mysterious little black-bird with a fiery heart.

I regret how I went about it, I was rash but I had to make my point.

I know I was wrong.

I think I'll call her when I get back to the office.

𝕹

Little did either fo them know, that that phone call would never go through, and that there was a chance that they'd never see one another again.