Call him Joe

Call him Joe

By Marilyn

Jim Braddock breathed a sigh of relief as he watched a couple leave the grocery and start exploring town, now that the grocery had more employees Ivy could stay home and rest. "What’s their name's again?" he asked aloud.

"Tarsa and Sterling Foster" Ian replied. "James, what do you think Ivy will say? We did the hiring without consulting her at this time around." Jim shook his head and shrugged. "No idea, Ian, but she is going to have to live with it. If it were up to me she wouldn’t be working at all until after the baby is born. She does look kinda cute waddling around the place though", he added with a slight smile. "Really hope she doesn’t go into labor while I’m gone. She needs to start taking it easy."

"Agreed." Ian laughed. " But if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years… women and babies have a schedule all their own. You are returning the day before her due date, right?" he asked as he moved an upright that was blocking an aisle.

"Yeah, No snow this time of year. Something tells me if I think she is mad at me now I haven’t seen anything yet if I am delayed getting back. She is really moody right now." Looking up and out the window Jim noticed the Fosters were headed back towards the grocery. "She’ll forgive you, James…" , Ian broke off his reply as the front door opened.

Poking her head in Tarsa smiled. I just wanted to stop by and ask a favor. "A favor?" Ian asked hesitantly. Stepping inside and closing the door behind her Tarsa smiled again. "Oh nothing crazy…it is about Sterling. Do you think you could consider calling him Joe? He hates the name Sterling so he prefers to go by his middle name, or at least a version of it…" she left the end of her sentence trail.

"Where is he anyway?" Ian began.

"Oh, he is getting the car. I told him I thought I left my scarf here. Tarsa pulled a thin blue silky scarf from her purse and held it up. Please don’t mention this to him. You both just seemed so nice and I know when people get used to calling you one thing it is difficult to change. I just thought if you don’t mind…"

"Not a problem", Jim stated flatly. "From now on we call him Joe."