LOST NEGOTATION
CHAPTER 49: LOST NEGOTIATION
A full year passed in a flurry of finger paintings, alphabet songs, and playground adventures. At four and a half, Christian was a vocal, confident preschooler who knew his classroom inside and out, with Rex still firmly by his side.
On a warm Monday afternoon, Jeffrey and Christine stood at the school gates for dismissal.
As Christian ran into the yard to show a classmate a rock he had found, his teacher walked over to greet them.
“Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes,” she said brightly, holding a paper notice. “Just a quick reminder about our annual Career Day program next week. Parents are asked to help the kids dress up as what they want to be when they grow up. They’ll present their dream professions on stage.”
“Career Day, got it,” Jeffrey nodded, taking the paper. “Doctors, engineers, pilots... standard aspirations.”
“Precisely,” the teacher chuckled. “It’s always fun to see what they choose.”
On the short walk back to their condo, they held Christian’s hands, swinging him gently over the sidewalk.
“He’s been obsessed with building blocks and wooden bridges lately,” Jeffrey noted, his mouth curving. “Maybe an architect or a civil engineer. I could get him a tiny hard hat and blueprints.”
Christine laughed softly, shaking her head. “Always setting up the trajectory early, aren’t you, Jeff?”
“Merely anticipating his natural talents, Chris,” Jeffrey replied smoothly, eyes glinting with humor. “Though if he wants to be a doctor or an executive, I have tie options ready.”
“How about we ask him before you draft a full career development plan?” Christine teased, nudging his shoulder.
Inside the condo, Christian shed his navy backpack, kicked off his sneakers, and sat on the living room rug with Rex in his lap.
Jeffrey unbuttoned his suit jacket, draped it over the sofa, and knelt beside his son. Christine leaned against the kitchen counter, watching with an amused expression.
“Alright, big guy,” Jeffrey began, placing a hand on Christian’s shoulder. “Mommy and I need to ask you an important question about your school program next week.”
Christian looked up from his toy, curious. “What question, Daddy?”
“Your teacher said everyone has to dress up as what they want to be when they grow up,” Jeffrey explained. “So... what do you want to be?”
Christian didn’t hesitate. He threw his hands in the air, holding Rex high above his head, and beamed.
“A DINOSAUR!” Christian declared happily. “RAWR!”
The room fell quiet for two seconds.
Jeffrey remained motionless on one knee, his mind working to process the answer. “A... a dinosaur?”
“Yeah!” Christian chirped, his bangs flopping over his forehead as he nodded vigorously. “A big, green T-Rex! Like Rex!”
Christine let out a sharp laugh, leaning against the counter and covering her face at the contrast between Jeffrey’s grand career expectations and their four-year-old’s conviction.
“Christian, sweetie,” Christine said through her laughter, walking over to kneel on the rug. “Do you mean a paleontologist? A scientist who studies dinosaurs?”
“No!” Christian shook his head firmly. “Not a scientist, Mommy! I want to BE a dinosaur! With big sharp teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail to go SWOOSH!”
He wiggled his bottom on the rug to demonstrate the tail, letting out another loud “RAWR!”
Jeffrey looked over at Christine, his initial surprise shifting into a quiet chuckle. He reached out to ruffle Christian’s hair. “Well... I suppose that rules out the hard hat and blueprints.”
“Zero negotiations on this one, Jeff,” Christine laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind. “Looks like we’re building a T-Rex costume this weekend.”
Jeffrey pulled Christian into a lap hug, pressing a kiss to Christine’s cheek. “If my son wants to be a dinosaur on Career Day, then he’ll be the most handsome T-Rex in that entire school.”
Christian looked over at the sofa, where Jeffrey’s dark suit jacket was neatly draped. He pointed a tiny finger toward it, tilting his head.
“But Dad...” Christian murmured softly. “I want to be in school wearing a suit like yours.”
Jeffrey sat up straighter, a slow smirk spreading across his face as he looked back at Christine. “Did you hear that, Chris? He wants to wear a suit.”
Christine blinked in surprise. “Wait, sweetheart—what happened to the big green T-Rex with the sharp teeth and the tail?”
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Christian held Rex against his chest, puffing out his stomach. “Rex is coming too! I want to be a business boss like Daddy! But a boss who plays with dinos!”
Christine chuckled softly. “A dinosaur-loving executive. Well, that certainly fits the family dynamic.”
Jeffrey scooped Christian onto his lap, laughing low in his chest. “A mini CEO. Now that is a Career Day concept I can fully support.” He looked up at Christine. “Looks like we’re getting our son his very first tailored suit.”
“With a tiny tie to match yours?” Christine asked, a warm smile softening her face.
“A matching tie, crisp white shirt, and polished little shoes,” Jeffrey agreed smoothly. “He’s going to run that entire preschool by lunchtime.”
Christian clapped his hands together, squeezing his plush toy. “Yeah! Mini Daddy!”
A few days later, Christian came bouncing out of his classroom at dismissal, holding Rex by the leg. “Suit day! We get my suit now, Daddy?”
“Right now, buddy,” Jeffrey said, hoisting him onto his hip. “Off to the department store.”
In the formal children’s wear section, Christian stood proudly on a wooden fitting pedestal while an assistant helped him try on a sleek, tailored dark navy suit. He stared in awe at his reflection in the full-length mirror.
“Look at you, sweetheart,” Christine said, smoothing down his little lapels. “You look so handsome!”
“Now for the most important executive decision,” Jeffrey declared smoothly, stepping over to the rack of tiny formal ties. He picked out a deep burgundy silk tie. “Burgundy. A classic power tie, Chris. It commands authority.”
Christine tilted her head, pulling out a deep emerald green necktie instead. “What about emerald green? It matches Rex, and it’s a bit more playful.”
Jeffrey shook his head with a slight smile. “Burgundy makes a stronger statement for Career Day, Chris.”
Before they could continue, Christian crossed his small arms and stamped his sneaker on the pedestal. “NO!” he declared firmly, pointing at a bright royal-blue tie on the side display. “I want BLUE tie!”
Jeffrey looked down at him. “Blue? But buddy, burgundy matches Daddy’s favorite tie—“
“BLUE TIE!” Christian repeated, his dark eyes wide with toddler conviction. “I want blue tie like the ocean! Blue tie or no suit!”
Christine laughed, resting her hand on Jeffrey’s shoulder. “Well, Jeff. It seems your mini CEO just laid down his first ultimatum.”
Jeffrey looked from the burgundy tie to the emerald green tie, then down at their son staring back at him with absolute determination. With a small sigh, he set the burgundy tie back on the rack and picked up the royal-blue one.
“A firm negotiator,” Jeffrey murmured, a fond smile breaking through as he draped the blue tie around Christian’s collar. “Alright, boss. Blue tie it is.”
“Yay! Blue tie!”
As Christine adjusted the knot, Jeffrey wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close against his side as they watched their four-year-old proudly admire his reflection.
While Christine carried the tailored suit and tie to the register to pay, Jeffrey took Christian’s hand and strolled outside the department store into the mall concourse to wait for her.
Christian swung their linked hands, his eyes scanning the corridor until they locked onto an artisanal ice cream kiosk just a few yards away, featuring a picture of a large scoop of dark chocolate.
“Daddy! Look!” Christian gasped, pulling on Jeffrey’s arm. “Ice cream! Can I have chocolate ice cream, please?”
Jeffrey paused, looking at his son, then at the counter. He knew Christine’s stance on sugary treats—she kept Christian’s sugar intake low, especially on a weekday afternoon close to dinner.
“Hmm, I don’t know, big guy,” Jeffrey hesitated, kneeling beside him. “Mommy doesn’t like you having too many sweets, remember? We save treats for the weekend.”
Christian tilted his head, holding Rex tightly under his arm as he looked at his father with big, round eyes. “But Daddy...” he murmured, resting a hand on Jeffrey’s knee. “I was a super good boy trying on my suit and choosing my blue tie. Just one chocolate ice cream? Please?”
Jeffrey stared down at his hopeful face, feeling his resolve give way. “Alright, just a small scoop,” Jeffrey said quietly, taking Christian’s hand as he stood. “Consider this a reward for your behavior in the store.”
“Yay! Thank you, Daddy!”
Moments later, Jeffrey handed Christian a waffle cone with a scoop of rich chocolate ice cream. Christian took an enthusiastic lick, leaving a dark smudge on his upper lip. “Mmm, so good!”
Just as Christian took his second bite, the sound of heels clicking on the tile floor signaled Christine’s approach.
She stepped out of the department store carrying the garment bag over her arm. Her eyes scanned the corridor, landing on Jeffrey’s tense posture, then dropping to Christian, whose chin and fingers were smeared with dark chocolate.
Christine stopped. Her brows pulled together, and she let out a heavy sigh, shifting the heavy shopping bag to her other arm as she crossed her arms firmly over her chest.
“Jeffrey,” Christine said, her tone flat and serious. “Really? We literally talked about this on the drive here.”
Jeffrey cleared his throat, stepping slightly in front of Christian as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Chris, hear me out—“
“No, Jeff,” Christine cut in, shaking her head. “Dinner is in less than an hour. I spent all morning trying to get him to eat a proper lunch, and now you hand him chocolate right before we go home? You do this every time I turn my back.”
“It was just a small scoop as a reward for being so patient—“
“And now he’s going to refuse his dinner, and I’m the one who has to deal with the meltdown,” Christine said, her voice firm. “You can’t keep letting him bend the rules just because he gives you those eyes, Jeff. It makes it twice as hard for me when I have to say no.”
The sharpness in her tone made Jeffrey pause. Realizing he had genuinely upset her and undermined her efforts, he dropped the smooth excuses. His expression softened into sincere regret as he stepped closer to her.
“You’re right, Chris. I’m sorry,” Jeffrey said quietly. “I should have checked with you first instead of giving in. I didn’t think about dinner time, and that wasn’t fair to you.”
Christian looked between his parents, sensing the shift. He slowly lowered his ice cream cone, looking up at Christine. “Mommy...” he murmured, holding the cone out toward her. “You want a bite? Don’t be mad at Daddy...”
Christine looked at her son’s messy face, then back at Jeffrey’s remorseful expression. She let out a long breath, releasing the sharp edge of her frustration.
“I’m not mad at Daddy, sweetheart,” Christine said, her tone softening as she crouched down in front of Christian, though she gave Jeffrey a pointed look. “But Daddy is officially on mess cleanup duty, dinner duty, and bedtime story duty tonight.”
“Deal,” Jeffrey answered immediately, pulling out a handkerchief and dropping down on one knee next to her to carefully wipe the chocolate from Christian’s lips and hands. “Complete responsibility accepted.”
Christine watched him handle the cleanup, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She reached out, unbuttoning Jeffrey’s top suit button to help him relax.
“You’re lucky you look good taking accountability, Reyes,” she murmured softly, nudging his shoulder with hers.
“I know when I’ve lost a negotiation, Chris,” Jeffrey replied, looking at her with quiet affection as he took her hand, pressing a brief, apologetic kiss against her palm. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”