“I’m fine!” He rubbed his forehead and gave a goofy smile. “I’m going to be a dad.”

Maya grinned. “We got that part, Ted. Way to go.”

“Sophie needs me. I—” Ted dropped his phone again but this time Alison was the one who bent and retrieved it.

“Breathe, Ted.”

“Yes. Good advice. Breathe. We’ve done lots of practice. I mean obviously it’s Sophie who is meant to be doing that part, but no reason why I can’t do it, too.” Ted pushed his glasses back up his nose and cast an apologetic look at Arnie. “I’m—”

“Go.” Arnie waved him toward the door. “And keep us updated.”

Ted looked torn. “But this is an important meeting, and—”

“Family first.” Arnie’s voice was rough. “Go and be with Sophie. Call us when you have news.”

Ted rushed out of the room, then rushed back in a moment later to collect the coat he’d forgotten, and back again a moment after that because he’d left his laptop bag.

“Also,” he said, pausing by the door, breathless, “I have a train set arriving here today. Can someone take the delivery?”

Maya raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. “A train set?”

“Yes. It’s a Christmas present for my son.” His voice cracked and Arnie walked round the table and put his hand on Ted’s shoulder.

“A train set is a great choice. We’ll take the delivery. Now go. Ask Rhea to call you a cab. You need to get to the hospital as fast as possible.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Ted sped out of the room, knocking into the doorframe on his way out.

Maya winced. “Can they give him a sedative or something? And is a cab really going to be quicker than taking the train?”

“It’s going to be quicker than Ted getting flustered and lost,” Arnie said. “At least the cab will deliver him to the door, hopefully in one piece and with all his belongings still about his person.”

“A train set?” Ryan, the intern, grinned. “He does know that a baby can’t play with a train set, doesn’t he?”

“I suspect it will be Ted playing with the train set,” Arnie said. “Now, exciting though this is, we should return to business. Where were we? Fingersnug. Lucy? Are you on it?”

“I’m on it, Arnie.” She’d find a way to show it at its most appealing. She’d put together a last-minute Christmas campaign. She’d find a reindeer from somewhere. She’d pull in favors from her contacts, content creators with high profiles and engaged followings who she’d worked with before. She’d find a way to handle it all and try not to think about the fact that her job was occasionally ridiculous.

Arnie cleared his throat and Lucy glanced at him.