The Sidebar Burden: Chapter One
The digital clock on the bedside table flipped to 6:45 AM, and for Elena Vance, the sound of the alarm was less of a "wake-up call" and more of a starting pistol.
She didn't move immediately. Instead, she stared at the ceiling of her cramped two-bedroom apartment, mentally reciting the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. If she could survive Evidence and Torts while nursing a toddler on each hip, she could survive this interview.
"Mama?"
The whisper came from the edge of the bed. Then came the weight—two small, energetic bodies scrambling over the duvet.
"Leo, Mia, it's too early for wrestling," Elena groaned, though she was already smiling as she pulled them into a hug.
"You wear the suit today?" Mia asked, poking the dry-cleaner plastic hanging from the closet door.
"I wear the suit today," Elena confirmed, sitting up. "And you two are going to be on your absolute best behavior for Mrs. Gable, right? No drawing on the walls? No feeding the cat imaginary tea?"
"Mrs. Gable is sick," Leo said casually, picking at a loose thread on his pajamas. "She coughed on the phone when you were in the shower."
Elena's heart skipped. "What? When did she call?"
She lunged for her phone. A text message from 11:00 PM the night before glared back at her. Elena, so sorry, the flu hit me hard. Can't make it tomorrow.
The silence in the room was deafening. This interview was at 9:00 AM. It was 6:50 AM. Her parents were three states away, and every other law school friend she had was currently billing eighty hours a week at firms that would never hire a single mother with a "gap" on her resume.
"Okay," Elena breathed, her brain switching into crisis-litigation mode. "New plan. We're going for a ride."
8:45 AM: The Lobby of Blackwood & Thorne
The lobby was a cathedral of glass, chrome, and quiet judgment. Elena adjusted her blazer, praying the faint scent of maple syrup on her sleeve wasn't visible to the naked eye. She looked down at the twins. They were dressed in their "Sunday best"—Leo in a tiny clip-on tie that he was currently trying to chew, and Mia in a floral dress, clutching a tablet like it was a holy relic.
"Listen to me," Elena whispered, kneeling so she was eye-level with them. "We are playing a game. It's called 'The Statue Game.' If you can sit on this leather bench and stay as quiet as little statues for thirty minutes, we are going to the zoo this weekend. With ice cream. The kind with the sprinkles."
Mia's eyes widened. "Two sprinkles?"
"A mountain of sprinkles," Elena promised.
She checked them in at the front desk, her heart hammering against her ribs. The receptionist, a woman whose hair was pulled back so tight it looked painful, peered over the marble counter at the two toddlers.
"Ms. Vance? Mr. Thorne is ready for you. But... surely you aren't bringing them into the conference room?"
"Of course not," Elena said, her voice projecting a confidence she absolutely did not feel. "They'll be right here. They're very professional."
As Elena turned to walk toward the glass doors of the inner sanctum, she heard a deep, melodic voice from behind her.
"Professional? They look like they're planning a heist."
Elena froze and turned. Standing by the elevators was a man who looked like he had been sculpted out of granite and expensive wool. His suit cost more than her law school tuition, and his dark hair was perfectly swept back. He was holding a tablet in one hand and a black coffee in the other.
"I'm sorry?" Elena said, her chin lifting defensively.
The man stepped closer, his gaze dropping to Leo, who had finally succeeded in getting the clip-on tie into his mouth. "The boy is eating his neckwear, and the girl looks like she's about to hack into our mainframe with that iPad. Are you a client, or are we running a daycare now?"
"I am an applicant," Elena snapped. "And they are perfectly capable of sitting quietly. I'm Elena Vance."
The man's eyebrows shot up. "Ah. The Yale grad with the 'unconventional' schedule. I'm Julian Thorne."
Elena felt the blood drain from her face. This was him. The Senior Partner. The "Ice King." The man who held her entire future in his manicured hands.
"Mr. Thorne," she said, extending a hand. "I apologize for the... logistics. My childcare fell through an hour ago, and this interview is too important to miss."
Julian didn't take her hand. Instead, he looked at the twins, then back at her. "Law is about reliability, Ms. Vance. If you can't manage a morning, how can I trust you with a multi-million dollar merger?"
Before Elena could respond, Leo let out a loud, wet sneeze.
"Bless you," Julian said dryly.
"I managed to graduate in the top five percent of my class while raising two humans," Elena said, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous tone that usually made opposing counsel flinch in mock trials. "If that doesn't scream 'reliability' and 'multitasking,' I don't know what does. Now, are we going to discuss my understanding of maritime law, or are we going to stand here and critique my parenting?"
A flicker of something—was it amusement?—passed through Julian's grey eyes. He looked at the twins again.
"Thirty minutes," Julian said, checking his watch. "If they scream, the interview is over. If they stay 'statues,' I might actually listen to what you have to say."
He turned on his heel and walked toward the conference room. Elena took a deep breath, looked at her kids—who were currently staring at Julian like he was a strange new species of bird—and followed him.
"Statues," she mouthed one last time.
Mia nodded solemnly. Leo just waved a sticky hand.
Elena stepped into the office, the glass door clicking shut behind her. The battle had begun.
End chapter 1