The next month, April 17th, Yasmin and Jack got married. It was a very nice, smallish party with a judge marrying them, dancing, dinner and drinks (except for Dar). They were both about 50 and could expect a lot of years together. So, another great thing happened because Dar found me. A few of us owed her so much.
In May my boss, one of the partners, asked me to meet him for lunch, something that rarely happened. We rarely had time to have lunch out of the office. I had a bad feeling; often, such meetings mean bad news. After we ordered, he asked me how I liked working there etc. I told him I was very happy; of course, I didn’t mention that I hated the traveling. Then he asked me if I ever considered going to law school. That caught me by surprise. I had thought about it; many Political Science majors think about going to law school, and I told him it was something I had been interested in six years ago, but now I was settled with a baby on the way.
“Mickey, would you be interested still if it meant you had a job waiting for you at the end?” Dick Sadler clearly had a plan in mind.
“I guess that would make a difference. I just don’t know if I want to start with the constant studying now. I’m going to be a father in October and that means life will be hectic enough at home.”
“You should know we’re extremely pleased with the quality of your work in the time you’ve been here. What I’m suggesting is a contract, Mickey. The firm will keep you employed, and we’ll pay for school for three years. In exchange, you maintain grades of ‘B’s’ or better and you get two chances to pass the Bar exam and then you continue to work for us for five years. We hate paying for outside counsel. Not only does it get expensive, but we don’t always like the kind of quality we get. You do excellent work for us, and I think you’d make a hell of a lawyer. Why don’t you talk it over with Darejani, at least through the weekend, and see what she thinks? If you want this, you can start studying for the LSATs and apply for the Spring semester at St. Johns. I’m an alumnus and I can pull a few strings. I know your grades were good enough. Do well on the LSAT and I can almost guarantee you’ll be admitted.”
I was kind of speechless. It was a hell of an offer. The firm would pay for school and keep paying my salary for three years while I went. In exchange, I’d have to guarantee I’d keep working for them for five years as an in-house counsel. I wouldn’t have to bounce around looking for work. I asked a few questions, found out I’d also ‘intern’ in the legal department during my summers while still keeping my vacation time, 3 weeks at that point as well as my family health insurance. It was all very reasonable and generous. But I had to think about if I wanted it and I had to talk to Dar. It would affect her life as well as my own.
That evening, Friday, she was home already and starting dinner, Persian spiced lamb with rice and vegetables. We both could cook, but I had come to really enjoy her Persian style cooking. I put my arms around her tummy, growing slowly, almost daily, with new life, and kissed the side of her neck, earning me a loving smile. I decided to tease her just a little bit. “Honey, how would you feel if I stopped working for three years starting in January?”
She looked sideways at me as if I was drunk. We had already decided she was going to become a full-time mother when she gave birth; we were planning at least two more children. “Mickey, while I would love your help at home with our baby, I don’t think we can afford for you to stop working for that long. And why three years?”
“Because I may be going back to school full time for three years. Law school. Paid for by my company. And I’d be drawing my salary all during that time.” I smiled at her and she turned away from the stove to assess if I was serious.
“Mickey…you’re not playing a game with me?”
“No, my love. This is a real thing. I had lunch with Dick Sadler today and he offered to send me to law school, fully paid, full salary and all I have to do is maintain all B’s or better, pass the Bar exam within two attempts, and then to work for them for five years when I graduate.”
Dar threw her arms around me and kissed me enthusiastically. “Bunny, that’s wonderful! My husband the lawyer! Mickey, this is the best news!”
“Besides this, right?” I said, tapping her bulging tummy.
“Yes, of course! Silly man! I’m so proud of you!”
“Hey, before you start calling me Mickey Gold, Esquire, we have a few things to discuss. Like if I even want to go back to school for three years… three HARD years.”
She turned back to the stove to keep working on dinner so it didn’t burn. “Mickey, you can do it. Clearly your boss and your company have faith in you. And I have tons of faith in you. You’re so smart; you’ve always been so smart. You can do this. You can do anything you put your mind to.” Dar was so adoring, and she was great for my self-confidence.
“It will mean long hours studying, including with study groups. I might not be around so much at night. Summers I’ll be interning. I don’t know if I like the idea of not being here with you while you’re raising our child. I don’t want to be a stranger to our baby. ”
“You listen to me, Mickey Arthur Gold” She was deadly serious when she used my full name, like my mother used to. “Whatever negatives you bring up, whatever drawbacks, you’re going to do this. Because I know deep down inside you, you want this. My mother, your mother, will both help me when I need it. Your father and Jack as well. My uncle and my aunts, all like one huge Jewish/Persian family. If we need it, we’ll hire a live in nanny. And you won’t be travelling a week or two every month. Later tonight, I’m going to show you the advantages of being home every night” Dar said with a big kiss before I helped her plate our dinner. “Whatever difficulties you’ll encounter I’ll be right there with you to help you.”