The Goal

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scheduled for the first week or two of July and ship them in June instead.

But what am I going to do after that? I'm going to be putting us into a huge hole in which we have nothing else to do. We need more business.

I wonder where Jonah is these days.

Glancing down at the speedometer, I find to my surprise that I'm zipping along at eighty. I slow down. I loosen my tie. No sense killing myself trying to get back to the plant. It occurs to me, in fact, that by the time I get back to the plant it'll be time to go home.

Just about then, I pass a sign saying I'm two miles from the interchange that would put me on the highway to Forest Grove. Well, why not? I haven't seen Julie or the kids in a couple of days. Since the end of school, the kids have been staying with Julie and her parents.

I take the interchange and get off at the next exit. At a gas station on the corner, I make a call to the office. Fran answers and I tell her two things: First, pass the word to Bob, Stacey, Ralph, and Lou that the meeting went well for us. And, second, I tell her not to expect me to come in this afternoon.

When I get to the Barnett's house, I get a nice welcome. I spend quite a while just talking to Sharon and Dave. Then Julie suggests we go for a walk together. It's a fine summer afternoon outside.

As I'm hugging Sharon to say goodbye, she whispers in my ear, "Daddy, when are we all going to go home together?"

"Real soon, I hope," I tell her.

Despite the assurance I gave her, Sharon's question doesn't go away. I've been wondering the same thing myself.

Julie and I go to the park, and after walking for awhile, we sit down on a bench by the river. We sit without saying anything for a while. She asks me if something is wrong. I tell her about Sharon's question.

"She asks me that all the time," says Julie.

"She does? What do you tell her?"

Julie says, "I tell her we'll be going home real soon."

I laugh. "That's what I said to her. Do you really mean that?"

She's quiet for a second. Finally, she smiles at me and says