“Hi,” Michael said. “Um… Catherine gave me her card this morning. I helped her change a tire. My name is Michael Harrison.”
“One moment, please.”
He waited through 30 seconds of hold music that felt like punishment.
Then Catherine’s voice came on, warm but direct.
“Michael. I’m glad you called. I was hoping you would. I wanted to thank you again.”
Michael didn’t have the energy for polite.
“I got fired,” he said.
Silence.
“I was late because I stopped to help you,” he continued. “My supervisor terminated me for chronic tardiness.”
Catherine inhaled, slow and sharp.
“You work for Morrison Supply Chain?”
“Worked,” Michael said. “Past tense.”
Her voice tightened, becoming something different.
“What’s your supervisor’s name?”
“Derek Collins,” Michael said quickly. “But I’m not calling to get anyone in trouble. I’m calling because you said to call if I ever needed anything, and right now… I need a job. I have a daughter depending on me.”
Catherine didn’t hesitate.
“Give me 20 minutes,” she said. “Don’t go anywhere.”
The line went dead.
PART 5 — “Come Back Inside. HR. Third Floor.”
Michael sat in his car, hands on the steering wheel, unsure what he was waiting for—hope or humiliation.
At 18 minutes, his phone rang.
“Michael,” Catherine said. “Can you come back inside? HR, third floor.”
His legs felt heavy as he walked back into the building.
In HR, Catherine was already there—still in the brown dress, but now wearing sensible flats. Beside her stood the head of HR, Patricia, and Derek Collins, looking like he’d swallowed a nail.
Patricia cleared her throat. “Mr. Harrison, we’ve reviewed your termination and determined it was processed in error.”
Michael blinked. “What?”
“You’re being reinstated immediately,” Patricia said.
Derek’s face flushed. “With all due respect—”
Catherine cut him off without raising her voice. She didn’t need volume. Authority sat in her tone like steel.
“I reviewed Mr. Harrison’s file,” she said. “In three years, he has excellent performance reviews, zero complaints, and a perfect safety record. His only issue has been occasional morning tardiness—and your notes indicate it’s related to single-parent responsibilities.”
Derek shifted. “Policy states—”
Catherine’s eyes didn’t move. “Policy also states supervisors should work with employees to accommodate family needs when performance is otherwise exemplary.”
She leaned in slightly.
“Did you explore flexible start times? Work-from-home options? Any accommodations at all?”
Derek’s mouth opened. Closed.
“No,” he admitted.
