Chapter 38: Mariana, Part 2

"So how was China? Did you do a lot of sight-seeing?"

Tom and I sit opposite each other at Akashi, a local sushi restaurant. It's been a long time since I've had sushi and I don't really remember if I like it. But with my new life comes trying new things. So here I am, drinking sake and ordering a couple of different rolls just to see what I think.

"I didn't have as much time as I wanted. I was in charge of hiring and training all the new employees and getting it done as quickly as possible. Most days I worked twelve hours or more."

"Seven days a week?"

"Yep." He takes a sip of his sake and wipes his mouth with his napkin. "I wanted to get back home as soon as possible. Being away from my kids for nine weeks was rough. I didn't want to extend my stay."

"I'm sure. Did you get to talk to them at all while you were gone? What with the time difference?"

"We Skyped a few times, but the reception isn't that great. The screen would freeze up often. That part was irritating, but it turns out