Today is the annual 'H. Program' report presentation. It's always an event that the media is greatly interested in and hence, Aaron Limited always allows media coverage. It's held at different locations every year and this year it is being held in Pasadena which means that I can attend school and make it to the presentation.

Ever since the launch of the program when I was five, dad has had me attend the presentation since the program is named after me, which is both nerve-wracking and a huge honor.

Sebastian and I return home from school by two and then I get changed out of my school uniform in a hurry. I put on formal black pants and a white dress shirt ticked into it and black heels to complete the look. Thankfully, I did my hair in the morning and by now the tight curls have loosened into nice natural looking curls.

It's only Wednesday and mom's still in New York, so I say goodbye to Sebastian who is having lunch and then leave the house. A driver takes me to the Aaron Limited headquarters and stops the car in the parking lot.

I can see reporters already milling around the parking, waiting to be allowed into the building. When I step into the building, I'm surprised to find someone waiting for me.

"Ben what are you doing here?" I ask.

"Thought you'd need moral support and no one knows the ins and outs of this office building better than we do." He says and I smile at him.

"I am really jittery. Thanks for coming." I say, hugging him.

"Your dad told me that they'll start at 4 p.m. so we still have thirty minutes." He points at the table behind him and I realize there are McDonald's paper bags on the table.

"Yes!" I punch my fists in the air, "I'm starving!"

"Let's go to dad's office, in case the reporters start pouring in." I say and grab the bags as Ben leads the way to the elevators.

Twenty minutes later the doors to dad's office open and he and Jeremy step in. Dad stops in his tracks when he sees the wrappers covering his desk. I'm sitting in his chair and Ben's in one of the chairs across from me.

"Hey dad." I say as he walks over to us.

"Can you please find me my laptop from among this mess?" He asks.

I pull it out from under the box of my Big Mac and hand it to him. Dad's shaking his head but smiling as he leaves the room.

"Ben make sure she's in the ground floor conference room in ten minutes." Jeremy tells Ben.

"I'm right here." I remind Jeremy.

"There's cake in front of you and I know you won't join us until you've finished that." Jeremy points out.

"Why does everyone think I'm addicted to cake?" I slump in dad's chair.

"Because you are." Jeremy and Ben chorus.

"Haha." I mock laugh as Jeremy leaves the room and Ben pulls the McCafe box with the cake towards him and shuts the lid.

"But I want some!" I complain.

"You can have it when the presentation ends." He tells me.

"I hate you all." I grumble as Ben laughs and picks up an empty paper bag to start collecting wrappers in.

I help him clear the table and I bite my tongue when I realize that I got some ketchup on dad's tie which I didn't realize was lying on the table top.

"Oops." Ben and I glance at each other and the hurriedly stuff the paper bags with wrappers into the dustbin and head out.

I'm still sipping on my Coke when we walk into the conference room. Before I join dad at the head of the table, Ben stops me and grabs the Coke cup from me, whispering, "This is for the H. Program, not to advertise McDonald's."

I take my seat next to dad as Jeremy welcomes the room which is a mix of directors, senior managers and media personnel. There's a huge backdrop behind the table where I sit with dad and the backdrop displays the program's logo.

The presentation lasts nearly an hour and a half and I'm proud to hear that The H. Program was able to help over a hundred thousand student's transition from secondary to higher education. Once the meeting is officially called to an end, the audience members stay back to ask dad a few questions while Jeremy signals that it's okay for me to leave now.

I leave the room and Ben soon follows.

"We did it. We did it. We did yaay! Yeah, we did it!" Ben and I sing the Dora the Explorer song as we reach the building's lobby.

"Thanks for staying with me." I say, sitting down a sofa's arm as Ben comes to stand in front of me.

He folds his arms over his chest and looks down at me, "I'm actually guilty of using this as a way to escape "family" lunch."

"Ben..." I start to scold him but he shakes his head.

"I'm done trying to get her attention. If she wants to remember that she has another child, then she must do that on her own now. I'm tired of running after my own mother." He sighs and sits on the sofa I'm perched on.

Dad joins us just then, "Emma is flying in tonight. She wants to know if we can have a family dinner tonight. I already called Sebastian, he's on his way home from the library."

I look at Ben who nods, "Go. Don't keep your mom waiting."

I sigh as I give him a quick hug and stand up, "I'll call you, alright?"

"Okay." He nods as I follow dad to the parking.

I hope everyone remembers The H. Program from Cool Mom, I've added its logo to the chapter to jog your memory :)

-T