Athena 03 - You don't engage me!

Sunday morning, 10 am.

Athena and Victor prepare breakfast together.

They sit at the kitchen table.

Sipping orange juice and coffee.

It is a beautiful morning.

The sun comes through.

Drying the garden from the early morning rain.

It feels fresh.

Just like Athena and Victor feel
after yesterday’s conversation.

Athena remembers her thinking and feeling.

“Dialogue is golden.”

Still…

She feels anxious.

There is such a long way ahead of them.

For themselves, as a couple and as a family.

And yes… also at her company.

How to reach the next levels?

Victor touches her hand.

Looks at her and says:
“Hey… come back here…”

He gets up to prepare another coffee.

They are waiting for Julia and Maynard to join them.

Julia is their 17‑year‑old daughter.

Wise beyond her age—
often deep in thought and in her books.

Their son Maynard is 15
and loves practicing all kinds of sports.

There they are…

And of course…
with mobile phones in their hands.

“Come join us,” Athena says.

“Shall we all switch off our phones?”

“Why?” both Julia and Maynard ask.

Julia wants to continue texting her friends.

Maynard is watching sports reels.

…

“Let me explain,” Victor says.

“Your mother and I had a great conversation yesterday.

We realized we do not create enough time
for being together… for being as a family.

The four of us are always running.

From appointment to appointment.

Activity to activity.

And saying: ‘We talk later about that…’

But that ‘later’
rarely happens.”

…

Julia and Maynard look at each other.

Both surprised and thinking:

“What is happening here?”

…

Athena feels the questions in the air.

And says:

“I know I am the one away most of the time.

And the reason
we rarely sit down.”

“Indeed,” Julia says,
“you are the reason.”

Athena inhales deeply.

She pauses.

“You are right, Julia.

And I—we—want to change that.

We want to create new dynamics together.

Be together… do more things together.

Share our experiences.”

“How are we going to do that?”
Maynard blurts out.

“Well,” Athena says,

“I looked at all our agendas.

I suggest the four of us have dinner
Wednesday evening.

It will be good…
we will have engaging conversations…”

“What???

Engaging conversations?

Mom, you must be joking.

You don’t engage me.

Nor can you decide
for us to have engaging interactions.

You should know, Mom…

Only I can engage myself.”

…

The table falls silent.

Each one with their own thoughts.

Following Julia’s statement.

They finish their breakfast.

…

“Let’s continue during Wednesday’s dinner.

There is a lot to talk about.

And undoubtedly,
we will find the right way forward.”

“Ok,” Julia and Maynard say,
and leave the table.

Athena feels lost
and full of emotion.

She looks at the garden,
which seems so peaceful.

So different
from how she feels inside.

Then she hears Victor saying:
“Let’s go for a walk.”

“Yes, let’s go.

I need to breathe some fresh air.”

They step outside
and go for a long walk.

It is a beautiful Sunday.

And Athena slowly
gets her bearings back.

During the walk she wonders

if at work
these dynamics are the same.

She decides to call Conrad tomorrow.

To get a better understanding.

Athena and Victor continue their walk,
hand in hand.

Yet she still hears Julia saying:

“You don’t engage me.”

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