"I've got the world on my shoulders, but I feel good all over."

☼

Kellin Quinn woke up the next morning pretty early. Way earlier than usual, that is. Sometimes he got mornings where he didn't need his alarm to go off and he just opened his eyes, completely drained from sleep, and nothing could send him back to oblivion again.

The first few months after saying goodbye to Ellie he couldn't seem to be able to sleep at all. Eventually, he got medication for it and managed to get some rest thanks to the pills. Later on, he was finally able to sleep on his own. Mostly. He still got nights where he woke up and that was it, though. Like right now.

So without any other option, he got out of bed and went on his morning routine, at 4 am.

His sock-covered feet dragged him to the bathroom and he frowned upon turning on the light. He looked at himself in the square mirror above the sink and stared at the redness surrounding his large blue-green eyes. It wasn't that unusual, but it still made him sigh. He traced his fingers over the shadowed skin under them, pulling the skin down and seeing more of his eyes. He was already thinking of all the tips he'd seen to get rid of the puffiness to avoid looking like a zombie during his day. He sighed again.

He went over his business and when he was done he put on some sweats and a random shirt, not exactly ready for the formality of the dress shirt, trousers, and tie just yet. He also put on his glasses, avoiding the contacts for a little longer too.

He made his way to the kitchen after that and decided to start on snack duties right away, saving some time until Penny woke up. He'd seen an online recipe for animal-shaped sandwiches a few days ago and he'd wanted to try making them for Penny's lunch ever since. He was taking this as a great opportunity. 

Before he took out the ingredients though, he grabbed a pair of spoons he usually kept in the fridge and put them over his eyes. Tip #1 for puffy eyes: something cold. He leaned against the counter and tried to practice those breathing exercises he was supposed to do all the time. He inhaled deeply for a few seconds and exhaled through his mouth. He repeated it until the spoons weren't cold anymore. He had to accept that the exercises did help though.

Kellin then set the coffee maker, put some bread on the toaster, and grabbed everything he needed to make Penny's lunchbox and also something for him to eat at lunch. He didn't want to go all day without eating again.

It was nearly 6:30 when he had everything done. He was proud of his little sandwiches and he took a picture to send to his friends. They were all probably still asleep but he knew when they saw the photo they'd all gush over the cuteness. They'd also tease him for being "such a dad" and all the things his friends liked to call him, but he didn't mind. He was a dad. And he couldn't wait to see how they'd act when they have children of their own. They'd probably be worse than him. That's a long time coming, though.

Once the clock hit 7 Kellin was already in his boring work clothes. He settled on a smart-looking cream shirt with black trousers and a dark blue tie with thin red, horizontal stripes. He'd put on his watch and contacts, applied some cologne on his neck, fixed his hair as best he could, and lastly put on his shoes.

When it was time to wake up his daughter he was surprised, but not really at all, when he opened the door to her purple paradise room and found her already up mindlessly playing with some of her dolls. 

Penny, upon seeing her dad, got up off the floor and ran to him jumping up and down with the peculiar energy only four-year-olds can have during the morning.

"What are you doing up already? I didn't know monkeys didn't sleep." Kellin teased as Penny hugged his leg.

"Daddy, daddy!" She exclaimed. "Let's have cereals for breakfast."

Kellin laughed softly as she sang the word cereals over and over.

"Alright, alright," he kneeled so he was at her level. "Hey. What do we say in the morning, Penny?"

She raised her arms and grinned. "Good morning Daddy!"

Kellin smiled and accepted her big hug, wrapping his arms around her little body and kissing her head. "Good morning sweetheart." 

Penny giggled as he stood back up. "So cereal, huh? Let's get you ready first, alright."

"Alright," she nodded and turned around to make her bed. A habit Kellin instilled in her not long ago, but that she quickly got the hang of.

Getting Penny ready was Kellin's morning highlight, he couldn't believe how much of a ray of sunshine his daughter was, but he could get an idea where she got it from. And that made him really happy. He loved that about her little girl.

Penny's closet was always changing due to her growing little by little and Kellin loved to go shopping for her with her auntie Tay or her other aunties Hayley and Jenna for all the clothes she loved. It was Penny's favorite hobby too and most of the time she tagged along for shopping trips to the mall. 

Apart from loving the color purple, she loved all animals and sparkling things and clouds. Getting to wear them was just the ultimate best feeling she could get. Reasons why she settled on a purple shirt with giraffe designs on the front and red shorts for the school day. 

After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, Kellin helped her get dressed in her outfit choice, and when it was time to get shoes she wanted to try putting them on by herself. She almost got it and Kellin was so proud of her anyway.

He combed her hair next, running the brush over her blonde locks softly. Penny asked for braids with huge puppy eyes and Kellin happily obliged. Braids were second nature to him by now and he couldn't say no to that face either way. When she was all ready to go she walked out of her room in little sprints, singing her cereal song once again, ready for breakfast and ready for the day ahead of her.

——

They were at a red light stop, just a few minutes after leaving home and a familiar song was playing on the car radio. It was this charting song by a group Kellin was sure everyone knew the name of but he didn't, and couldn't care to find out either, that was catchy as hell and that played almost every day at this time of the morning.

Penny loved it and today it was no different. Seeing her from the rearview mirror, Kellin chuckled at the sight of his daughter bobbing her head up and down, moving her arms and swaying as best she could from her baby seat. Granted she didn't know the lyrics apart from a few words here and there that she could understand fully, but Kellin helped her out by singing along with her. He was rewarded with a beam and claps and a toothy grin.

He returned the smile and turned on his seat to sing to Penny and she started giggling as Kellin got a bit too into the performance, pretending his fist was a mic and reaching over the top high notes along with the upbeat song. And his show would've gone on if it weren't for the loud honk the car behind them emitted. He swiftly turned back around and noticed the traffic light change and started driving again.

"Tough crowd, Monkey." He said with a sigh and Penny giggled from the backseat.

She kept singing the song, having a little performance of her own. Kellin kept an eye on her from the mirror and grinned until the song ended.

When they arrived at the elementary school, Kellin could see Victor Fuentes from a distance while he parked in a free spot. The tanned man was welcoming the kids at the door of the Pre-K classroom, all bright smiles once again. He could also see some parents speaking to him and that sparked his curiosity. He wondered if they'd also googled their concerns. Probably not. They appeared to be having a pretty normal conversation.

Victor had his hair in a bun again and was wearing a St. Nicholas uniform t-shirt, different from the plain white one he wore the day before. Which, Kellin thought, could've avoided a lot and explained most things. But whatever.

Kellin carried Penny's bags on his shoulder and took his daughter's hand in his to walk the small path towards the classroom. Well, Kellin walked while Penny sprinted. He got dragged through the pathway by his little girl and soon enough they were standing in front of a smiling Victor Fuentes.

"Good morning Penny!" Vic said excitedly and Penny waved her hand happily.

"Good morning Mr. Vic!!" She replied with even more enthusiasm and all the adults chuckled at the eagerness.

"Ready for another fun day of work?" He asked and Penny nodded her head, then turned to her dad.

"Daddy I have to go! Can I get my things?" She asked and Kellin raised his eyebrows because his girl had never been so eager to leave his side.

"Alright," he chuckled. "Hug me goodbye at least."

"Okay," Penny nodded and Kellin crouched down so she could throw her arms around him quickly.

Kellin handed her her backpack and lunchbox and saw her as she ran into the classroom after saying bye-bye. Kellin shook his head and stood back up.

"They do grow up fast," the mom who had been speaking to Victor before said.

"Soon they'll be going to college," the dad continued and Kellin shook his head, turning to them.

"Oh God no, please don't think about that yet." He added and he could hear Victor laugh lightly.

"They should learn their ABCs first," Vic smiled and the group laughed in unison.

"Well, we better get going now," the brunette woman said after a bit. "Vic it was so nice meeting you."

Vic.

"The pleasure's mine, Mrs. Julien. Have a great day." He replied with a polite smile. 

The teacher waved goodbye to the couple and Kellin saw them as they headed back to the parking lot hand in hand. He dropped his gaze from them immediately though, not liking the way the sight made him feel.

"Hi Mr. Quinn," he heard then and turned to look at Victor again. "I don't think we got to greet each other."

"Right. Hi. Good morning Mr. Fuentes." He tried his best to make his smile not awkward, but most things he did were.

"No, please. Mr. Fuentes is my father." He waved his hands. "You can call me Vic."

"Oh," Kellin nodded his head. "Sure. You can call me Kellin then. It's only fair."

"Oh no, I didn't mean for you to..." Vic shook his head.

"I don't mind, truly." Kellin shrugged. 

"It wouldn't be right, though."

Kellin chuckled. "What works best for you then."

Vic smiled again.

He really smiles a lot, Kellin thought to himself. And then he remembered what happened the day before.

"Hey... I know I already told you and all but I'm truly grateful for yesterday, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Don't stress over it," Vic shook his head. "It's all part of the job. Plus, Penny's a little angel."

That made Kellin smile. "I hope she doesn't cause you too much trouble."

"They're kids, it's their only job." Vic joked and Kellin chuckled lightly.

Just then another voice called for Kellin from their left side and he instantly recognized it as Ms. Juniper. He turned his gaze towards the sound and saw the tall lady reach them. 

"Hey Mr. Quinn, how are you?" The Pre-K teacher smiled showing off her dimples. 

Her flowery dress was long and contrasted beautifully with her dark skin, and she also wore matching flower bobby pins on her wild curly hair. She was carrying some books and art supplies in a big basket, possibly for her first class with the kids.

"Hey Ms. Juniper, good morning."

"Did everything go well yesterday? I heard you were super busy and were dealing with a lot. I'm sorry I couldn't help out, but Vic here was everyone's savior wasn't he?" She asked and gave an approving smile to Vic.

"Yeah, I was just telling him how grateful I was. Honestly. Saved my butt."

They all laughed and Ms. Juniper nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm so glad. I can tell already that this one here will be the greatest teacher in no time. It's that preschool sixth sense you know?"

"You're too nice, I'm just here to learn." Vic smiled bashfully.

"And you'll learn from the best," Ms. Juniper said confidently and then turned to Kellin again. "Mr. Quinn please never hesitate to call the school if anything happens. Penny's safety is our top concern."

"Thanks, Ms. Juniper, I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me today we're going to have a lot of fun with these." She grinned and gestured to the basket. "I'll see you later Mr. Quinn."

"Bye Ms. Juniper."

"Vic, don't forget to check on those sheets I told you." She added finally as she walked into the classroom. Vic nodded his head. 

"So I won't take more of your time," Kellin said as he checked on his wristwatch. He wasn't late at all for work, but maybe he shouldn't take for granted clocking in early.

"That's alright." Vic smiled. "Have a nice day."

"You too," Kellin said and peeked a little into the classroom. Penny was already at her seat taking out her folder and colored pencils to put on the desk. Some kids were already sitting too, others were still playing until it was time to start class. "I promise I'll be on time today though."

Vic smiled. 

"See you later Mr. F– Vic." He corrected himself as he turned around.

"Later, Mr. Quinn."

And as he walked back to his car he didn't have to look to know the guy was smiling. 

——

Kellin walked into the office holding another cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of biscuits to share with his coworkers in the other. He made a quick stop at the nearby cafe that had a sale. Plus he needed all the caffeine he could get to make it through the day.

"Morning," he called as he made his way to his desk by the window. "Is anyone hungry?"

"Kellin you lifesaver," Garrett groaned in delight from afar at the sight of Kellin's bag. It wasn't long before more of his coworkers noticed and cheered and praised Kellin's gesture.

He left his things on his chair and headed to the mini-kitchen station they had on their floor. A little crowd was forming behind him already.

"Oh my God those look amazing," Taylor gasped with a smile when Kellin put all the biscuits on a plate for everyone to pick.

"They had a sale," Kellin told her, placing some napkins on the table.

"They're still warm!" Sam said after he munched on one, his mouth still full, and everyone laughed.

Taylor grabbed a napkin and handed it to Sam, who took it gratefully and cleaned his mouth. Garrett started pouring coffee for everyone gathered around the counter and soon enough most of the office was there, enjoying the little breakfast moment and talking about anything. Everyone enjoyed moments like those, it was always a good way to start the day. Light and relaxed.

Kellin started his job at Echo Culture, a multidisciplinary advertising agency that specialized in branding and strategy, around three years ago. He was part of the strategies team, a field he went to college for and that he genuinely liked. As draining as it was sometimes. 

At first, he couldn't believe he landed it because he wasn't confident enough in his skills to get the position, but in time he warmed up to the idea that he was good at what he did. And he'd always be grateful that he was granted the opportunity in the first place, and all during a tough time.

The agency consisted of two working teams: Brand/Marketing and Creatives. The first focused on client communication, setting up efficient strategies according to needs, planning and defining tasks for campaigns, and so on. The latter was in charge of bringing all those strategies to life, designing brands and striking visuals that mesmerized clients and solidified businesses, basically creating all the magic that fueled their work.

As part of the Brand/Marketing team, Taylor was the Accounts Executive, in charge of managing all the client's portfolios. Sam was her assistant, who managed consultation meetings with clients and everyone's tasks status. Phoebe was the Strategist Senior and Kellin's manager, to whom he always had to answer to. She wasn't there at their little breakfast reunion, probably already in a meeting with Trenton, the agency's founder, and CEO. Which was always the usual. She was the genius that came up with the action plans for every client.

Kellin was the Marketing Assistant of Research and Analysis, which sounded a lot fancier than it was. His job relied heavily on gathering the most information possible for every plan of communication his superiors handed him. He also had to constantly keep up to date with consumer behavior changes and what potential competitors were doing that could affect their portfolio. Eventually, he started helping out in other areas too, and even though it added a lot more to his already full plate of work, he couldn't complain. He liked what he did and it helped him and his baby get by.

Louisa, who was serving herself a second cup of coffee already, was another Marketing assistant though her work was mostly budget and supervising digital and traditional promotion. She didn't like Kellin very much, or at least that's what he's always thought.

Most of the Creatives team were also enjoying the little treats Kellin brought. The whole office all jokingly called them the gods because of everything they managed to do despite all odds and Kellin always found it so funny.

Ryan, Lynn, and Sierra were the graphic designers. They always stuck together for everything, they were the office's own "triplets" and everyone loved them because of their sense of humor and wit. They were always cackling everyone up. Garrett and Ashley were the content creators, in charge of photo and video production for all the brands. Patrick, the webmaster, was running a little late like he always was, but he wouldn't get in trouble because he was, well he was Patrick.

Their leader John, aka the Creative Director, was just joining them all making a weird dance upon realizing they were all eating in the kitchen. He was the mastermind behind all things visual and ran the whole creative show. Kellin was pretty sure things wouldn't be the same in the agency without him. He was also Trenton's closest friend from his college days, which made a lot of sense.

Kellin liked this talented group of people he got to work with every day a lot, he's grown to appreciate their company since he spent most of his day with them anyway. They made him laugh and work wasn't such a drag when you got along with most of your team. And even when most of the time he had to bail from the group's usual get-togethers and parties and small trips because of his child, they understood his situation. 

He's only ever brought Penny to the headquarters once, a year prior for a special Christmas event they were hosting, and the whole staff loved her. She was the most popular little girl that day and Kellin remembers it fondly.

"Hey guys you didn't hear this from me but," Taylor said sipping on her coffee and a mischievous smile playing on her red lips. "There might be a little meeting today with Trenton and he wants everyone there for some reason."

"You don't know what's up?" Louisa asked, an anxious frown already forming on her face.

Taylor only grinned. "Maybe. Can't say though."

"Oh come on," John scoffed. "You can't just say that."

She laughed. "I totally can. Plus, he might send an email throughout the day. Clear your calendars around... maybe 3 pm."

Everyone groaned and shook their heads. A whole staff meeting could only mean one thing, something very bad had happened or something very great was about to happen. Taylor's demeanor made Kellin think it was probably the latter for which he was glad. He didn't want more trouble when he had enough to do already.

Taylor shot all of them a wink and motioned for Sam to follow her as they exited the kitchen and went back to her office. Some of the others also started going back to their desks and offices, thanking Kellin again for the little treats. That left Kellin with the triplets and Garrett tidying up before getting to work.

"What if he's announcing he's getting married?" Ryan asked, making them all snort and laugh.

"Please. Who is he going to marry? His laptop?" Garrett said and everyone's laughter became louder.

"Oh guys come on," Kellin couldn't help but grin to avoid laughing too hard. He had to admit it was funny though.

"He does spend most of his time with that laptop..." Sierra added and everyone, minus Kellin, made agreeing noises.

"Would be the wedding of the year," Lynn nodded, finishing her coffee and throwing the cup in the recycling bin. "John would be the best man."

"And Phoebe the ring bearer," Kellin added without thinking and then realizing added, "I didn't say that."

Sierra grinned. "You totally did. Like that attitude Kello."

They all laughed again and Kellin shook his head. "Get to work, you hooligans."

"Folks you heard the marketing guy, chop-chop." Garrett clapped his hands with a last laugh and they all left the kitchen, ready for another long day of work.

——

The email got sent at around 11 and everyone looked around each other from their desks as they read it, finally confirming Taylor's rumor. They were all summoned at 2:30 to the main conference room on the top floor which was always used for crucial reasons. Not much more information was given. 

Luckily for Kellin, he managed to get Penny to his mom's place in time and made it back with some minutes to spare. Their work group chat was blowing up with several more theories for the reasons of the meeting and he chuckled at his coworkers' occurrences again. He took the elevator and made his way to the top floor and when he got there almost everyone was already there sitting and standing around in the spacious room, either holding notepads or tablets in their hands and chatting with one another.

The conference room was your usual office with a long, white table in the middle of it with coral-colored chairs around it. A projector hung above it, pointing the device towards the back wall which was all made of whiteboard material, as well as the adjacent wall. That made discussing projects a lot more fun. The opposite wall was all glass, giving the people inside a beautiful view of the entire city. Another table was set on a far corner with coffee and snacks for guests, which this time was them.

Kellin greeted everyone when he entered the room and stood behind Phoebe who was already sitting at the table and beside Louisa who was furiously typing something on her phone. Kellin didn't bother to ask. He took his notepad and started writing some of the tasks he still needed to finish once the meeting was over. 

It wasn't long before the rest of the staff arrived and for Trenton to finally and officially start the meeting. Not before giving everyone his introductory pep talk like he always did.

"... So you might be wondering why I asked you all, wonderful people here," Trenton grinned from ear to ear after finishing his speech, clasping his hands together as he stood in front of them all. His amazingly talented crew. "Well, I have some interesting news."

"Who did we get?" John chimed in, clearly done with the mystery.

"Excellent question Johnny Boy," Trenton clapped his hands twice and one of the interns near the door shut down the lights and the automatic blinds, another one started up a presentation that projected on the board wall. "We've been granted this amazing opportunity."

The presentation started and the name Scott St. Park showed up in big, bold letters. Kellin raised his eyebrows in surprise, as most everyone else did too. That was the biggest public park in their city, known for its huge history and being a key part of the city's tourist attractions. If that was their new client then, that was a huge deal.

"You're probably already guessing and you're guessing right," Trenton grinned proudly. "Echo has been chosen as the agency for our own and beloved Scott St. Park."

Excited grins formed on everyone's faces and someone cheered loudly which resulted in everyone clapping their hands and whooping for this amazing accomplishment. Trenton started clapping too, nodding his head.

"I know guys, it's the biggest client we have now and it's a major project which weighs heavily on our portfolio. This is huge for us and as such we have to deliver our best work like we always do, but this time it has to be next level. We have to blow the minds of a town hall client. And I have no doubts that we will."

Everyone nodded and agreed. Some already looked stressed, and some had stars in their eyes. Kellin's brain was already trying to figure out how to work this out on top of all the work they still had to do for other clients. He'd hoped the deadline for whatever it was the park needed wasn't so soon, but that spark died once Trenton started the client's brief presentation.

The park wanted everything a client could ever want from an agency. They wanted to remodel the whole place, get a brand image (that was currently non-existent), gain digital presence, launch a huge campaign to promote the park to locals and tourists. They wanted it all. 

Kellin made sure to take notes of all the things he'd need to know and after the presentation was finished and Trenton answered the millions of questions everyone had, they all returned to their respective offices.

He was just putting back his notepad on his desk when he heard Phoebe calling for him from her office. He picked the notepad back up again and walked there, ignoring the look Louisa gave him as she made her way to her desk.

Phoebe's office was separated by a glass door and was always so neat and pretty all the time. She had a lot of peculiar ornaments around and tons of plants, and art on the walls. Kellin sat down on the brown chair in front of her desk as she finished typing something on her laptop. When she was done she looked at Kellin and gave him a look he couldn't quite decipher. But then she smiled.

"So Kellin," she started. "You've been here for a couple of years now right?"

Kellin was a bit caught off guard by the question. He thought the strategist wanted to get to work on the park project right away and that's why she called for him. He was even ready to brainstorm and all. Though he was a bit relieved because he didn't have any ideas on how to start on it yet. So he just nodded his head.

"Yeah, it's been around three years."

Phoebe nodded too and clasped her hands on the table. "I'll be honest with you here. Trenton didn't mention this at the meeting, but there's been this email chain going around about a new position opening up in the marketing team."

"Oh, we're hiring?" Kellin asked.

"Not exactly," Phoebe hummed.

At this Kellin arched an eyebrow in curiosity. A... promotion?

"And this new project he mentioned, the park, I think it's a way of seeing who could win this new position." Phoebe continued and this time she smiled. "Look at it as a contest."

Kellin didn't know what to say. A promotion would mean the world to him, getting one step further in his career, earning more to take care of his girl, feeling like he's finally doing something right. He needed that.

"That's, wow, that's great news actually."

Phoebe took a sip of her cup, Kellin couldn't tell if it was coffee or tea, maybe water. "I can't tell you anything for sure, but you have to impress him. Really impress him and he will consider you. If he isn't already."

Kellin shook his head in disbelief. "Thank you for telling me this."

"Don't thank me yet," she smirked. "It's going to be tough. Especially since the creatives will be extremely busy. We have to work on a campaign parallel to the branding job. We have to figure out how to make it work."

Kellin listened intently and completely agreed. "Yes, of course. I'll work extra hard for this, I promise."

"That's the spirit," she chuckled. "Anyway, we can start brainstorming tomorrow with the team and for now you can finish up what you have on queue. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Yes. I'm on it. Thank you, Phoebe." Kellin stood up and offered her a smile.

When he walked back to his desk and sat on his chair he sighed and leaned back on it for a second. He closed his eyes and spun once, not caring if anyone thought he was being weird. This was huge. Getting that promotion could change everything.

He was going to do whatever it takes to get it.

☼

(a/n):

Sorry for the late update, my laptop was testing me and I've been tired.

Yay for meeting Echo Culture! Idk but there's something about corporate Kells that I love jsjs anyways thank you for reading!