Ed works at a nameless company, in a generic office desk. As he makes an important call, Jack walks by and begins to make a crude joke about the Queen and sperm whales. As Ed listens, he misspeaks and says, “I’ll be there personally to deliver the sperm.”
Jack cracks up and says Ed will miss him when he’s gone — Jack has been promoted. Danielle tells Ed that he should have received the job, then asks if he’s signed Jack’s farewell card.
Jess hands Ed the card and tells him that he’s the last to sign it — just seal it in the envelope when he’s done. Ed decides to get back at Jack and draws a penis in the card.
As he prepares to leave for the day, Jess asks if Ed wants to sign Jack’s farewell card.
Ed is confused. Jess says the card he signed earlier was Mr. Morley’s sympathy card — his mom had passed away a few days earlier.
Ed pauses in shock. Jess tells him the card he had signed is in Mr. Morley’s office. So he sprints to the room at record speed, but he’s too late — he sees the boss opening the envelope.
Ed begins to feel nauseous.
Mr. Morley takes Ed to his office and asks if he’d drawn the picture. Ed admits that he did. Mr. Morley then says his mom was a nurse in World War 2. She was pregnant with him when his dad was gunned down supplying Allied soldiers. So when he was born, she called him her “Little Butterfly” because he was the only thing good that came out of all that mess.
Then, he asks how Ed knew — they’d released butterflies at the funeral. Mr. Morley opens the card to show that Ed’s penis drawing had become a butterfly.
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Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
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Talk to you soon.
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