What the hell could I say to that? I wasn’t a liar by design. He would’ve known if I’d been lying anyway. So instead of refuting his claim, I grunted.
“That’s what I thought. Listen, you, me, all of my boys, we’re all protectors. But the women we’ve married, they’re protectors in their own right. And trust me when I say the one thing you never want to get in between is a mother and her child.”
Again, my father held up his hand, stopping my retort.
“Let me tell you the one time your mother had to help me remove my head from my own ass over our children.
****
Then
Robert
“Yes, Wilson, I’m still on the line with you,” I replied as I stared off into the distance, overlooking the trees on the far end of the lake that expanded for more than a mile behind Townsend Manor. I had taken off a few hours early from the office in order to get some work done at home, where it was quiet and I could concentrate better. However, I’d had a conference call set up. I’d decided to take the call out near one of the guest houses, using my newly acquired cordless telephone.
I continued to listen as the head of my research and development for my technology division began telling me about some new technology involving computers. I didn’t totally understand the details, but he swore that the guys he knew were onto something big. He believed that within a decade this technology would permeate mainstream society, making computers in every household more than a dream, but a reality. And he believed this would majorly impact the energy, and every other, market.
“Father!”
I turned from the lake to face the almost five-year-old boy who excitedly called my name behind me. My heart squeezed at the sight of Carter running down the hill in my direction, his bowl-cut blond locks flapping in the window. And although he was still a few yards away, I could make out the gleam in his blue eyes that looked exactly like his mother’s. Just the way I’d envisioned in my dream eleven years earlier.
Still on the phone, I stooped low when Carter reached me, picking him up and nuzzling his face with my own. His giggle warmed my chest, but I covered my lips with my finger, signaling for him to be silent and then pointing at the phone.
A serious expression covered his face and he nodded, knowing that when I was on a business call, he needed to be as quiet as possible. I set him down and watched as he strolled over to the lake’s pier, toward the edge, but not too close.
“William, we do not have a choice. Japan is kicking our collective asses with the level of superiority their vehicles and technology have over ours,” I stated into the phone, following the conversation, while still keeping an eye on Carter. He was playing with a formation of rocks he’d left out on the pier a few days earlier. He’d been playing with his cousin, Aaron. Those two were close when Jason would allow Aaron to come over.
Listening to the conversation, I added my input when and where necessary. I began pacing back and forth as the conversation grew heated between my R&D guy and William, who was still on the board. The men disagreed about international expansion. I let them argue because I wanted to hear both sides of the aisle. However, I was close to making my decision, to continue forward with expansion. The world was getting smaller, and men like William were often opposed to progress, even if they didn’t realize that was what they were doing. Apparently, when I’d become CEO, William had believed I would simply continue on in my father’s footsteps, just without the leaks and scandals. He should’ve thought again.
I sat back down in the wooden lawn chair I’d brought out with me, and opened my mouth to speak when a loud splash caught my attention.
“Help!”
I glanced outward toward the water and saw tiny hands flailing. My heart seized in my chest. It felt like everything was at a standstill. The memory of Carter refusing to complete his swim lessons due to his fear of the water came flooding back.
“Gentlemen, I have to go.” With that, I hung up the phone, placed it on the table, and slowly stood, moving toward the edge of the pier.
I clamped down on my base instincts that were screaming at me to jump in immediately and save my son. But I knew better. Carter knew how to swim. He was just afraid, and if there’s one thing I absolutely would not do, it was to let any of my boys live their lives in fear. As first born, he had an example to set for his brothers to come.
“Father, help!” he yelled when his body bobbed up over the water again.
I shook my head, causing more pain to myself than to him. “You can swim,” I stated in a calm voice. “Show me you know how to swim.” I folded my arms across my chest, more to stop myself from jumping in than anything.
“I can’t! I’m scared!” he cried, arms flailing, water splashing everywhere.
“Fear is a part of life, you will need to learn how to tame if you want to get anywhere. We’ve been through this.” My voice was raised and stern but I wasn’t quite yelling. “Show me you know how to swim.”
I waited for one heartbeat, watching his head go underwater again.
Breathing deeply, my eyes searched the lake.
I took a step closer.
I’d been comforted by the fact that this lake was manmade. It did not lead to any rivers or have strong currents that would keep him underwater for long. However, when another heartbeat passed and he did not emerge, I ripped off my shoes and prepared to jump in, berating myself … but I stopped.
Just before I entered the water, Carter’s head came up again and his arms began moving in perfect sync with the freestyle stroke he’d been taught during his swim lessons. I counted each stroke he performed with precision. His breathing technique was choppy due to lack of practice, but when his hands reached the wooden ladder of the pier, I couldn’t have been more proud. I crouched down, reaching out to pluck his body out of the water.
He was shaking but he was okay. Laughing out loud, I hugged him to my chest.
