“Okay. I’ll just be in my office,” Samira said before rushing out of the conference room.
Once she reached her office, she closed the door behind herself and leaned against it. Short gasps turned to slow, measured breaths once she closed her eyes and focused on keeping calm. She could handle it. She just needed to take it one day and one step at a time. So why did everything feel so wrong?
The answer to that question would have to wait. She had too many things to do before the official start of her new job. Once her position started, she wouldn’t have much time to spend selling the house. She needed to contact a real estate agent and get everything in place before she got busy with her new position. It didn’t leave her much time, but she was certain after a few phone calls she would be ready to sign with a real estate agent by the weekend.
***
“Hello?” Andy heard his mother’s voice echo through the shop.
He glanced at his watch. She was early. He’d asked her to meet him at the address at 6:00. He thought it might be easier to show her the truth than it would be to tell her. After switching off the open sign, he made his way to the side entrance to greet his mother.
“Hey. You’re early. Good to see you,” he said before kissing her cheek.
“Yes, I’m early. And you’re here already. So, what is this place?”
“Do you like it?” he asked. “It’s a furniture shop.”
She took a moment to look around before answering him. “Okay, but I’m not in the market. Just tell me what this is about.”
Andy put his arm around her and gently guided her further into the building. There wasn’t much to see from the side entrance, and he wanted her to get a better look before she became too angry to see it. He didn’t quite have it worked out inhis head exactly how he was going to break the news to her, but he had no choice but to lay everything out on the table.
“This is my shop. We make the furniture over here,” he said as he gestured to one side of the building. “Over there is the small showroom,” he said with a gesture in the opposite direction. “And my office is on the other side of the workshop.”
“I don’t understand. You mean you work here? How are you managing a second job with how busy you are on the boat?”
“I don’t work here. I own it,” Andy corrected her.
Elizabeth gaped at him. He gave her a moment to let it sink in. She took a few steps away and looked around before turning back to him.
“I don’t understand,” she said after a moment of deafening silence.
“This is my furniture shop. I own it with Josh White.”
“Why don’t I know about this? I can’t believe you never told me about this. And I can’t believe Josh’s family never mentioned it. I see the Whites all the time. How are you managing to run the boat and an entire separate business?” Elizabeth demanded.
Andy took a deep breath before diving into his explanation. “I’m not doing a very good job of both. The furniture shop is what I want. It’s my labor of love just like crabbing was Dad’s. That’s why I’ve asked Eddy to take over the boat.”
Andy thought his mother’s jaw would actually hit the floor. She gaped at him with her mouth open and her eyes unblinking. He fought the urge to fill the silence and instead waited for her to say something. Anything. He braced himself for her anger. He was prepared for anything except for tears.
“Mom?”
She shut her eyes and held her hand up signaling she needed a moment. Andy didn’t move from where he was standing. It took him some time to remember to breathe. When she opened hereyes and all he could see was sadness and pain, his breathing faltered.
“Mom, I didn’t do it to hurt you and Dad. I just finally realized that I need to do things for me. I thought maybe you would feel better knowing it’s Eddy. It’s basically staying in the family,” Andy explained.
“Your dad didn’t give you full control over the business so you could do this. He did it so you would make the right decisions on his behalf. He’s your father, don’t you think you owe him at least that?”
Andy didn’t expect anger to rise within him, but it did. Without any warning, he was reminded of the sacrifices he made for his parents over the years—sacrifices that were expected of him. He had excellent grades in high school, but instead of going off to college he stayed to help his dad on the boat. When Samira walked out of his life right after high school he listened to his parents when they said he was better off without her. Time was something he couldn’t get back. There were no do overs.
“I owe him? Owe him for what?” Andy snapped.
“Are you that ungrateful? He’s your father. He kept a roof over your head and food on the table. It’s because of him that you have life. Keeping his business in the family is the least you could do.”
Andy saw red. The discussion was always going to be difficult, but he didn’t expect his mother to completely disregard his feelings. With his jaw clenched, he rolled his shoulders in a stretch to try to calm himself down.
“I’m done putting myself last. I think putting the business in the hands of someone who cares about it and will do right by it is more than enough. I could have sold it to the highest bidder. I could have just walked away. But I didn’t do those things. You’re welcome.” Andy headed for the side door and opened it.
“Are you throwing me out?” his mom asked after a beat.
