“You are an amazing person, Samson. There isn’t a universe out there where I wouldn’t have taken you in. And no matter what, I am so glad I got a second chance at raising a child. My first one didn’t turn out too good.”
Another laugh escapes me. “Yeah, I try not to think about him too much.”
“As you shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve it. You are a dream in comparison.” She huffs out a sad sigh. “And I’m sorry.”
My brow furrows. “What? Nana, no?—”
“Now, please let me say this, because I should have said it a long time ago.” I flatten my lips, and when she realizes I won’t interrupt her, she continues. “If I realized how your grandfather’s ideals would rub off on your father. If I had done something sooner, you would never have had to experience what you did. They would have never put you through that. So, I’msorry.”
I’m taken aback. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“Yes, I do. Life is about balance, Samson, and I accidentally tipped the scales. I didn’t do enough, and now you’re running yourself ragged to make up for my mistake. I am sorry for that and for never apologizing for it before. You areamazing. You do not have to be perfect.”
The realization hits me so hard that tears sting behind my eyes. My need for perfection, my insistence on doing everything I can despite the exhaustion it brings. It all makes sense now. I can hear the sincerity in her voice, feel it deeply, so I finally bow my head. “You’re forgiven, Nana.”
She exhales with relief. “Quit your internship, take that offer, and go home to your pack.”
“I will,” I said. “I love you.”
Walking into the firm is a lot less nerve-wracking than I thought. The second my foot enters the building, there’s a relief when I realize it’s the last time I’ll be doing so, and I’m sure it reflects in my scent as I march through the barren halls.
Gregory’s office is messy, as always. It always set my teeth on edge, but now it just reassures me of my decision. When he sees me, his fake smile appears.
“Sam, my boy! I thought you were working with Timothy today.”
I shake my head. “I actually won’t be working at all today.”
“Oh?” he asks, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know how that’s possible. We have a lot of inventory that needs transferringtoday.”
“Timothy will have to do it by himself,” I state, standing firmly in place.
“Yes, but I thought both interns would be doing it. That’s your main job, anyway.”
I barely hide my scoff. “I seem to have a lot of jobs here. Tasks that I’m not even supposed to have.”
My comment throws him off guard. “Is everything okay, Sammy?”
“My name is Sam. And I quit.”
Silence falls over us then. He blinks at me, the words processing in slow motion. Then he chuckles. “Okay, understood. Do you want time off? I can make that happen. If you need more time with your pack, we can lessen your case load. Just tell me what you need so we can move on.”
Heat rises on my skin at the disrespect, but I take a deep breath to push it away before shaking my head. “No, thank you.I no longer want to be an intern at this firm. Please terminate my position.”
The amusement falls off his face. “Where is this coming from, Sam? You know you need experience to work after graduation. It’s not like a new internship just fell out of the sky and landed in your lap.”
My lips curve up. “Actually, I already have somewhere to go.”
His expression is incredulous. “Where? Don’t you tell me…”
“Let’s just say it’s a firm that better aligns with my interests,” I tell him, keeping it vague.
“You’ve seen many of our cases, Sam. You were privy to very sensitive information. You can not justleave.”
“You knew I wasn’t supposed to be on half the cases that I was. Not as an intern,” I tell him, and his face flushes.
“With you, we were able to take on more cases. More clients. More opportunities to make things right,” he argues.
“That wasn’t your intention at all.” I sigh. “And I don’t want to be a part of it anymore. So, I’m done.”
