“That's the hope.” Lauren stood and stretched. “I should probably get back. Michael's waiting, and we've got a long drive tomorrow.”
“You're driving back to Florida?” Brian asked.
“My grandmother insisted. She drove her RV up here, and she's driving it back with all of us in tow. My mother, my sister Sarah, Chelsea, and me.”
“Five women in an RV,” Nell said. “That sounds like an adventure.”
“That's one word for it. My grandmother has already mapped out the route. Apparently there's a rest stop in New Jersey with excellent pie.”
“Your grandmother sounds like a character.”
“She's almost eighty-one years old and more stubborn than anyone I've ever met. But she's also the reason our family is as close as it is. She doesn't let anyone drift too far.”
They walked her to the door, and Lauren paused on the threshold, looking back at the office one more time. Her name was still on the sign outside, a detail she hadn't noticed until now. Phillips & Associates. A reminder of what she had built, even as others carried it forward.
“Thank you,” she said. “Both of you. For taking care of this place. For making it better than I ever could have on my own.”
“We had a good teacher,” Nell said.
“The best,” Brian added.
Lauren hugged them both one more time, then stepped out onto the sidewalk. The spring air was cool and clean, carrying the scent of new growth and fresh possibilities.
She found Michael at the coffee shop on the corner, nursing a cup and scrolling through his phone. He looked up when she walked in.
“How was it?”
“Perfect.” Lauren slid into the chair across from him. “Absolutely perfect.”
“You look happy.”
“I am happy. I spent so long worrying about what I gave up when we moved to Florida. The business, the clients, the life I had built. But seeing it today, seeing Nell and Brian thriving, I realized I didn't give anything up. I just passed it on.”
Michael nodded slowly. “That's a good way to look at it.”
“It's the only way to look at it. We build things, and then we hand them to the next generation. That's how it works.” She handed Michael Nell’s card. “Get in touch with Nell if you have any questions during the sale.”
“Great, thanks. I like having someone with real estate knowledge in my corner.”
“Hey!” she said as she punched his arm. “What about me?”
“I meant, someone who lives here. You’ll be backup,” he teased.
“Very funny.”
She stood and grabbed her purse. “Come on. Let's get back. Mom's probably wondering where we are.”
They walked out to Michael's SUV, and Lauren took one last look at the office as they pulled away from the curb. Phillips & Associates. Her name, her legacy, her gift to the people who had helped her build it.
She didn't look back again. She was too busy looking forward, toward the empty house where her family was waiting, towardthe RV trip that would carry her home, toward whatever came next.
Some things, once built with love, never really ended.
They just changed form, but the love always remained.
Lauren and Michael returned an hour later, Lauren's face bright with something that looked like peace.
“How did it go?” Maggie asked.
