“Love you, sis!” she says cheerfully before ending the call.
As I hang up, I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I glance out at the Pacific Ocean, the waves rolling calmly against the shore. I don’t know what it is about this city that suddenly feels so hard to leave, but I know it isn’tjustDom.
It’s the way I finally stopped feeling like I was auditioning for my own life here.
Like I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone for it to matter.
Just as I finish my latte, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, seeing the reminder there on the screen:
Call Cityscape and let them know!
My stomach twists—not because the opportunity scares me, but because I don’t want to say yes to something that doesn’t actually feel like mine.
I exit out of the notification and then navigate to my dad’s contact. I know he’s going to be in and out of meetings, as per usual, so there’s a real chance he might not even answer at all.
Still, my thumb hovers.
I give myself three more seconds to breathe and then hit the call button before heading for the beach. The phone rings three times, and just when I think his voicemail is going to kick on, my dad answers.
“Hey, hon.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Hey, Dad.” I clear my throat, feeling like I just swallowed a whole gallon of sand. The crosswalk light blinks, and I hurry across the street, heading for the water. “I was hoping that we could talk…”
“About?” His tone is nearly impossible for me to decipher, and I can’t tell if he already knows or if he’s just being himself.
“It’s about a new business idea.” I go on to explain my proposal in detail.
Not for permission. For perspective.
For the first time, I want clarity more than distance.
“That sounds like quite a plan.” His voice is bright. “It’s a big endeavor, though, Nic. How do you feel about handling something of that size?”
I pause just before the waves reach my feet. “Um, I feel good, I think. I actually took it before Cityscape’s investment board, and they really liked it. They offered to partner with me, but…”
He’s silent for a moment. “But?”
“But they want me to move to Miami to develop it.” I swallow the knot in my throat. “It’s an amazing opportunity.” I stop myself from expounding on how much I don’t want to go there, opting to wait and see what he says.
“I see.” He makes a humming noise, and I brace for what’s to come. “I think that’s a solid opportunity, Nic. Miami is a hot zone for real estate.”
“Yeah…” My voice trails off, and I don’t really know where to go from here.
“What’s your gut telling you?” My dad’s tone softens significantly.
I furrow my brow and then let out a dry laugh. “I, um, I don’t think I should trust my gut on anything, Dad.”
“I disagree,” he says, painfully nonchalant. “I think your gut’s always telling you what to go for, but sometimes we override it with our desperation to succeed. That’s when it becomes difficult to discern.”
“My gut isn’t feeling too excited about moving to Miami,” I admit. “This idea came togetherhere. This city is part of it.”
“Then you should trust your gut.”
“So, you’re saying I should turn them down?” I chew on the inside of my cheek.
“Well, I think Los Angeles is a really solid business play, given that it’s a hub for professional athletes. Sure, Miami has a lot, too, but I think Cityscape is locked in a noncompete clause with Triton Development right now. That’s likely the only reason they suggested Miami.”
“So…” I try to process everything he’s saying. “I should pitch the idea to Triton?”
