Something even his uncle should be able to grasp.
“Huh. All right then.” Lloyd chewed thoughtfully. “Didn’t it only go for twenty thousand dollars at auction?”
“Yes,” Theo hissed through gritted teeth. “And all of it to a charity that supports women fleeing domestic violence situations.” The proceeds from that sculpture had kept their shelter open when it was on the brink of closing due to increasing rent prices, and it had also brought awareness to their cause. They were still operating today because of that auction. “Twenty thousand is nothing to sneeze at.”
His father had certainly never had that much money in the bank at once.
“Bit low for you, though, don’t you think?” Lloyd put his forkdown and tented his hands over his plate. “You could have simply opened up your wallet and paid that amount out to that charity yourself. Your other work has sold for much higher, hasn’t it? Orders of magnitude higher.”
“Lloyd…” Eleanor warned.
All these warnings, and nothing to show for it.
She wasn’t going to doshit.
Theo let his fork clatter onto the delicate, antique china. He definitely wouldn’t be able to finish his dinner now. “It was a little low, yes, but that doesn’t take away from its value or its meaning. And Ihavegiven to that shelter. Several times over.”
“Well, that’s all well and good. But if your work hasn’t been selling for as much as it used to, maybe it’s time you hang up your Lightm4st3r cape.”
Theo froze. “What?”
“Lloyd.” Eleanor slapped her palm on the table so hard, the silverware rattled. “What are you doing?”
He glared at his sister indignantly. “Only what you’ve been too afraid to do all night. We’ve been tiptoeing around since the boy got here this evening, and I’m tired of it. You really need to get on with it.”
Theo felt all the blood drain from his face. “Get on withwhat?”
His uncle downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass on the table. “Telling you to put a pin in it. You’re floundering.”
“What?!” Theo pushed back from the table and threw his napkin onto his plate. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” He looked at his mother. “Tell me he’s out of his goddamn mind.”
She didn’t say anything.
But Lloyd did. “It’s time for you to get a real job, Theodore. This Lightm4st3r shit? You’re wasting your time. You might as well be a five-year-old still playing with his Lite-Brite.” He stood and pointed at Theo. “You stand around in that garage of yours fiddling withtubes and wires for hours on end to do what? Only produce a single piece or two a year?”
“I have a design LLC. I do work. That I ampaidfor.”
“Yeah, but you also do a lot of stuff for free, like that taco truck sign, wasn’t it? You just gave it to them.”
Theo pounded his fist on the table. “They were just starting their business and I wanted to help Tío out. I grew up with him! Do you know how much he’s fed me over the years? Do you know how much he means to me? Or Diego? I was glad to do it.”
“And no one knows about it—they don’t even advertise your business for you.”
“I don’t need them to!” He ran a hand through his hair.
His therapist would tell him to breathe.
She’d tell him to—
“It’s piss-poor management on your part. A stupid decision. It’s gotten you nowhere.”
“I don’t need the money! I don’t care!” Theo turned toward his mother. “Mom, tell him. Tell him how much money Nana left for…” He trailed off at the look on her face. “Mom?”
She hadn’t said anything, and her expression didn’t make him feel any less sick.
It was resolute.
“Teddy, your uncle’s right, even though that’s not how I would have phrased it.” Eleanor slowly pushed her chair away from the table and stood, leaning her palms on the surface and pressing her weight against the wood. “I wanted you to come here this weekend so we could discuss the work you’re doing as Lightm4st3r—and talk about maybe what’s next.”
