I open my mouth to respond, but Holly rushes on. “I know. I know how bad it sounds. I’m embarrassed. But there’s more.”
She digs into her bag and pulls out a contract. “The contract that Rick wants us to sign for laundry services. Why did he push it? I was overwhelmed at first, I didn’t think much of it. But as I sat down to look at it, I remembered Iwas planning to install a washer and dryer and manage ourselves.”
“So why sign a contract for laundry services? Why does he care?”
“Exactly. And look who the service provider is—Yarrows Inc.”
My stomach drops. Yarrows has a reputation in town: shady dealings, predatory leases, whispered rumors of loan sharking.
“I think we’ve been played,” she says. “And I think we need to talk to Dad.”
I nod slowly. He won’t be gentle; he never is. But we need the truth. And he’ll sniff it out faster than we ever could.
“You’re right,” I say, more determined than ever. “It’s time.”
I clean up the shop and tell Holly I’ll meet her at our parents’ house. Before I go, I take a detour to Becca’s garden.
I open the app I recently downloaded, the one that tells you how to care for each plant. This garden’s been her therapy, her creative outlet, and her pride. The least I can do is not let it wither.
I crouch down and gently pull a few ripe radishes and zucchinis. I brush off the dirt and place them into one of her reusable bags. She always said vegetables you grow yourself taste better. I don’t want her missing out this season: on taste, or on something she nurtured with so much care. I’ll leave them at the cabin. I know she won’t let them go to waste.
I glance around the yard and house, and that hollow ache hits me again. The silence here isn’t peaceful anymore, it’s sharp and aching, an echo of everything I pushed away.
How the hell did I let it get this far?
Wanting to be the hotshot hero, that’s how. Alwaysjumping in, solving problems for everyone but the one person I should have been protecting most. Becca never needed me to fix her life—just to show up for it and not fuck it up so badly.
An idea hits me. I wipe my hands, head inside, and go straight to the guest room where I’ve been sleeping. I pull open the closet, kneel down, and slide out the acid-free archival box tucked in the back. My baseball cards.
Everything carefully stored, logged, and categorized. My childhood in a box. My dad and I didn’t bond over much, but we had this. We'd study stats together, argue over players. He bought me my first Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card when I made All-Stars.
These cards hold memories, but Becca's future matters more.
I carry the box out to the truck. After we go over the contract with Dad, it’s time. I’m finally ready to make a sale instead of a collection. It won’t fix what I took from her; nothing will. Becca gave up things for us without ever saying it out loud. I took that and acted like it was mine to spend; not anymore.
The fifteen-minute drive to my parents’ place isn’t long enough. I pull up, take a breath, and walk inside with the contract in hand.
“Samuel,” my mom says warmly. “It’s so good to see you.” Blouse, earrings, hair done. My mother does not do casual.
“Hey, Mom," I say, colder than usual. “Where’s Dad?”
“In his office. Holly’s already in there. Are you two talking about the salon? I can give Mandy a call?—”
“No.” My voice comes out firm. “I don’t want Mandy involved in this.”
She frowns but nods. “All right. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
I know I need to address my mother and her treatment of Becca, but first, I need legal advice. I knock once and open the door to Dad’s office.
“Sam,” he says without looking up, red pen in hand. He’s already marking the contract like it’s a law school exam.
“Hey, Dad. Thanks for taking a look.”
“I can’t believe it took you this long to bring it to me,” he mutters, flipping a page. He taps the top of the document. “This laundry services clause? It's a disaster. They're charging double market rate, and there’s no termination clause. That’s predatory.”
Then he underlines something in bold red.
“And why isonlyHolly liable for operational loss? This clause protects Mandy and Rick but leaves your sister holding the bag if anything goes south.”
