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Luke
Luke couldn’t believe that he actually knew someone here, in Savannah, of all places. It was Adam Peterson from the Chicago office, and given that they were of a similar age, they had started their careers in finance around the same time. Luke plastered a business smile on his face and reached out to shake his colleague’s hand.
“Adam! What are you doing all the way down here?”
“We’re just taking a short trip, checking out the sights,” Adam replied. “Macey and I always wanted to visit Savannah, but never got around to it. We had a free week, so we booked the flight! How about you? You live here now, right?”
Luke nodded, glancing over at Emma, then back to Adam. “I do. About an hour south from here in Hadley Cove.”
Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Never heard of it. So, you like it down here? You don’t miss the hustle and bustle of Chicago?”
“Not as much as I thought I would,” Luke admitted. After living in Chicago for so long, he was surprised by how much he didn’t miss it.
“Well, I guess you needed to slow down after working so hard,” Adam teased, grinning and patting Luke’s shoulder.
Adam Peterson was one of those rare businessmen who truly understood what mattered most in life. He knew the value of a happy home life and cherished it above all else. Luke couldn’t help but admire him for his unwavering commitment to his own family.
Luke and Adam had started out in the finance world at the same time, but their paths had diverged since then. Adam had even turned down a coveted position as the director of a multinational corporation because it would have meant traveling for four months out of the year, and he didn’t want to miss out on spending time with his loved ones.
In some ways, Luke looked up to Adam for his steadfast priorities. But in other ways, he found him a bit annoying. When they worked together on clients, Adam would always leave at 5:00 sharp, never staying late or coming in on weekends. Meanwhile, Luke often found himself working well into the evening, lucky to make it home before 8:00. Kate would just leave him some dinner in the fridge to warm up.
Luke had always been driven by his ambition for success, his sights set high on climbing the corporate ladder. He was willing to put in long hours, sacrificing precious time with his family, to chase the higher-paying clients around the country. But as the years went by, and his career progressed, he began to see what he had lost in the process.
When he finally opened his eyes to what was truly important, it was too late. The damage was done, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty for the sacrifices Kate had made for him. She had put her own ambitions on hold, supporting his career and taking care of Jeremiah. After Kate’s life was cut short, Luke was left with an overwhelming feeling of regret for all the time he had lost with his family.
Adam always told Luke he needed to make time for his family. While his advice was well-intentioned, it was difficult for Luke to take it to heart. Adam had grown up in the lap of luxury, the son of a tech mogul, and had never known what it was like to struggle financially. He was a smart guy, no doubt, and he knew how to succeed in business, but he had never had to worry about paying the bills or putting food on the table. Even if he lost his job tomorrow, he would still have his trust fund to fall back on. Adam couldn’t understand the pressure that Luke was under to provide for his family and maintain the comfortable lifestyle they had become accustomed to. Luke knew that he had to work hard and sacrifice time with his family to keep everything afloat, and it wasn’t a choice he made lightly.
“So, how is the office?” Luke asked, trying to be friendly.
Adam chuckled. “Oh, you know I don’t like to talk business when I’m on vacation, Luke. But it’s going well overall.”
Luke titled his head upward, forcing a smile. “Did you say your wife is here?”
“Yeah, she’s inside at the bar. We’re actually waiting for a table to open up. Who knew this place only took reservations?”
Luke gestured over to Emma, who had been patiently waiting and sitting there silently while they spoke. “Adam, this is Emma.”
Emma reached out and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I haven’t met any of Luke’s friends from Chicago.”
“Nice to meet you, Emma. It’s good seeing someone get Luke getting out and about.”
Luke ignored this last comment and diverted the conversation away from Emma, “How are the kids, Adam? Did they come along on vacation with you?”
“Oh, no,” Adam waved his hands in front of him. “It’s just a couple’s getaway this time. The kids are at home, holding down the fort. It’s hard to believe that Macey and I have three teenagers now and that we can leave them alone at home for an entire week. It’s amazing, but they’re growing up too fast.”
Luke nodded in agreement, “I know how you feel. Jeremiah is a high school senior now, and it’s hard to believe he’ll be off to college soon.”
“How’s Jeremiah? I hope things have slowed down enough for you two to spend more time together,” Adam said. “I know that was always an issue in Chicago.”
“Jeremiah’s doing great, thanks.” Luke bit down on his lip to restrain himself from saying anything he’d regret.
“So glad to hear it,” Adam said, patting him on the shoulder again. “Well, I’d better get back to Macey. I don’t want miss on our time together. Good to see you again, Luke, and nice to meet you, Emma.”
“It was nice meeting you as well,” Emma said in a soft, polite tone, smiling at him as he turned and walked back inside the restaurant.
Luke’s grip tightened around the stem of his wineglass as he took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. Adam’s comment had cut deeper than he could admit, stirring up a storm of emotions within him. He had to fight the urge to lash out, to defend himself. Of course Adam had no idea he’d offended him by saying it was nice to see Luke spending time with his son, as if he hadn’t spent half of his life working hard to give Jeremiah a better life.
“He seems friendly,” Emma said. “And very family-oriented.”
