AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I regret the decision but that doesn't go very far in taking it back or fixing anything. I miss her messages and her phone conversations and her smile. And it's the sound of her voice and the way she makes me feel about myself.
“You know, it's more complicated than that, Dad,” I say.
He arches an eyebrow. “How is it complicated? You love her, she loves you. Make her yours. What's the problem?” I can't tell if the man is deliberately missing the point or just messing with me.
I let out a sigh. “The problem is, I'm your son. I'm the heir of the firm and I have a reputation to uphold.” I stand up and make my way to the window, looking out over the beautiful green gardens outside. “I have a responsibility to the firm, and I can't be with someone who works for me. It is unprofessional and against company policy, and I have to set a good example for everyone else that works with me or no one will respect me.”
“Oh, horse hockey,” he says. “That's nonsense. You're not your job, you're not the firm, you're a human being with a heart and a soul - you have the right to be happy.”
I don't understand why he's not getting it. But as I open my mouth to try to explain further, he talks over me, his voice sounding stronger than it did before. “If Emma makes you happy, then you should be with her. Screw the rules, people’s thoughts about it, and screw the firm.”
I don’t understand why he wants me to single handedly destroy the business he built. Has he lost his mind? Maybe the brain damage was more extensive than we thought.
“Sell the damn firm, I don’t give a damn. I want you to be happy. Too much of your life has been unhappy. You deserve joy.” He lets out another soft cough.
“Why would I do that, Dad?” I ask softly, trying to hear him out.
“Because it's never going to make you happy.” He inhales a deep breath and continues. “You need to find your own path, your own passion. I don't want you to waste your life doing something you don't love. Don't let the firm define you or control you or ruin you.”
I thought that when he told me to sell the firm it was because he was delirious with sepsis. Now that I know that's not the case, I'm stunned to hear that he still wants me to sell it. He devoted his life to that place and passed it on to me as his legacy.
“I can’t do that, Dad,” I say.
“Why not?” He sounds like the answer is so simple he can’t figure out why I’d push back.
“Because this is your life's work, your dream. I'm not just going to throw it away and give up.” The last thing I want to do now is let him down.
But he shakes his head. “You're not throwing it away or giving it up or letting me down. You're doing what's best for you. You're doing what I should have done a long time ago.” His eyes unfocus, and I sense that he's thinking about my mother. He's only gone for a moment before he comes back and locks his gaze with mine. “I love you more than I love the firm. I always have. You are my legacy, and I’m proud of you.”
His words warm me deep inside, but he’s not done talking. “She is the only thing that matters and if selling the firm makes you happy and leaves you free to be with Emma, then I want you to do that. Don't be held back by what you think I want. I want you to do whatever is best for you.”
I swallow hard, thinking about the fact that I'd broken things off with Emma, probably in a way that I can never fix.
“Yeah, about that, Dad,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand.
“Don't even start, son. She’d be lucky to have you, too. Maybe not as lucky as you would be to have her, but...” He trails off, an evil twinkle in his eyes.
“Oh, gee, thanks. You’re saying she’s more of a catch than I am?” I ask, the wheels in my mind turning as a whole new possibility opens up on the horizon.
“Absolutely,” he says before growing serious. “Trust me, she's the one for you. I don't know how you haven't seen it yet. You’re thicker than quicksand sometimes.”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you, Dad.” A tsunami of shame crashes over me, and my voice lowers as if I can hide the truth. “I broke things off with her a few days ago.”
“Well, unbreak things off.” He sounds set and I shake my head.
“I don't think it's going to be that easy.” I wander back over to my seat by his bedside. “I broke up with her the worst way possible over text, and I haven't talked to her since.”
I hear him make a hissing sound as he draws a deep breath between his teeth. “That does complicate things a little bit, but I think that you have the my dad almost died card, so you can probably get away with being a colossal jerk.”
The fact that he just said almost exactly what Emma and I had previously said brings a smile to my face. “You know what? You might be right.”
I pull my phone out of my pocket, then stare at my father for a moment.
“What?” he asks, looking a little worried.
“I just had what I think is a good idea, but I'm going to need a lawyer.”
He very slowly lifts one hand to cover his face, as if he can't believe I just said those words.
