Naomi was already in the living room, with a glass of red in hand. Her posture was straight, and her bun was tighter than the tension in the air. I gave her a quick hug; the kind you give coworkers at awkward holiday parties.
“Glad you made it,” she said, not sounding particularly glad, but not as cold as I expected. She sounded warmer, like she did over the phone. “Wouldn’t miss a family gathering,” I replied, my tone edged just enough to sting if you knew me well. Naomi did. She arched an eyebrow, took a deep breath, but said nothing.
“Shall we sit?” Dad’s voice came from behind us, slightly raspy, slightly slower than I’m used to. He looked… older. More fragile than I remembered. Still sharp in a navy blazer and slacks, but softer if that makes sense.
We gathered around the long mahogany dining table. The food was plated. There was steak, roasted potatoes, and sautéed greens. Probably catered by someone with no idea this family hadn’t eaten together in months.
The clink of silverware filled the silence until Dad cleared his throat. “I’ll just get to it,” he said, looking at Naomi, then at me. “I have liver cancer. It’s treatable, not terminal. But it’s going to take some timeand energy to manage.” I didn’t speak. Naomi nodded once. “Stage?” she asked.
“Two,” he replied. “Caught relatively early given my lifestyle.” Susan reached over and placed a hand on him. Her diamond bracelet glittered. “We thank God for it,” she said. “We’re optimistic.” I bit into my steak and chewed, as if it were the only thing keeping me from talking. “As you may know, I’m stepping back from the company,” Dad continued. “Effective immediately. It’s what my doctors are advising. I need to rest and focus on treatment.”
I already knew that part. What I didn’t know was how he’d spin it. “I’ve asked the board to transition Naomi into Head of Legal,” he said, turning to her. “It’s time.” Oh, there it is. Thespin.
“I’m ready,” Naomi said without hesitation. “I’ve been ready.” Of course, she has. “And Samantha,” he added, and I knew this was coming. I could feel the weight of it pressing down like a storm front.
“There’s an opportunity for you, too. We’d like to bring you on as an International Business Strategist.” I almost laughed.Strategist.
That’s what they called it when they wanted to lure the black sheep of the family back into the pen. “Because I speak four languages and have a passport with more stamps than diamonds on Susan’s jewelry box? No offense,” I asked, forcing a smile.
Dad sighed. “Because you understand global movement. The culture, the trends we’re living in.You’ve seen how people work, how they think. We could use that.”
“Right,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “Because nothing saysfamilylike roping your daughter into a corporate empire she’s spent her adult life avoiding.”
“You’d be paid well,” Susan chimed in, as if that mattered to me. “Seven figures. You’ll have travel perks, full autonomy of your work, and your own office.” She talks like she still works at the company, but in truth, she’s just the mistress-turned-wife now. “I already have travel perks and full autonomy.”
“I think that if you really care about your father, you might think about it,” she replied sharply. That one landed. I looked at Dad again. He looked tired, but hopeful. And for once, not in a manipulative way, more like in a real ‘I want you there’ way.
Like maybe he really meant it.
“I just want to offer you the choice,” he said, softer this time. “You don’t have to say yes tonight. But I hope you’ll consider it.” Naomi leaned forward. “You can still keep flying or doing whatever it is you do, Samantha. But this? This is our legacy. One day it won’t be a choice, it’ll be an obligation.”
“Good to know the guilt hasn’t aged a day,” I said, standing.
“Samantha,” Dad warned.
“I’ll think about it,” I replied, grabbing my coat. “I will. But please don’t expect me to pretend like thisisn’t complicated for me.” Naomi stood too, ever the collected one.
“It’s family. It’s always complicated.” I turned to her. “Maybe for you it's a legacy, but for me, it’s something I had to escape just to breathe.” Susan opened her mouth, but Dad raised a hand. “Let her go. Let her think.” I nodded once. “Thanks for dinner.”
And with that, I walked out, into the cold air, into the night, into the city that still felt more like home than that house ever did.
I get to my apartment, but hesitate at the entrance.
I need a walk.
New York was quiet tonight. The steam rising from subway grates, the occasional honk, the rhythm of footsteps that weren’t mine. I walked aimlessly, past boutiques I couldn’t afford or didn’t want to. Cafés where I once dreamt about becoming a writer, galleries that felt like therapy. All these little places I’d built a life outside the shadow of my last name. And yet tonight, that shadow had followed me home.
When I finally stepped back into the apartment, it was like being wrapped in a version of myself I still liked. Warm lights, the smell of Rose’s overpriced candles. The distant hum of our shared playlist in thebackground. Rose was curled up on the couch, wearing a hoodie and holding two glasses of wine.
“You’re late,” she said, but her eyes were soft, curious. She already knew. “I needed a walk,” I murmured, kicking off my boots with more force than necessary.
“I know. I’ve been following your location for the past hour or so,” I laughed and flopped onto the couch beside her and accepted the wine. She waited. She always did.
“Talk to me,” she said. Just that. No pressure, no judgment. Just an open door and a key already in my hand. So, I did. I told her everything. I told her about the dinner and the infamous oil painting of my father that is still hanging there like a warning. Naomi’s too-easy yes, like she’d been rehearsing it since birth. The job offer. International Business Strategist, what a laugh. As if putting a pretty title on it would make it feel less like a trap.
But mostly, I told her about my father. Even though I always felt neglected by him, by my mom, by all of it, he looked softer tonight, more human, and that shook me more than the word cancer ever could.
Rose didn’t interrupt me. She just nodded in all the right moments and sipped her wine while I talked. Her eyes were doing that thing they always did, wide and understanding, reflecting everything I didn’t want to say out loud.
