Page 81 of Keeping it Local

I’d miss it. Of course I would. And even after finishing all my research, talking with my professor, and of course, Mary, it was a no-brainer. I needed to do this—for myself.

There were parts that I felt comfortable with since I was used to running the overarching business at home, but I felt that zing of excitement to do something new—something that was just for me. And as much as I went back and forth figuring out if it was the right thing for my family, I knew that my parents were getting older. They’d be retiring soon—with or without me here.

I needed to live my own life.

For years, I’d lived in their shadow, being the dutiful daughter I knew they needed and, at the time, wanted to be.

Things changed though. People got older, and I knew in my gut that this was the right thing to do.

“Beth? You here?” my mom called out, pulling me out of my trance.

“Back here! I’ll be up in a moment.”

I stood up, took one glance at the family photo sitting on my desk, grabbed my paperwork, and headed for the conference room.

I hugged my mom and dad, and we all took a seat at the table. The conference room hadn’t changed at all since I’d been around. It still had a very 1990s feel with burgundy-striped wallpaper, dark wood, and old office chairs sitting around a six-person table.

“What’s all this about?” Dad crossed his ankle over his leg, and as he leaned back, the old chair squeaked.

“It’s been a while since we’ve talked about the business and what the plan is, especially since I’ve been back, so I thought we all needed to be on the same page.” My skin prickled with nerves, but I kept my voice steady as I looked my dad in the eye.

“Makes sense,” he gruffed.

“I actually have an idea for you.” I gave them the packets I’d put together, continuing, “I think if anything, this summer has opened our eyes to what the business needs and everyone’s involvement in it.”

My dad stayed quiet, and my mom hummed to herself.

“I know this place has been your pride and joy for decades, but I’m not sure if this is sustainable for the long run with how we’re running things.” I paused, taking a deep breath. “And frankly, I don’t think I want to continue, especially once you both retire.”

“Okay, but—” My dad started talking, but I cut him off.

“And I know what you’re going to say. That you’re not ready yet, that you don’t want to take a back seat, at least not yet, and I completely respect that. It’s why I have an idea that I think will work for everyone.”

“What are you suggesting?” my mom asked with a glint in her eye. She had to know where I was going. Whether or not she had mentioned anything to my dad was another story.

“I’m suggesting we see if Michael—or, really, it could be anyone—would be willing to buy out my share of the business with an option to buy your share once you’re ready. This way, it provides an exit for you for when you actually want to retire and a good transition for the business. I think it makes the most sense for Michael to step up, and it sounds like he’s interested as long as you’re both on board.”

I flipped to about halfway through the packet to share some numbers.

“I put together some rough figures for the entire business, broken down by both of our shares.” I pointed to the page in front of my dad. “My professor helped me put this together.”

His eyes widened. “How do you know we’d get this much?”

“I don’t.” I shrugged. “But I’ve been doing some research these last few weeks, and I think it’s a pretty good guess.”

His lip quirked up, and he looked at my mom. They locked eyes for a moment, and he turned back to me. “So, you want out of the business?”

“I’ve been wanting to do my own thing for quite a while now. It’s just that I didn’t have a firm grasp on what I would do and where I would go. It’s why I was so excited about expanding things here when I went for those classes.” I leaned back as the chair creaked. “Obviously, I love what we’ve built here, but it’s time.” I nodded, looking at the table. “It’s time I take care of me.”

“Honey, I wish you would have told us you were unhappy here,” my mom said, tilting her head.

I waved my hands. “It’s not that at all. I’m so glad to have made the choice I did years ago. The time that we’ve spent together, what we’ve been able to do.” I paused, looking around. “That’s invaluable. It’s just that now I’ve found a new place that feels right. It feels like the next best step for me. I know this is a big decision, and I know I’m springing this on you both to some degree. But I just hope that you see this for what it could be—an opportunity for you both to actually enjoy retirement, to do what you want to do while you still can. And an opportunity for me to build my own life how I need to.”

My dad bit his lip, looking at the figures in front of him. “This is a lot of money. What do you plan to do?”

“Remember that rental place I worked at over the summer?” I paused. “I want to buy it. Mary put the other buyer on hold until I could talk with you and figure this out. I plan to move back to Port St. Clair.”

Everything in the conference room stood still for what felt like hours but was really only minutes. My dad was thinking, and I didn’t want to interrupt him. As much as I hated to admit it, he was still very old-school and wanted to make his own decisions—not have his daughter tell him what to do or how to feel.