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“I want to do that thing, um, make a list of things we don’t want to carry with us in the new year.”
“Of course. Shall we do it now?”
Luisa nodded.
I pulled out several sheets of paper and tore them into smaller pieces. I handed half to her and kept half for myself. On the first sheet, I wrote, “The kiss.” I held it out for her to see.
“You don’t ever want to think about it again?”
“I do not.”
She nodded a second time, picked up a few of the pieces I’d given her, and moved to the other side of the room, where she began to write. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her fold each one several times.
“Now what?” she asked, motioning to a pile she’d made.
“We could burn them.”
“I like that idea. All the bad stuff goes up in smoke.”
“Precisely.” I walked over to the fireplace, knelt down, and lit the wood that had been laid.
“I don’t want to say them out loud,” she said.
“You don’t have to.”
One by one, we tossed the paper into the fire.
“Good riddance,” I said with the last of them.
“Good riddance,” Luisa repeated.
28
LUISA
Press and I stayed in what we called the veranda room, and now our office, for the rest of the night. Earlier in the day, when he was reviewing the tasks I’d be helping with, I felt the same kind of excitement as I did when I started my MBA.
Only forty applicants were accepted into the graduate program, and rather than what might be considered traditional classes, we had meetings. Some were with the entire class, others were smaller and assignment-based.
During the first with all of us, I was stunned when the professor, who was the head of the program, said twenty-five percent of us in the room wouldn’t make it to the end. Never, in a million years, did I dream I would be part of that statistic.
It was at Press’ urging that I completed my degree, and now, I was so glad I had.
“Thank you,” I said, raising my head to look up at him. We were seated on a sofa in front of the fireplace, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“You’re welcome,” he said, kissing my forehead.
“Do you want to know what for?”
He smiled. “If you want to tell me.”
“For suggesting I finish my degree. For giving me this opportunity to work with you.”
“Barrett Family Enterprises will benefit greatly from having you on board. It’s me who should be thanking you.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
He looked at his watch. “Almost time to begin the countdown.”
