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“Did Dad already leave?”
“He did. We have a few orders we didn’t get through yesterday, so he’s working on them this morning. We’ve been busier than normal, not that I’m complaining.”
I nodded, taking a bite of my roll. The gooey center made my mouth water. “That’s good, right? I’m not surprised. You two make an amazing team.”
“Well, thank you, and yes. It looks as though we might be able to retire after all.”
She was teasing, I knew that. My parents had always been focused, knowing they wanted to travel before they got too old and before the grandbabies started to arrive. Although I think their hope for grandbabies died a little bit with each birthday that passed me by. It was something my mother reminded me of every now and then.
“What are your plans for today?”
I swallowed, knowing I couldn’t hide the fact that I didn’t have a job any longer. “Well, the man who keeps calling is my ex-boss.”
“Ex-boss? Tara. What happened? I thought you loved that job.”
“Parts of it, yes. Unfortunately, I don’t have any freedom in what I want to write. That’s the downfall. It makes the job unappealing. I don’t want to feel like writing is a chore.”
“Why is he calling you?”
“Well, before I left DC, he gave me an ultimatum, which led to my firing. But now, apparently, he and the higher-ups want me back. They’re offering a raise, a promotion, and the possibility to write some editorials.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“It is. But I’m worried I’ll say yes, and nothing will change. Yes, the promotion and raise would be nice, but I can’t trust they would follow through on the editorial part. And that’s the part that matters the most to me.”
“What are you going to do? Do you have ideas for articles you can start on? Or a plan in case you don’t go back? Do I need to move my craft supplies?”
She giggled after the last comment, attempting to keep things light. I appreciated the effort.
“I do.” I finished my roll, sliding the plate to the side. “I would like to interview Landon. It would be an amazing jump start for me.”
“Tara! That might be a great idea. As long as you don’t annoy him. I mean, he’s practically a recluse.”
“I don’t plan to annoy him. And I’m certainly not going to force myself on him.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you would. And I know I was the one to bring up you finding out what his deal is in the first place. Just after meeting him, he seems rather guarded.” “I know. That’s why I need the time to do this the right way. Meaning I can’t give my old job an answer right now. Landon aside, I’m thirty-one. How long am I willing to put my dreams on the backburner? Maybe it’s time for me to move on.”
She picked up our plates, walking to the sink. My leg bounced up and down, wondering what she was thinking. She finally turned back to me; arms crossed. I took a deep breath, prepared for the worst. Then, she softened slightly, and I knew I’d won her over.
“I know you’ll figure it all out. Just be respectful with Landon.”
“Of course. I’m going to start with research, then get to know him a little better. He’ll never give me a chance if he thinks I’m not genuine.”
“That makes sense. I guess you’ll be staying home today, then? Working on your research?”
“Yes. Dad will be with you all day, right?”
“He will be. Take your time. Do what you need to do. But you need to respond to your boss too. You can’t just ignore him.”
“Are you sure? I’m doing a great job ignoring him so far.” I laughed. She didn’t.
“Tara Marie. We raised you better than that.”
She tilted her head my way, grinning before excusing herself and finishing her morning routine. I realized I’d been holding my breath, not certain what she would say. If she’d told me it was a horrible idea, I wasn’t sure what I would have done. I could also breathe easier because knowing her, she would tell my dad. Which was exactly what I wanted her to do. It would take that pressure off me. I knew it was cheating, but it was better than facing him head-on. It wasn’t that I was afraid of my dad, but I was definitely afraid of disappointing him.
I cleaned up the kitchen a bit more before heading to the basement again. I rummaged through my luggage, looking for the right notebook. My parents had teased me growing up, wondering just how many notebooks I needed. When they realized I was filling them all, they stopped and even picked up a few for me.
“Okay,” my mother called down the stairs. “I’m ready to go. I’ll check in on you later.”
