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“You don’t need to cry, Aunt. I’m fine now,” I comfort her, embracing her warmly. I had always feared revealing the truth to her, but I couldn’t bear the thought of burdening her with my past.
“Oh, it could have been avoided. I feel like I failed my sister,” she says with teary eyes.
“No, you didn’t. You and Uncle Tyler have taken care of me as your own, something John neglected to do for me and for that, I’ll forever be grateful,”I reassure her.
“Why would he do such a despicable thing, marrying you off like that? Is this some sort of medieval times? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come back to stop the madness,” she says with anger.
“There wasn’t enough time, and there was too much at stake. I couldn’t risk it,” I explain. I had feared that if I involved her, it would have only made things worse for Jeffrey with my father.
“Aunt Maryann, it’s nothing for you to worry about now. I just wanted you to know the truth. Can we not resist the past anymore?” I ask, hoping for a fresh start.
“Okay,” she says, though I can see that she’s still deeply troubled. Throughout the afternoon, Aunt Maryann remains withdrawn, and I can’t help but wonder if I should have kept the painful truth to myself.
* * *
“Welcome, Phebe,”Uncle Tyler greets me as I enter his office. I give him my brightest smile and reply, “Good morning, Uncle Tyler,”
It’s been two days since I last spoke with Aunt Maryann. My absence was due to my preparations for today’s resumption. I wanted my first day at work to be flawless, avoiding any perception that I might take my job lightly due to our family connection.
“Please have a seat,” Uncle Tyler offers, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. I oblige.
“How has your first day been?”
“It has been quite productive, Uncle. The HR team provided me everything, my new office and outlined my responsibilities. I’ve also filled out the employee’s form and signed the contracts. So far, everything has gone smoothly,” I explain. Uncle Tyler seems pleased with the news, and he nods approvingly.
“That’s good to hear. I was hoping you’d settle in quickly, especially due to an impending project. Remember the other day I mentioned your first project,” he reminds me of our previous discussion.
“Yes, I remember, Uncle,”I confirm.
“Well, good news, the deal has been finalized. While we secured the construction contracts for the buildings, I managed to negotiate our involvement in the interior decoration as well,” he informs me.
“That’s wonderful news,” I respond, my enthusiasm evident. I’ll finally be able to get something done after going for so long without any work.
“Great, your work starts this week. The clients have specific requirements for the art décor, and I’ve engaged the artist they requested. I’ve informed him of the specifics; your job is to ensure that each artwork fits into each house. Are you prepared to undertake this?” he inquires.
“Of course, I can do that. When is the meeting with the artist?” I ask.
“It’s scheduled for this afternoon. That’s why I reached out. I’m sorry for the short notice, I just received a response from the artist not long ago. He said he was ready to meet up with you in about thirty minutes. Is that enough time for you to prepare, or should I consider rescheduling?” he asks.
“Thirty minutes is sufficient,” I assure him.
“Great, you will go with these documents. I need his signature to proceed,” Uncle Tyler states, passing a file to me.
“Okay, Uncle, I’ll take care of it” I confirm, grabbing the file from him.
“You’ll heading to the LENS showroom for this meeting,” he informs me.
“No problem,” I reply.
“Do you know the way there?” he asks.
“No, I don’t, but Uncle Tyler, I still have the Sausalito sprit in me. I’ll find my way around,” I assure him, earning a smile from him.
“Good, I trust you with this,” he expresses.
“I won’t disappoint,” I promise.
“I know you won’t,” he affirms. With a nod, I exit his office. This is it, the thrill of doing something I’m passionate about. As I leave the office, I head towards my first assignment, determined to ensure its success. Lyft locates me immediately, and I hop in.
