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Eloise laughed.
“Besides, I have three buyers coming in after the Colliers. They’re all interested.”
Eloise’s eyes widened. “Did you price these?”
“Not a single one is under five k.” Margaux beamed at her niece.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough.”
Margaux hugged Eloise. “Just say you’ll think about staying. I don’t want you to leave. I feel like we haven’t spent any time together and I really love having you here.”
“If I sell a painting, I can pay you rent.”
“You can’t pay for something that your grandpa would want you to have. My home is yours. You know this.”
Eloise couldn’t hold back the tears. She let them flow, wishing her grandfather was alive to see what she had accomplished. Wishing her parents understood her better and could see her showcase because this was something to behold.
eighteen
“Kiel Michael Collier, get in here!”
You know you’re in trouble when your parents use your middle name. Kiel cringed and his sisters looked at him wide eyed. Skyla mouthed, “what did you do?” but all he could do was shake his head.
The walk to the kitchen was done so with a slow gait. He wasn’t in any hurry to face the wrath of pissed off parents. His parents sat at the table with his laptop open. Dread filled him. He had forgotten to close the top.
Fuck.
“Sit down,” his father demanded.
Kiel pulled the chair and sat without a sigh. He put his hands on the table, clasped them and waited for the lecture.
“What’s this?”
A laptop?
“Uh . . .” On the screen was the email he sent to all the admission counselors rescinding his grad school applications.
“Uh . . . what?” his father mocked.
Kiel ran his hand over his hair. The truth will set you free, played through his mind. “I’m taking a year off,” he said without making eye contact with either parent.
“Why?” his mom asked.
“Well, for one, I don’t know what I want to do, and it seems foolish to waste money on getting my masters when I literally can’t figure out if I want to go into business or find a career in science. Some days, I think science is where I want to be, but then I remember how much I hate math and know neither career is for me. So, then I ponder what else I can do? Honestly, nothing because I’m good at math, and yet, I have zero desire to work with it.” Kiel sighed.
Emmett’s eyebrow rose.
Exasperated, Kiel sat back. “I know you’re disappointed. Hell, I am too. I’d love nothing more than to have my future planned out. But I don’t and I don’t want to go into debt and hate my career.”
Before his dad could reply, Ciara’s voice sounded from behind them. “We want to know what’s going on.”
Kiel turned to face her and Skyla, who were standing behind him.
“I’ve heard you on the phone, Dad, talking about moving. You’ve been very hush hush about it, which leads me to believe we’re moving,” she continued. “Which means we’ll have to leave school. It’s not ideal being that we’re seniors.”
Emmett sighed heavily and reached for Leona’s hand. He asked the girls to sit down. They each took a spot at the table. Emmett cleared his throat. “We’re not moving, exactly,” he started. “I’m being transferred.” The girls’ mouths dropped open. “Your mom will stay in Albany until you graduate and leave for school, and then she’ll move to wherever I’m stationed,” Emmett said.
“But you’re not active duty,” Skyla said. “You’re an instructor. Why do you have to move?”
