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“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Teresa asks me as she takes a folder containing a very important piece of paper. “You’ve been adamant about keeping him at bay all these years, and now you just don’t want to? I’m just a little confused.”
I lace my fingers together, checking with myself one more time if this is actually what I want to do, and it doesn’t take long to confirm that it is. “I feel like he has more to prove. Maybe this chance will have him see things beyond money,” I tell Teresa, giving her a small smile. “And besides, I can always just pull the rug away from Peyton if he does something drastic.”
“Well, I’m happy you’re being open to change, but you better promise to pull that rug when he goes a little crazy,” she begs me, and I could only nod in return. Teresa looks after mine and the company’s well-being after all, so I’m happy to have her trust even though there are conditions. “I’ll tell Peyton about this right away,” she states, leaving my office.
Today, I’m all alone in my office since Isa has to file some paperwork for her green card. I’ve talked with my father’s lawyers that I am honoring his conditions, but some paperwork is out of my control as they take time. They’re strangely willing to just let it process even after my thirty-sixth birthday, which is a week from now. During that time, I began to think that there was something more to it that only one person can answer.
And just like that, as if on cue, the elevator dings and opens, revealing none other than my mother. There’s a smug expression on her face as she walks into the office of her late husband, telling me that she already knows why I called her over today.
“Today is a first. You actually invited me over instead of me just barging in,” she points out, letting out a haughty chuckle.
“It wouldn’t make a difference even if I didn’t invite you,” I reply, knowing she’ll do whatever she wants and no one can really stop her even if I didn't want her here. Right now, that isn’t the case, though. “So, you want to tell me something?”
My mother simply sighs, walking over to the couch and sitting down dramatically. “You took solong, Leo. I almost wanted to hunt your father’s spirit down just to rant his ears off,” she states, letting out another melodramatic sigh. “I told him you wouldn’t understand immediately, and I was right. You pushed me away for a long time, you know, but we also both knew you would do that when your father was on his deathbed.”
“I’m sorry —”
“No, don’t youdare, Leo. It was something I was willing to endure for your father’s final wishes.” She stops me almost immediately, and I keep my mouth shut. I guess I’m still my mother’s son, even after all these years. “So, I know you want to know why your father put such a restrictive condition on your inheritance, but I’m almost positive that you already figured it out during this little ordeal you had to overcome with your fiancée,” she says, smiling genuinely at me for the first time in forever.
I smile back, feeling the chip on my shoulder slowly fade away as it all becomes clear in my head. A tear threatens to fall down my face as I remember my father, but I stop, knowing that if I start, my mother will start, and it will be a whole thing. “Father knew I was going to sacrifice too much of my life for his legacy, didn’t he?” I asked, though it was rhetorical. “He knew that his sudden passing was going to drive me to focus on nothing else but keeping his film studio going that he built from the ground up. Sweat and tears.”
“And what would that mean?” My mother helps me get to the point, smiling at me encouragingly to say it out loud — to finally have some closure from my father’s death.
“It meant I was not living my life the way he wanted me to,” I answer, voice shaking from the emotions overflowing within me. “He built this place from the ground up so I can live a normal and comfortable life — that I can find a woman to marry, have my own family, and tell his grandchildren about how their grandfather was this amazing filmmaker.”
A tear falls down my mother’s eyes, but she’s quick to wipe it off. “Your father came from nothing, Leo. The biggest fruit of your father’s labor is you being allowed to live your life the way you want to, but he knew you were going to devote your life tohislife’s work, so he put the condition in your inheritance.”
“He didn’t want me to live his life, but he wanted me to live mine,” I summarize, and my mother nods.
A small chuckle escapes her lips, though, as she stands up and walks around the room. “Well, I don’t think this is what he thought would happen, but it’s still very much the same ending, isn’t it? I don’t know, I’m not a film person like you two are,” my mother dismisses the drama of it all, ironically when she’s the one being dramatic right now as she looks over my father’s old memorabilia displayed around the room.
“Is that all you wanted to say to me, Mother?” I ask, shaking my head as she easily transitions back to her old snooty self. Almost in a heartbeat, if I do say so myself.
She simply hums, however, before turning back to me to ask, “So, when can I meet your fiancée?”
I roll my eyes at her, kind of missing these little banters we used to have. "Soon Mom, soon." Mom gives a little nod as she turns on her well-heeled heel and heads toward the elevator. The door opens, she gets in, and I'm left with the deafening silence of my own office.
I feel the years we didn’t have a good relationship start to fade. It’ll be a long road to get to a good place and we still have a lot to talk about and figure out, but for the first time, I’m hopeful that we can get there.
Again, the elevator dings. It's apparently a busy day. Peyton.
He walks right into my office, shaking papers at me. "What's this? Cuz, what's this?" He's almost shouting, almost jumping. I can feel the energy fly off his body.
"It's what you've always wanted, Peyton. With conditions. You will be CEO of Camden Studios, effective immediately. You will take care of all corporate duties as listed in the documentation. I have discussed with the board that they will elect me Chairman of the Board, and therefore you will answer to me. I will become executive director of all projects, but also produce and create projects of my own as I see fit."
"I don't know what to say." Peyton is almost hyperventilating. "You mean, I can use the helicopter?"
I laugh. "Yes, Peyton. Within reason."
"Why? I just, I'm just… well, speechless." Peyton clearly doesn't know what to say.
"Let's just say, I saw the light. Isa has shown me that my true love is creating great movies and directing from the ground up. I love everyone that works for Camden and I want to get my hands even more dirty with bringing some of my ideas to life. I'm proud to have you at the helm. You're going to do an amazing job."
I reach out my hand to shake his. He grabs it, but pulls me toward him and embraces me in a tight, long hug. Finally, he lets go of me, and I can see that he's almost delirious in his happiness. His eyes are wet and his face is red, but he's smiling. He's got the biggest smile on his face.
"But I've got some bad news," I continue. He stands up and straightens up his suit that he's wrinkled in his joy. "You're going to have to find your own assistant. Isa comes with me. I'm also going to take a bit of an extended leave before I start, so you'd better keep the ship sailing while I'm gone. Teresa will be your Executive Advisor during this time to help in the transition."
He shakes his head, clearly speechless. "Thanks, cuz. Thanks so much." After a quick bro hug, he heads toward the elevator, still shaking his head.
