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Andie gives a small smile and mumbles, “Hi, Gigi.”
Mom lights up. “Hello, my beautiful angel. You look so pretty for your first day of school. Be a good girl for Daddy. No tears this time. Gigi is promising you a special girls’ trip to New York City to see a Broadway show if you’re a good girl.”
Andie’s face slightly brightens. She loves the theater. She and I go all the time. “I’ll try, Gigi. What if no one likes me? What if I don’t make any friends? When are you coming to visit?”
“You’ll make plenty of friends. I promise. I’ll be in at the end of the week, and I’m staying for an entire month. So you be a good girl and go to big-girl school all week and then I’ll come for a long visit. Next week, I’ll pick you up from school every day and we’ll do something special.”
Andie’s face is now a full-blown smile. “Yay!” I love her relationship with my mother. They’re so close.
Mom looks back at me. “Are you going to make a few calls about going back to work? I think it will be good for you now that Andie is in school.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Mother. I somehow built and sold the biggest company in the world without you managing it. Imagine that.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m starting at Daulton Holdings next week. They held the job for me. One of the vice presidents had to take a long-term, emergency family leave, so I’ll slot right in.”
I had interviewed and secured a job at Daulton Holdings months ago when I thought Andie would be in school. When I decided to pull her, I had to let theopportunity go. I was upset about it. It’s one of the biggest companies in the world. But the CEO, Reagan Lawrence-Daulton, told me to call her when I was ready, and when I reached out last week to tell her that Andie was going to school, she was more than thrilled to have me.
My job will be to find small businesses that need big company backing to take things to the next level of expansion. Being a venture capitalist at heart, it’s perfect for me. I love helping the small guys become big ones. It’s very rewarding.
“I can’t believe you’re going to work for someone else. I never thought I’d see the day. You haven’t done that since you were sixteen.”
“Owning a business is nonstop. I want to be done at the end of the day and be present for Andie.”
The fact is, I never have to work another day in my life. I made hundreds of millions of dollars and then sold my company for billions after Jenny died. But with Andie going to school, I want to be challenged again. I just can’t manage the hassles of owning a company when I’m the only parent my daughter has. I want to be there for her in the morning for breakfast, and in the evenings for dinner, baths, and bedtime.
“Good luck. Maybe you’ll meet a nice woman at your new job.”
She’s testing me. “Mom, I told you I’m taken. We’ll discuss this another time.” I motion my head toward Andie. Mom gives me a nod of understanding.
We end the call and Karen, my chef, sets out our breakfast. Cherry crepes for Andie, and a healthy shake of unknown origins for me.
I take a sip. “This is good, Karen, what’s in it?”
She smiles. “As always, it’s best you don’t know.”
She rubs my shoulder in the motherly way she always has. “You know your mom is only trying to help, right?”
I sigh. “I suppose.”
Knowing I was full of shit, she adds, “I, too, look forward to meeting your newfriend.”
I raise my eyebrow at her. “You’re lucky I like your food, Karen.”
She laughs as she turns her attention to Andie. “How are the crepes, little lady?”
“So yummy. Thanks, Karen.”
They do look good. I give Andie my best puppy dog eyes. “Can I have a bite? Just a small one.”
Andie narrows her eyes at me. “It’s never just one.”
Karen plops a plate with a crepe in front of me. “Don’t worry, Andie. I know he can’t resist anything with cherries. They’re his weakness. I made an extra.”
Andie gives Karen a little fist bump before turning to me. “Daddy, tell me my morning joke. Make it a good one today.”
“They’reallgood.” Somehow, I’ve cornered myself into a daily tradition of corny dad jokes. I did it a few mornings in a row once, and now Andie begs to hear them every day. I spend hours researching them to make sure I always have a few on hand.
