by Lynn Stevens
I’ve known my career path for as long as I can remember. And I walk it willingly. It’s a good life. I’m not ashamed to say I’m following in my father’s footsteps. The real question is whether I’ll be any good at it. I think so, but who knows? I’ll find out soon enough, I guess.
So many of my classmates are either freaking out or overly confident in their next step. I know I shouldn’t, but I find it amusing. Does that make me a horrible person? Maybe, but life is going to throw things at us no matter how confident or freaked out we are. I choose not to stress about it. That’s something I’ve learned from my father. He juggles so many things and, if something falls, he picks it up and continues on. Because things fall. You can’t go back to fix it, but you can move forward.
But you know that’s not the real reason I’m writing today.
We agreed after graduation. And, technically, it’s not after just yet but it will be in a few hours. There’s a party tonight. Well, there’s a party every night around here, but there’s one at the Epsilon house. I will be there in a red polo. Please come.
He read over his message. The only thing that didn’t work was the red polo. What if she showed up and met some other guy in a red polo? He backspaced over it until it read I will be there and pressed send. They could plan other details when she responded. If she responded. He closed his eyes and leaned back into his couch. There was a chance she wouldn’t get the message in time. It was something he needed to remember. There was a lot going on today, and a party may not be on her mind. It wasn’t really on his, either. His phone buzzed, distracting him from the negative thoughts beginning to fill his mind.
“Hey, Dad,” Zac answered.
“It’s Amanda. Your father’s ...” She sobbed, and Zac’s heart sank. “He’s at Mercy.”
He grabbed onto her use of the present tense and forced calm into his voice. “Hospital? What happened?”
Another sob and then rustling on the other end. “Hey, big brother,” Lucy said. She didn’t sound much better than her mom. “We just got here so we don’t really know what’s going on. They think he had a heart attack.”
“But he’s alive?”
“Yes. Mom hit the security panel, and Taylor called 911.” She pulled in a sharp breath. Her voice dipped into his chest and tore at his heart. “I did CPR. The doctor said it maybe saved his life.”
“Thank God.”
“Zac?” Lucy’s voice was small, making her sound younger than her thirteen years.
“Yeah, sis?”
“I never want to do CPR on Dad again.” She broke into tears. He overheard Amanda say, “Oh, baby, you’re a hero.”
“Zac?” Taylor said into the phone. His youngest sister was ten but, like Lucy, more mature than she should be. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine thanks to you and Lucy. You guys are both heroes.” Zac loosened his tie. “I’ll be there in a bit, okay? Just keep your mom calm.”
“Okay. Love you.” Taylor hung up before Zac could respond.
He set his phone on the table and bent over. His dad. His rock. His hero. He couldn’t lose him. Not now. It was too soon. He needed to get to the hospital, but he couldn’t move. He didn’t want to see his father with tubes and wires coming out of him and an oxygen mask covering his face. He didn’t want to see his father on death’s door. He didn’t want to watch his dad take his last breath.
He’d done that with his mom. That was all he could really remember about her. He didn’t want to go through that with his father. Not today. Not ever. His little sisters needed him, and he had to get to the hospital. He glanced down at the tie he had on, his dad gave it to him the day before. It was a simple navy blue silk, but the addition of the tie tack his father had worn at his own graduation was the real gift. It was a tradition. His grandfather had worn it, too. Zac touched the silver and sighed. He needed to get to the hospital.
He grabbed his phone and sent Ford a text.
“I’M SO PROUD OF YOU,” Macie’s mom said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Now, how do we celebrate?” Mary Regan smiled as she held Macie by the shoulders. The mother-daughter team were often mistaken for sisters whenever they went out together. Both had the same dark hair and olive skin, but Macie had her father’s eyes. Not that he would’ve even known it. Her mom had Macie when she was seventeen and still in high school. Macie’s dad never bothered to stick around and her grandparents helped Mary where they could, but they were old school. Once Mary became a mother, Mary became an adult. She started waiting tables and dropped out of high school. Macie became her life. Even though they didn’t have much, they always had each other.
“By sleeping? I have to be at work in the morning.” Macie lifted her hand to cover the yawn, but it was too late. “Sorry, Mom.”
“I can’t believe they made you work this morning.” Mom scowled and crossed her arms.
“You know it was a last minute thing. I’ve only been there a week. I have to prove myself.” But Macie agreed with her mom. Nancy knew it was graduation day, but that didn’t stop her from demanding an immediate revision on a sales graphic that morning. Macie went in without complaining, did the graphic, emailed it and left. If Nancy didn’t like it, she could have someone else fix the damn thing. In her email, Macie reminded her of the ceremony and informed her Macie’s phone would be off the rest of the day. She still hadn’t turned it back on. “I want a nap.”
“Nap later. Dinner first.” Mom checked her watch. “And drinks. I could use a whiskey sour.”
“How about margaritas and Mexican food?” Macie threw her arm around her mom’s shoulder.
“That works, too.”
Lauren ran up to them with Ford trailing behind her. “We did it,” she shouted as she pulled Macie into a big hug. “We made it, Mace. We actually made it.”
Macie wriggled out of her friend’s embrace. “Yeah, we did. Where’s Sylvia?”
Lauren shrugged, but Macie knew that look all too well. Sylvia was a no show. Was she even going to make her daughter’s wedding?
Ford reached for Macie and yanked her into an awkward hug. “Congrats, Macie.”
“You too, Ford.” She pulled away and glanced between them. Despite Sylvia’s absence, there was a twinkle in Lauren’s eye also appeared in Ford’s. “What’s going on?”
The couple shared a glance, then both of them started giggling. It wasn’t unusual to see Lauren break into giggles, but Ford? That wasn’t right.
“Tell me or I might think the worst.” Macie didn’t want to hear the words ‘We’re pregnant’ because it was way too soon for that in Macie’s opinion, which didn’t mean much.
“We reached a deal with MatchInHeaven, LLC.” Lauren beamed. “They’re buying Blind Friends and... well, I won’t have to take one of the job offers for a while.”
“That much?” Macie’s jealousy soared. She stomped it back down and forced herself to be happy for them.
Lauren nodded. “It’s enough. I’m going to work on the development for them as a freelancer after I’m done working for Mom this summer. That way I can keep my options open and work on other stuff, too. Plus...” She giggled again. “Now we can start a family like we really want to.”
Macie hugged Lauren again, letting her jealousy slip away. It was stupid and childish to turn green over this anyway. Lauren worked her ass off on that app. It was fantastic and had brought her together with Guy. Well, sort of. “Wait, when will it go offline?”
“Not until the deal is settled.” Ford wrapped his arm around Lauren’s shoulder. “It’s a tentative agreement, but we’ve made it clear that there are still some things to work out and we’re in the midst of graduation and a wedding. After the dust has settled and things are ironed out, it should be done by the end of August.”
“Plus, there’s your role.” Lauren’s grin grew.
“Mine? What’re you talking about?” Macie’s eyes widened. She didn’t have an
ything to do with the sale of the app.
“The graphics. They want to buy some of them.” Lauren’s grin stretched across her entire face. “They’re going to contact you. I mentioned you might do freelance work, too. You’re still going to do that right?”
Macie nodded, barely able to keep her own heart from exploding. Even if it didn’t pay much, she could add it to her resume. And right now a dollar was more than she had to her name. The deposit on her new apartment was astronomical. The minute she left graduation with her mom, they were going to eat too many tacos and then move her stuff into her new place. Hers. All hers. Macie couldn’t contain herself. She lunged at Lauren and started laughing. “You’re amazing.”
“Yes, I am.” Lauren squeezed Macie. “And this is only the beginning. I’ve got another app brewing in my brain. It’s going to be a while before I can start working on it, but will you help with the graphics?”
“You know I will.” Macie let go and pulled away from her friend. “Around my job at the station. They’ve got me in Wednesdays through Sundays with some Mondays thrown in for good measure. Any time after that, I’m yours.”
“I knew I could count on you. It’ll probably be closer to the end of the year. Still have a wedding to plan, a honeymoon to figure out. Mom...” Lauren’s eyes glazed over, and she shook her head. “So much is changing, Mace. I know this is cliché but promise me we’ll always be friends.”
Macie smiled at the cliché and knew it was something that would drive Zac up the wall. “Of course. Just because we don’t live in the same zip code doesn’t mean shit. You’re my best friend. Always.”
“Lauren,” Ford said behind them. Macie had totally forgotten he was even there. “We need to go.”
“I know.” Lauren’s face turned somber. She squeezed Macie’s hands and let go. “I’ll stop by your new place this week.”
“Sounds good.” Macie smiled as Lauren turned around and strolled away with her arm around Ford’s waist. They were going to be happy together. She knew it in her core. And it made her jealous. Ford wasn’t a bad guy. He always put Lauren first. If she wasn’t around, Macie wouldn’t even talk to a guy like Ford. And by proxy, she wouldn’t have to deal with Zac. Where was he anyway? It wasn’t like Zac not to be around Ford for a big moment.
“Ready, kiddo?” Mary rubbed Macie’s shoulder. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to move. And a lot of margaritas to drink.”
Not really a lot of stuff. It was only one trip in her mom’s truck. She didn’t even have furniture. Macie smiled at her mom anyway. “Yeah, let’s go.”
MACIE JUGGLED THE BOX as she unlocked the door to her new apartment. It wasn’t as close as she’d like to the station, but she could still walk and bike there. The old three-story brick school had been converted into apartments over the last year. Macie was lucky there’d been a vacancy. Lofts were the hot new thing these days. Her studio wasn’t big by any standards, but it was perfect for her. Eight-hundred square feet with a small kitchen and bath in a safe building was exactly what a single girl in Louisiana needed. She wasn’t far from Crafts and the BoHo district either.
The door swung in and Macie’s breath stuck in her throat. A large futon sat against the exposed brick wall of the living room-slash-bedroom area. A coffee table sat on a plaid rug in front of it. Macie stepped further into the room. Under her lone window was a small desk and chair. Across from the futon was an oversized armoire that filled half of the wall. Her easel leaned against it with a large blank canvas, her paint case opened on the floor as if being displayed. It had been so long since she picked up her brushes. She missed them more than she realized.
Her heart surged when she saw the final item. A wingback chair and ottoman nestled into the corner by the desk. Mary had read to her every night in that chair. Macie had never told her mother how much she loved it, but Mary clearly knew.
“You’re giving me your chair?” Macie asked. She set the box on the coffee table and settled into the seat. It molded around her as if waiting for Macie to sit in it again.
“Seemed appropriate.” Mary took a spot on the futon. “This is comfier than I expected. I almost got a daybed, but a futon was more you.”
Tears tickled Macie’s eyes. “Mom, you can’t afford all this.”
Mary smiled at her daughter and shook her head. “You’ve always had it in your head that we had nothing. Maybe that’s my fault, but it’s not a bad thing. Kid, I’m not rich by any means. I work hard earning what I do, but we’ve never been poor in the traditional sense. I’ve been putting aside money for years.”
Macie’s eyebrows scrunched together.
“You rarely asked for anything, and I never offered you more than you needed.” Mary smiled sadly. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t give it to you, within some limits, but it was more about you learning independence and earning your way. You learned a lesson I was forced into.” Mary shrugged. “I’m proud of you, Macie Jean. You’re making the world your own.”
“So when I was seven,” Macie said, still trying to wrap her head around this sudden change in her mother’s financial situation, “and asked for an Itsy Bitsy Doll for my birthday —”
“Those dolls were fifty bucks a pop.” Mary’s face twisted in disgust. “And your friends were collecting them. I wasn’t about to spend that much money on something that would just set on your shelf to collect dust.”
Macie searched her mind for a time she might have played with the dolls. Her friends had done exactly what her mother said. Whenever she was at one of their houses, they played other games. The dolls never left the coveted shelves. “You bought me a skateboard. I still have that.”
Mary laughed. “Fun and practical.”
Macie pulled her knees to her chest and rested her cheek against her shoulder. She thought about her childhood. Her mother had done the best should could with what she had. That was what Macie always thought. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Had Macie been denied stuff? Yes. Had Macie gotten angry about it? Oh, yeah. But had she suffered? Not in the least. Hell, she still used the skateboard. Her mom hadn’t always given her what she wanted. She had given Macie what she needed.
“Thanks, Mom.” Macie stood and sat next to Mary. “For the new furniture. For everything.”
Mary’s sad smile turned brighter. “You’re going to be in debt for a long time, kiddo. This,” she gestured around the room, “isn’t much, but I wanted your adult life to start on the right foot.”
Macie pulled her mother into a hug. “Thanks to you, it will.”
CHAPTER NINE
The doctors sent his father home earlier than Zac had expected. Bed rest and meds, along with a follow-up with his regular doctor. Diagnosis: indigestion. No signs of a heart attack, but something wasn’t right. His blood pressure was out of control and his cholesterol too high for someone who had taken good care of himself. Nothing had come up before his gall bladder surgery. Amanda freaked out. His little sisters did, too. Taylor’s unwarranted guilt covered her face. She’d started CPR while his father was still conscious. Zac hugged her and told her she still did the right thing because most people wouldn’t even have a clue how to do CPR. The ER doctor called it a symptom of growing older.
“What’s going on?” Zac asked when they finally had a moment alone. Amanda had taken the girls outside to the pool to relax. Zac was grateful for the time alone with his dad. There was more going on than just indigestion. His dad’s health scared him.
He bristled as he adjusted in his recliner. “Thought I was having a heart attack. Couldn’t breathe. My heart raced. I thought I was dying.”
“The doctors said you’ve been under a lot of stress?”
His father shrugged. “Just work. Nothing to worry about.”
“Dad, I’m starting full-time Monday. If there’s something worrying you, it’s going to affect me, too.” Zac cringed at how that sounded. “And look at how Amanda flipped. You scared the girls out of their minds. It’s messing with your health, tell me what’s going on.
”
“It’s just some stupid in-fighting on the board. They want to go public and then sell out to one of the national firms.” His breath hitched and he closed his eyes. “I’m fighting them with everything I’ve got, but they’re going to win. Everything I’ve worked for, gone by their greed.”
“Sounds like you’ve given up. That’s not like you.”
His father’s eyes shot open and glared at him. “No, I haven’t. I’m not going to, either. But they’re forcing my hand. It’s going to get dirty.”
Zac smiled. “Then let it. I’ve got your back, Dad. Just tell me the plan.”
“We need to get the employees on my side. Going public will hurt them the most. The board will claim it will help by creating stock options they can buy into, but the reality is the stock options will be gobbled up by the board then sold to the highest bidder. I didn’t start this company to hand it over to someone with more money.” He shook his head. “That sounds crazy even to me.”
Zac laughed under his breath. “I get it, Dad. You told me you started it to help people not end up in shitty situations when they’re in their eighties.”
“Like your grandparents and great-grandparents.”
Zac simply nodded. His dad’s father had been boisterous and fun-loving until a stroke set him in a wheelchair. He ended up in a nursing home away from his family. It sucked the life out of him and he died after six months. He was only sixty-four. His grandmother gave up after that and ended up in the same place, dying after a year. His great-grandparents lived in a hovel of an apartment after they lost their house. They hadn’t saved for their retirement, only for their kids to go to college.
“I’ve always emphasized caring about the person investing and not the profit. Making sure they’re getting what they need out of it.” His father sat up. “A corporate buyout would ruin that. I’d have to start over. And we could do that, but it would be a lot of work and I’m not sure I’m ready for such a commitment. I want to save what I’ve built.”
