My parent’s house was way too big for us.

It’d been a little over a month since we moved the rest of Molly’s stuff in and we still had no idea what we were going to do with all the extra rooms. This place was a palace. For as frivolous as I always thought it was, this house was the one I grew up in. I had so many good memories here.

The best memories were of my time spent with Molly.

One night after we’d moved in we snuck up to my old bedroom and fooled around like when we were kids. We both loved the idea of keeping the house in the family, especially with Molly pregnant. The thought of raising our own children where we’d grown up was a really nice feeling.

“Have I ever told you that I love you?” I slipped behind her as she was chopping vegetables and kissed the side of her neck.

Molly was my rock. I had spent so much of my life being carried by the wind that it was so nice to finally belong to something. She was my tether to the world. I’d never been more creative than I had these past few months and it was all because of her.

Gunmetal Tears never got back together, but that didn’t stop me from writing new music. Knowing I had Molly by my side made the words and notes gush out of me. I’d have a full studio album recorded and mixed by the time little Reese was born.

After the world heard Molly’s song on YouTube, record executives were banging down my door to get me to sign with their label. Richard toyed with the concept of starting up our own label—King Records.

I think he enjoyed being on stage at Gloria’s store more than he’d let on.

“Maybe?” She smiled, pondering thoughtfully. It had almost been twelve hours since I last said it to her. “Although… I think I’m due to hear it again.”

“I love you.”

“How much?” She demanded, sliding off the chopped carrots and grabbing a crown of washed broccoli. Dinner was done save for a few appetizers that were just finishing up.

“I love you more than there are germs on a ten-year-old’s hands.”

“Wow,” She turned and kissed me. “You love me an awful lot.”

There was rapping on the door, followed by a loud greeting.

“We’re in the kitchen!” Molly yelled much too close to my ear. She laughed apologetically when I recoiled, then she kissed my ear. The popping sound at the end of the kiss only made it worse. “Sorry, Elmo.”

“Your love hurts.” I smiled indignantly then turned to greet Gloria and my brother. They brought a bottle of sparkling apple juice for us all to share.

“Holy shit, look at his cute little nose!” Gloria rushed over to the fridge where the ultrasound pic was posted. She clammed up suddenly, then ducked down and rubbed Molly’s stomach. “Sorry little guy, auntie Gloria was a sailor in a past life.”

“That’s alright,” Molly laughed and they hugged. “It’ll break up all the classical music we subject him to.”

“Hey!” I said, jokingly defensive, shaking Richard’s hand. “I read that was important for a kid. It helps them grow up smarter.”

“If that’s the case, Molly,” Richard added with a grin, then clasped a hand on my shoulder “Considering who the father is, your son will need all the help he can get.”

“Funny.” I shoved him. It really was incredible how close he and I had become these last few months. It was hard to recall why we hated each other so much in the first place.

“After months of back and forth about the inheritance I received this letter from Dad’s attorney this morning.” Richard pulled out the sealed envelope from his breast pocket. He hadn’t opened it yet, probably wanting to wait until we were all together. “There was a note with it, explaining that there was an intentional delay set into the reading of the will as per Dad’s instructions…. For some reason.”

“Dad should’ve gone into acting.” I snatched the letter from my brother and tore it open. “He’s the most theatrical person I’d ever met.”

Molly dried her hands and joined me at the breakfast nook table. We all sat down, ready to hear whatever words of wisdom Dad wanted to impart.

“My boys,” I started reading Dad’s letter out loud.

“First of all I want to apologize for all the subterfuge. Despite what you may think, it was never my intention to cause either of you any anguish. I love you both more than life itself.

“As a parent, I wanted nothing more than for you both to thrive and find your own happiness.

“As your parent, I knew the only way that was going to happen was if I pit you two against one another. That fierce competitive spirit has brought you both so much success. It’s also what tore you both so far apart. Competition is a good thing, but it’s only half of the coin; the other side is cooperation and coming together.

“The challenge was issued because you both were so damn stubborn—a family trait, I’m afraid—I couldn't simply tell you all that. In order for you to truly understand I had to show you.

“I had to let you figure it out on your own.

“This competition, the heartache, the trials, the reward of inheritance… None of this was for me. Unfortunately I knew I would never survive long enough to see my beautiful grandchildren, but that didn’t stop me from wanting you to experience that joy.

“My biggest regret in life was not spending the time I had left with the people I cared most for, and not valuing those people enough while they were still alive. That was a mistake I never wanted to pass down to either of you.

“However at the time of my writing this I can see that you’re both going down a dark, lonely path. That frightens me more than you know. I’ve seen the hollowness that waits at the end. My only hope now is that neither of you have followed too far in my footsteps.

“That was my final lesson to you.

“You were too old for my fatherly wisdom. In truth, you've both far surpassed me in your own ways.

“Richard, you are a far better CEO than I was at your age. You have the uncanny ability to break problems down and knock them over like dominoes. You will do great things for the King legacy, our corporation could not have a better leader. Please understand that you are more than your net worth. Find yourself outside of the company as well. You are a man first, a King second, and everything else afterward.

My nurse tells me you’ve been seen with a plucky, young entrepreneur and that you look happy. You keep your emotions locked away too deeply; you need someone to bring that out of you. I hope this woman is the key to unlock that vault.

“Lucas, I can never repay you for the debt you willingly paid on behalf of your flawed parents. Fulfilling that insane contract and living with that other family for the sake of your mother’s honor was the noblest act I had ever seen. You weren’t of my blood, and by not managing the family business, you broke a King tradition hundreds of years old. Your boundless empathy showed me that blood and tradition were nothing before family and love. Pursue whatever makes you happy, my boy.

“I’m saddened that I never had the chance to get to know Molly like my wife did. However seeing you together recently made me understand why your mother always turned a blind eye to you sneaking her over when you were children. She would say to me, ‘You wouldn’t deprive an arm of its hand?’ Lucas and Molly completed one another. They belong together.’ And she was right.

“Please don't be sad for me. I'm with your mother now and all the pain is gone. I couldn't fathom a better place to be.

“Lastly, this competition will stay in place until the terms are met. Fall in love, have children, find happiness.

“I’m incredibly proud to have called you my children. I love you both.

“Signed, William, an old fool, who learned far too late, that being a father was what truly made him a rich man.”

The heavy silence in the room that followed was broken only by soft sobbing.

“Looks like you won, little brother.” Richard hugged me. “Congratulations. The inheritance is yours.”

The victory sank in my stomach like a hot rock.

Richard and Gloria were planning on having kids eventually, just not right now. They wanted to explore the world together and nourish their passions for entrepreneurship. They shouldn’t be punished for not falling in love faster. If I took all the money for myself I’d truly have learned nothing.

NO, it couldn’t end this way.

“I’m not a very good millionaire, let alone billionaire,” I said, wiping my eyes and addressing the group. “With the way Richard and I have treated each other over the years, neither of us deserve this money.”

“What are you saying?” Richard asked.

“Let’s step out of the long King shadow for awhile. We’re all doing fine with our own ventures; we don’t need the fortune. I’m saying we give it all to our kids when they’re old enough.”

“It’ll be a present from their grandparents,” Molly said, her beautiful red-rimmed eyes glistening with hope.

“I like the idea of that, little brother.” Richard put an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s let the burden of tradition skip a generation.”

“You do realize that means we’re all going to have to put up with each other for the next few decades, at least.” Gloria smirked, clearly enjoying the idea.

“I’m instituting a King dinner night! We’re going to practice being a family.” Molly beamed with ideas of future events. I loved her so damn much. “Tonight can be our trial run, what do you think?”

“I’m down. And as Dad would say, ‘if it’s worth doing once…’” I looked at Richard expectantly with my own smirk.

“Really?” Richard sighed, placing his hands on his hips. I nodded. “Fine. It’s worth doing a thousand times.”