Scott

I’d handled that terribly, and judging from her father’s face, he wasn’t about to let it go unremarked upon. But he surprised me by going a different direction with his conversation.

“My daughter is stubborn. Just like I am.”

“She is that.”

“But she also wears her heart on her sleeve like her mother used to.”

Shit. Luckily, he didn’t wait for me to respond, but his question was worse.

“Did you tell her about the insurance and house?”

“Yes, Sir. The insurance. She figured out the house part when she wanted to take a loan against it. She deserved to know.”

“Guess I can’t blame you.” He held out the paper. “She gave me an ultimatum. I’m to sign her loan document or she withdraws from school. Even I know better than to call her bluff.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, Sir. I wouldn’t.” My stomach was still sick over last night. She wasn’t wrong in what she’d said, about my perceptions clouding my decisions over moving home, but she was wrong about my perception of her. She was anything but simple, and the thought of losing her was weighing heavy on me.

“Parenting is a funny thing.”

“How’s that?” Although I was anxious to chase after Kelsey, without much to say, I didn’t know what to do. So, I took a seat instead. Perhaps wisdom could be gained.

“Because we’re always trying to do what we think is best for our kids. Sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we don’t. But it doesn’t matter in the end, as long as our kids are happy.”

I got the feeling he wasn’t only speaking of Kelsey. “How do you define that. Happiness?” Because I’d been asking myself that question all night. What made me happy. Aside from Kelsey’s sweet face appearing over and over, I wasn’t sure what else.

He seemed to mull over the question, looking up with the door opened and my father came in. They exchanged a slight nod as if they had a secret code for ‘we’re in parenting mode here’.

“How do I define happiness. Well, no offense to your father or trucking, but it definitely wasn’t a job or a place that I lived. It was always about the people in my life. My wife. My daughter. My best friend. Hell, even my co-workers. A job is something that pays the bills and allows us to afford to make memories whether it’s vacation, paying for college, or simply Christmas gifts. But in the end, it’s the spending time with the people who love you that should truly make you happy.”

“I’d agree,” my dad offered.

“But you love your business.” Not that he’d put it first, but it was clear the trucking company was his baby over the years.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I love what it’s provided in my life. That it’s not only sustained my family, but all of those others who’ve worked for me. But you have to understand, I’ll always love you more. I know you don’t want to take over the business son. But it’s okay. You need to follow your own dreams.”

I swallowed hard. “I tried. I was miserable in New York.” It was the first time I’d said it out loud. Because my roommate’s death was symbolic over letting a job make you so unbelievably miserable, that you ended it all. I didn’t want that life.

“I know. Why do you think I asked you to come home?”

“To see if I’d take over the business.”

Both men grinned that kind of smile that made me feel as if they were in on a secret I wasn’t privy to.

“More because I could hear it in your voice. You were burning out. Then when you told me about your co-worker, I thought I’d offer it up, to get you home, to get you some space, some perspective. Hell, if you’d wanted to take over the business, great. But mostly I just needed to ensure you were okay.”

“I am. But if I don’t go back, I’ll feel like a failure, like I let the job beat me.”

My father shook his head. “Takes a stronger man to change his course when it’s not up to his expectation. Nothing beat you in New York. You simply don’t want that life. Better to know then ever wonder.”

Well, while we were here, I might as well get it out. “I want to start my own business. Still in doing financial advising, but more along the lines of estates, wills, college funds. That type of thing.”

“I imagine Seattle would be a good as place as any. Unless you want to go somewhere else?”

Kelsey came to mind. I thought about taking her out on proper dates, decorating the tree come Christmas time, and spending our nights together. Now that was happiness.

“I don’t think I do, but I need to go find Kelsey.”

Now that this was all off my chest, I was desperate to find her.

Her father grabbed his buzzing phone. “Speak of the devil. Just got a text she’s heading to Spokane. Said she’d be back tomorrow to bring me contraband food if I sign this damn letter. Now that’s just cruel. Blackmail.”

My dad chuckled. “Smart girl.”

“I’ve gotta go. By the way, Dad, I love you, but consider this my two weeks’ notice.”