He sat down at his desk and began scrolling through emails.
"We were just talking about it over lunch," I told him. "We got a bite to eat after picking up our tuxedos. I've never seen Jake so happy, Dad."
He nodded as I took a seat across from him.
"Give it a few years," my dad replied with a smirk. "Unless he's smarter than me when it comes to home appliances."
I contemplated bringing up the next significant expansion in our business. Life had been so busy for us lately, between helping with the planning of Jakes' nuptials and working well over forty hours a week. "On a different note. I've been reviewing some emails about our next big expansion. Everything looks promising. It's just a matter of renegotiating the prices and signing the contracts."
I waited for him to reply, but he seemed a bit too occupied by whatever was on his monitor.
"After the wedding, son."
I knew that tone of voice well enough to let it go.
"There's something that I do want to discuss right now, though." He lifted a fire-safe box from underneath his desk that I had never seen before and pulled out some paperwork.
"What are those, Dad?"
He leaned back in his chair, took off his glasses, and looked at me. "Jake is doing quite well with his business, and I'm so proud of how well you've done with ours. And let's not fool ourselves, son. I'm no spring chicken. Even your mother, who would prefer that I stay out of her way all day, is telling me that I should retire soon."
I thought about what my dad was suggesting, but I didn't want to admit that he was getting older. As hard as it could sometimes be, I loved working with my father. The thought of doing it without him wasn't something that I wanted even acknowledge. "What are you getting at, Dad?"
He arranged some pieces of paperwork in front of me and leaned across the desk. "Jake has his empire to lead, and ours needs an heir. That heir will be you, Richard."
I shook my head. "You're not going anywhere anytime soon, okay? I'm not ready to discuss this yet."
My father nodded and put the papers back in the fireproof box. "But it's a conversation that we need to have, son. Sooner rather than later."
I shrugged my shoulders, even though I knew he was right.
3
Annie
This evening it was just the three of us at Julianna’s house. Crystal, Julianna, and I were all getting ready before leaving for the bachelor-bachelorette party. I headed into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Dom Perignon from the refrigerator. Julianna had insisted that we keep the pre-party low-key, but there was no way we were drinking anything less than the best.
“Who’s ready for a toast?” Crystal and Julianna walked into the kitchen.
I handed each of them a champagne flute and then popped open the bottle.
Julianna raised an eyebrow. “Where was that bottle?”
I smiled while filling up Julianna’s glass with bubbly champagne.
“Relax,” I said. “I hid it in the back of the fridge.”
“You deserve good champagne, Julianna!” Crystal smiled as we all clinked glasses. “To Julianna!”
I laughed as Julianna just about chugged hers.
“Easy, girl,” I said.
She laughed and held her glass out for some more. “I’m just nervous. Jake and I have been living together, have a son together, and we do go way back to our high school days, but marriage is such a big step.”
“Just as long as you’re sober enough to get through the rehearsal dinner, you’ll be fine,” I told her.
“Nothing to worry about, sis. You know that I can hold my alcohol."
