Family

Family

I hadn’t wanted to come here. My lawyer told me it was the better way. They were family, he convinced me that this personal gesture would go a long way toward healing the riff my father created by leaving me the company they had been running all these years. I’d always lived with my mother, I’d never met these people, barely knew my father and had no interest in the business beyond the fact that it supported me.

My plan was to sign some papers and go back to my real life. Apparently there was more to it, someone had to run the company for me, or I had to stay. Uncle John, the apparent choice, had been second in command forever, but now he wanted half of the company, or he would walk. I was happy to employ him… but half of the company?

The family welcomed me like a long lost relative (which I was…) A big family get together, a big meal, “Aunt” Sally’s secret recipe sponge cake. I was feeling good about it all. Not good enough to give away half of my company, but still good, frankly, nobody had even brought that up.

As I was getting ready to go up to bed, Uncle John broke out a special brandy for a toast. ‘To our lovely niece, may we keep you forever!’ It made me laugh, I assumed the big sell was coming now. But, it turned out to be very pleasant, the brandy making us all warm and happy, many refills and we talked for hours. I didn’t even remember coming up to bed.

Waking up the next day, I lay there all snuggled up in this warm fluffy bed thinking about it all. Which is when I remembered signing those papers…