Once he was gone, she helped her mother tidy up. When the board game had been put away, she followed her mother into the kitchen and asked the question that was burning in her mind.
âMama, whatâs wrong with Daddy?â
She shrugged. âI wish I knew. Iâve been trying to get him to go to the doctor for two solid weeks now.â She rolled up the sleeves of her blue shirtdress, and turned on the tap to wash out the glasses theyâd used.
Her motherâs words made her nervous. If her mother couldnât get him to go see a doctor, she knew her own chances were pretty slim. Still, there was no way around the worry she felt regarding him. Maybe she was being overly cautious, but where her fatherâs health was concerned, sheâd much rather be persistent with her requests for him to see a doctor than find out too late that something was wrong.
With the three glasses set upside down to dry, Eve followed Louise back into the family room. Every inch of the house was filled with sweet memories of her childhood. As an only child of a well-off family, it was pretty likely sheâd been overindulged. What mattered most to her, though, was the love her parents had showered her with at every given opportunity. Theyâd always made time for her, and that was the best gift she could have received, more precious to her than a boatload of jewels. âWe have to make him go in for a physical. Something is wrong, I just know it.â
Louise sat down on the sofa and sighed. âI know it, too. Iâve been with that man almost fifty years, and I can tell heâs not himself. Heâs just so damn stubborn.â She ran a hand through her glossy short salt-and-pepper locks. Her brown eyes, shaped the same as Eveâs, held all the affection and concern she felt for her husband of forty-six years.
âSo what are we going to do about him?â She took a seat next to her mother, looking across at the family photograph on the wall above the console table. The picture had been taken when she was about ten, around Christmastime. While part of her cringed at the wayward pigtail standing straight up on one side of her head, her heart smiled as she looked upon her fatherâs face. In the photograph, he looked young, strong and steadfastâa broad-shouldered, sharp-dressed man lovingly embracing his wife and daughter. That was the man she knew and lovedânot the tired, bent man sheâd been seeing lately.
âIâm gonna keep after him. I intend to nag him until he gets himself checked out, no matter how long it takes. Iâve been putting up with him all these years, and Iâm not giving him up now.â
âThanks, Mama. I think this software launch has put a lot of extra stress on Daddyâs shoulders.â She knew how excited her father was about the upcoming MyBusiness Sapphire product, an enthusiasm she shared. This would be the most comprehensive software suite theyâd offered in years, and even though the launch was still a few months away, the product would be officially announced this week. After that, theyâd have to contend with media attention and any possible competition from other firms, in addition to their already-packed launch preparation to-do list. âEverybodyâs been working so hard on it.â
âI know. Times like this, I really enjoy my position as a silent board member. When yâall get to scrambling around, I donât have to take part in any of it.â
She was familiar with her motherâs point of view. For Louise, it was enough to be a part of Josephâs dream. Sheâd never had any interest in the intricate inner workings of the business, or in keeping up with ever-changing technological trends. When it came time to plan a party, though, Louise could be counted on to have everything in place. Celebrations were her forte.
âI guess Iâll get on home, and get myself together for this week.â She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and stood. âNeed help with anything before I go?â
Louise shook her head. âMaid will be in tomorrow, so go on home. Iâll see you at the offices tomorrow.â
She kissed her mother on the cheek again, then left, closing the front door behind her.
Outside, she climbed into her midsized SUV and started the engine. Alone in her car, she thought about the look that had come over her fatherâs face when she mentioned taking over at FTI. She was the only heir to the business, and sheâd worked hard alongside her parents to make it a success. Could he really doubt her abilities now, after everything sheâd put into her work?
The city lights twinkled in the darkness, dotting the I-77 corridor like gems. Easing into the turn lane, she took a moment to take in the sight of the city. For a few seconds she admired the skyline. Then the light changed, and she turned her truck in the direction of her house.
* * *
Darius Winstead lifted the lid of his grill and turned over the four steaks on the grate. As he closed the lid, he took in the magnificent view from the patio of his vacation condo. Only a few hundred yards away, the Atlantic Ocean ebbed and flowed beneath a beautiful crystal-blue sky. The view was part of the reason he had bought his little Emerald Isle retreat, and he had plans to spend many more days here during his awesome retirement.
Just beyond the patio steps, his boys were competing in an epic game of volleyball, using the net heâd perched in the sand the day heâd bought the place. The three of them were his closest friends in the world; they all shared the same passion for sports and musicâjazz in particular. They were grunting and shouting, and making serves and volleys as if they were professional athletes and the championship hung in the balance. The sight of it tickled him. If he werenât busy tending the grill, heâd be out there with them.
At twenty-eight, Darius had been a hot commodity in the tech world. Having graduated at the top of his class from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with his master of science in information technology, heâd earned the opportunity to intern for his mentor, Joseph Franklin, at his software company. In a little less than four years, Darius had created the first smartphone operating system and sold it for $300 million. He then happily left the office politics and stuffy meetings behind. Even Rashad, Dariusâs closest friend, had called him a dumb ass for getting out of the software game when he did, but he had no regrets. Heâd loved the creative side of software development, but the business side of things had pushed him far away. He didnât want to spend the rest of his life sitting in board meetings, going over expense reports and kowtowing to stockholders.
Now, at thirty-six, Darius spent his days doing the things he loved, and felt incredibly blessed to be able to do so. His time was his own, and that was just the way he wanted it. Just a few days after his official retirement party, heâd done the one thing heâd always wanted to do, the thing heâd been planning for monthsâform a band. Heâd given up playing his bass during his early days in the tech business, but the day heâd picked it up again was as if heâd never put it down. His boys had been happy to join him in practicing, and once theyâd felt comfortable with their skills, heâd started marketing the group. He and his friends were now the Queen City Gents, a jazz quartet that played regular local gigs and enjoyed an enthusiastic, mostly female following.
He watched Rashad McRae, his buddy since undergrad, take a flying leap that would have made any professional basketball player jealous as he returned the ball to Ken Yamada and Marco Alvarez on the other side. Rashad, who was the bandâs pianist and vocalist, had always imagined himself as the worldâs most powerful athlete. Darius wasnât a bit surprised that heâd chosen to play alone against their bandmates.
The grillâs timer buzzed, and he opened the lid once again. He punctured the steaks with a fork to be sure theyâd reached medium-well perfection. Satisfied, he grabbed his tongs and began moving the steaks to a ceramic platter. âYo! Steaks are done!â
What had just moments ago been the most serious volleyball game ever played immediately came to a halt. The saxophonist, Marco Alvarez, captured the ball between his hands instead of returning