by Jenna Brandt
“What was wrong with yours? I thought you were on good terms with yours since you’re working with your dad.”
“My situation is more about a lack of involvement unless it suited their needs. Growing up, they had a revolving door for nannies, since neither of them wanted to be bothered with raising my younger sister, Tiffany, and me. They were too busy socializing and gallivanting around the globe to be bothered with parenting. The only time my father has ever shown an interest in me was recently when he started asking me to come into the office. Honestly, my sister, Tiffany, would be much better suited to run the company. My dad, however, is old school and doesn’t believe women should run a company, so it’s been thrust on me to do it.”
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Celeste pointed out. “You should be able to do what you want.”
“I guess it’s not that big of a deal. It’s as good a job as anything else.”
“You’ve never thought about what you would want to do with your life?”
“There’s never been any question about it. I knew one day I would have to take over the family business, so thinking about anything outside of that wasn’t an option. Boswell men have their whole lives planned out from conception. Elite nannies until private prep school. Ivy league college, and socially and economically beneficial marriages while working for the family business.”
“I do all that, Daddy?” Marcus asked with inquisitiveness.
“Only if you want to, Marcus. I’m never going to make you do something you don’t want to,” Roger promised.
The boy nodded his head and then went back to eating his taco.
“I would hate to have anyone tell me how my whole life was going to be,” Celeste observed. “That’s got to be so stifling.”
“That’s probably why I rebelled so hard against it for so long, but I always knew it was just a matter of time before I got put in my predestined place.”
“You know, you could find a way to still be your own person while running Boswell Oil. Think of all the good you’ll do with the company if you changed how it was run?”
“Yeah, I don’t think my dad would go for that,” Roger stated with a frown.
“But one day he’s going to step down, and when he does, you get to make all the decisions. You just need to bide your time until then.”
“What about you?” Roger inquired. “Since you’ve been Marcus’ nanny, I haven’t seen you going on any auditions.”
“Well, the Boswell men keep me pretty busy,” she teased with a smile. Then on a serious note, she added, “But realistically, I’m starting to wonder if it’s ever going to happen. Broadway seems to be fading further and further away. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”
“You shouldn’t give up, Celeste. You deserve to have your dreams come true. And as far as we go, if you ever need time off for an audition, just let me know and I will make it happen.”
Celeste wondered if she should bring up him finding another nanny. Truthfully, she should have asked about it after the wedding, but she found herself dragging her feet. She enjoyed spending time with Marcus, and hated the idea of someone else replacing her in both of their lives.
What did her feelings mean exactly, anyway? Had she let herself get too close? They weren’t hers to claim, yet her heart did it anyway. What would happen when this temporary situation ended? Would her heart be able to survive it?
Pushing the troubling thoughts aside, Celeste said, “We should probably get Marcus home for his bath.”
They drove back to Roger’s apartment complex; everyone content because of the wonderful day. The happy time was interrupted when they stepped out of the Town Car.
A man with a camera started snapping pictures as he shouted out, “Roger, care to comment on your new girlfriend and her son? When did you go from a playboy to a stepdad? Has this one finally tamed the Boswell beast?”
Roger put his hand up to block the camera, then put his other arm around both Celeste and Marcus to shield them from the infringement.
The trio made their way into the building. Once safely in the lobby, Roger turned to Celeste and Marcus and asked, “Are you both okay?”
They nodded their heads.
“Do you deal with that all the time?” Celeste said, crossing her arms and rubbing them as she looked out the windows at the man still standing there.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of my world. Can you believe I used to love all the attention? Now I just wish it would all go away.”
“You and me both,” Celeste whispered.
“Daddy, that man say Celeste my mommy.”
“He was just confused, sweetie,” Celeste said, bending down to assure Marcus. “Don’t worry about it.”
After Marcus was safely tucked into bed, Roger and Celeste went into the living room to talk about what happened.
“What are you going to do if those pictures surface?” Celeste inquired, taking a seat on the couch.
“I don’t know,” Roger said, joining her. “If that reporter digs into it, he could find out the truth.”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“It could be,” Roger stated plainly. “I haven’t even told my family about Marcus coming to live with me.”
“You’re kidding me?” Celeste questioned in shock. “Roger, you have to do that, right away.”
“I know, but my mom and sister never even knew about Marcus, only my dad did. It’s going to be so hard telling them about how it all happened.”
“I’m not saying it won’t be, but you need to tell them before they find out some other way.”
“You’re right,” he whispered. “I’m just so scared of what people are going to think.”
“You need to put that in God’s hands.” Reaching out, Celeste took Roger’s hand in hers as she offered, “You want me to pray with you?”
“I’d appreciate that,” he said with a nod.
They spent the next several minutes praying over the situation. By the end of the prayer, Roger didn’t have an answer on how to handle everything, but he had a peace in his heart that God would help him through it all.
8
“You’re doing it wrong,” Daniel Maddox snapped at Roger. “You have to save the file in the common Dropbox so everyone can find it.”
Roger hadn’t even finished the process before Daniel jumped to the wrong conclusion that Roger would save it to the wrong place. He was tired of the other man second guessing his every decision. When would he see that Roger was capable of doing the job?
“Thanks for your input, Daniel, but I’ve got it,” Roger said, pushing the other man’s hand away from the mouse. “Why don’t you go get ready for lunch,” he suggested, needing a break.
At least this was Roger’s last week shadowing the other man. Daniel would be taking off for Indonesia on Monday for his new post, and Roger would be free of him for good.
“You don’t need to tell me what to do,” Daniel stated in a huff. “You’re not my boss.”
Roger debated whether he should point out that this was only temporary, and someday, possibly in the near future, Roger would be his boss when he took over the entire company. He decided it was better to just let Daniel spout his nonsense rather than try to retaliate.
“Have a good lunch, Daniel,” Roger said, gesturing towards the exit from his office. “You can see yourself out.”
The man stomped out of the room, then slammed the door behind him, causing everything in the room to rattle. Roger jumped to his feet and headed towards the door. He had a good mind to tell Daniel he had had enough.
Before Roger had a chance though, the door swung open to reveal his father on the other side.
“We need to talk,” he said, marching in and slamming the door behind him, causing everything to rattle a second time.
“What is it with everyone slamming doors around here?” Roger mumbled under his breath.
“What? What’re you muttering about?” his father asked with a confused look. “S
peak up.”
“Nothing, it doesn’t matter,” Roger said as he moved back to take his seat behind his desk. “What’s going on?”
“A reporter from Manhattan Magazine saw you with a woman and a boy last night and took pictures. Lucky for you, I have a friend over at the magazine and he called me to tell me what the reporter pitched to flash across the cover this week.”
Roger stiffened, knowing what was coming. His mouth dried up, leaving a film on the top. He tried to moisten it with his tongue, but it was no good. The film reminded him his worst fears were about to come true.
From the look of anger in his father’s eyes, it was clear he knew about Roger’s situation.
“When were you going to tell me that the boy came to live with you?” his father accused, slamming his fist on top of the desk, then taking a seat across from Roger.
“It happened all of a sudden, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about it.”
“What you’re going to do about it is turn the boy over to me. I’ll make sure he disappears into the foster care system in another state. We have enough money to make this situation disappear permanently.”
“This isn’t a situation, he’s my son,” Roger countered with anger. “And I’m not sending him away. He’s going to stay with me.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with that pretty blonde nanny of his, does it? I saw the pictures the reporter took, and I have to admit, I see the appeal. She’s easy on the eyes, but if you want to nail that, there’s much more efficient ways than playing house with her.”
Roger crossed his arms and glared at his father. “That’s not what’s going on. She’s strictly Marcus’ nanny.”
“Like I said, I saw the pictures,” his father reiterated, “And I know when my son is smitten. You may not want to admit what’s going on, but it’s as plain as the nose on your face.”
Was his father right? Was it fair to either of them for him to drag this out? Even though he had made his mind up to keep Marcus, did that mean he had the right to try to keep Celeste too?
“Have you thought about how you’re going to handle all of this when it gets out? I’ve managed to keep it quiet for now, but it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. When it does, it will destroy you and ruin our family name.”
“It doesn’t have to,” Roger argued. “If it’s handled right, Marcus could be the best thing that ever happened to our family. He’s amazing, Dad. If you get to know your grandson, you’d see that.”
“Honestly, Roger, I shouldn’t be focused on managing your endless set of problems. I’ve got plenty of my own.”
“What’s going on, Dad?” Roger leaned forward in his chair with concern. “What aren’t you telling me?”
His father let out a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair. For the first time, Roger really saw the years of stress and pressure displayed across his father’s face. The wrinkles around his eyes and the worry in them marked him like a weathered sign needing change.
“I have Alzheimer’s. I’ve been waiting to make it public until I knew you were ready to take over the company.”
Roger slumped back in his chair, slammed with the truth like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, all of his father’s slips of memory and confused conversations started to come into focus.
“How bad is it?”
“It’s aggressive, apparently. I won’t have long before I’m rendered useless.”
His father had always been such a titan—like Goliath himself. Roger thought his father would have outlived them all, not taken down by a disease that would rob him of all his memories and dignity before killing him.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say, but only what we can do. It’s up to us to mitigate the fallout for the family. You need to make sure this company is here for your mother and sister. They’ll be depending on you to take care of them, and the income from it will make sure neither of them have to change their lifestyle once I’m gone.”
“Dad, everything will change once your…” Roger couldn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t say out loud that his father was going to be gone sometime in the near future. It would make it a reality, and Roger didn’t want it to be true.
“Nonsense, if we prepare right, all of you will be fine.” His father stood to his feet and made his way towards the door. “That’s why you need to get this situation with the boy under control. We don’t need any more problems.”
Roger arrived home and entered his apartment feeling defeated and upset. What was he going to do now that he knew he had to take over the company much sooner than he thought he was going to have to originally? He wasn’t sure he had what it took to do it. Then, add in the situation with Marcus and the press, and Roger felt completely lost. How had his life gotten so messed up?
“Daddy, Daddy, you home,” Marcus yelled, rushing into the hall as Roger placed his coat on the rack and his briefcase on the floor next to it.
“Hey there, Buddy, it’s good to see you,” Roger said, ruffling the boy’s hair with his fingers. “How was your day?”
“Good, played at the park. Fed the ducks.”
“Sounds like fun. Where’s Celeste?”
“Making chicken,” the boy explained as he pointed towards the kitchen.
“Why don’t you go play in your room for a little while before dinner and I’ll come get you when it’s time to eat.”
“Okay, Daddy,” the little boy said, but before he took off, he added, “I’m glad you my daddy,” then hugged Roger around the leg.
Immediately, Roger felt a rush of warmth flood his heart. It was amazing how quickly his son could lift his spirits, even if it was only a temporary effect.
The little boy took off down the hall and disappeared out of sight.
Roger shuffled into the kitchen with a heavy-footed walk and made his way over to Celeste’s side. Just as Marcus said, she was cooking chicken breasts in a skillet. There was also rice boiling in a pot next to it, along with some green beans in a third pan.
“That smells great,” he said, leaning over the stove, trying to distract himself from his troubling day, however, it wasn’t successful. He felt himself collapse against the edge of the counter, the feeling of sadness returning.
“Thanks,” she said, glancing up from her work. She must have noticed his dejected demeanor, because she quickly followed up with a question. “Is everything all right?”
“Not really,” he whispered. “I’ve gotten some bad news today, a lot of it, actually.”
“What is it?” she asked, removing the chicken from the fire and stepping back to look at him more closely.
Roger spent the next few minutes explaining his situations with Daniel, the reporter, and his father. With each story, her face became more sympathetic, giving him an occasional understanding nod. She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm, lightly stroking it to let him know she was there for him.
“I’m so sorry, Roger,” she said with a soothing tone, “but you’re not in any of this alone. You have me, and more importantly, you have God. He can get you through anything.”
“Thank you, I needed to hear that. I can’t help but wonder if God knew I would need faith in order to get through all of this. I’m so glad I took Bryce up on his offer and went to church with him all those months ago.”
“Me too,” Celeste said, as she moved towards Roger and hugged him. “You’ve changed so much, Roger, and it’s all for the better.”
“We gonna eat now?” Roger heard Marcus say from behind them.
His son’s interruption ended the hug and brought them both back to the immediate need of dinner.
“We sure are, Marcus,” Celeste said with a smile. “Why don’t you go sit down at the table and we’ll bring the food right over.”
The three of them spent the next hour having a pleasant meal. By the end of it, their bellies were full and their hearts content. Though Roger didn’t have all the answers, he
had faith that God did. He knew if he just trusted in the Lord and did his best, it would all work out.
As the music started to play at Journey Church, Celeste was grateful for the time of worship. The past couple of days had been difficult with Roger worrying about all of the difficult situations. The good news, the Daniel situation would be resolved tomorrow when he left the country. The other two problems were far more complicated.
Celeste had been trying to encourage Roger to get ahead of the story with his son. Even the night before, she tried to convince him to set up an interview.
“Marcus is great and you should embrace him. Be proud that he’s your son,” Celeste encouraged as she sat on the couch next to Roger. “If you set up an interview with a reporter you trust, you can tell your story the way you want, leaving little fodder for the tabloids.”
“It’s not that easy, Celeste,” Roger argued. “There’s more than me to consider. If it backfires, it doesn’t just land on me, but my entire family. I could take the bad press—it’s not like I haven’t had some before—but I don’t want to add stress to anyone else’s life with my father being sick.”
“Wouldn’t it be worse if it came out and blindsided all of you? At least if you do it on your terms, you control the narrative,” she countered.
“I guess it’s something to consider,” Roger conceded, but she could tell he still wasn’t convinced.
Celeste wished there were something she could do to make this easier for Roger. She hated seeing him upset, and it was even worse that she couldn’t do anything about it.
The worship ended and the people took their seats. Pastor Greg came to the front of the stage and greeted the congregation.
“I had a complete message ready to go today about change like I do every year during the fall, but as I was praying last night, I felt like God told me there was a new message I needed to deliver today. Someone here needs to be encouraged and told that they don’t need to be afraid. God wants me to share with you the story of the Israelites when they were going to cross over into the Promised Land. They were afraid of the people there—afraid they would harm them and destroy their families, but God had other plans. He not only kept the Israelites safe, he delivered them from exactly what He promised He would. In Deuteronomy 31:6, the Lord spoke through Moses and said, ‘Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for the Lord your God Himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.’