The Decision No One Could Make for Him
Chapter 15 - The Decision No One Could Make for Him
By January, Dominic faced a choice that had nothing to do with the investigation. A lucrative international partnership would require him to spend most of the spring traveling. Before Amelia died, he would have accepted without hesitation. His advisers assumed he would do the same now.
At the board meeting, one executive argued that the deal could reshape the company's future. Another warned that postponing might disappoint investors. Dominic studied the projections, then looked at the calendar. Leo's seventh birthday fell in the middle of the trip.
"Find another negotiation structure," he said. "I'm not spending that month overseas."
The room went quiet. It was not a magical solution to the demands of business. He delegated negotiations to qualified executives, accepted a slower timeline, and agreed to attend necessary meetings remotely. The company survived his choice. More importantly, so did his promise to his son.
That evening, Leo asked whether Dominic could come to the school concert. He hadn't asked the previous year. Nora suspected he had already learned not to expect an answer.
"I'll be there," Dominic said.
Leo stared. "Even if your phone rings?"
"Even then."
The school auditorium smelled of old curtains and floor wax. Dominic sat in the third row beside Nora and Claire. Leo wore a paper star on his shirt and sang softly with twenty other children. Halfway through, he spotted his father and smiled so broadly he lost the next line. Dominic waved. The teacher smiled too.
After the concert, Leo ran down the aisle and threw himself into Dominic's arms. "You came."
"I told you I would."
"Sometimes grown-ups say that and forget."
Dominic hugged him. "I know. I'm going to work on not being one of them."
On the ride home, Nora noticed Dominic looking out the window with wet eyes. She didn't comment. The silence felt companionable rather than frightened.
The legal investigation moved steadily. Peter and Celeste disputed the allegations, while their lawyers negotiated over document production and witness interviews. News coverage exaggerated some parts and overlooked others. Dominic was advised that the case could take months or years. He disliked waiting, but had finally learned that wanting an answer did not entitle him to invent one.
Nora formally resigned from household service at the end of February. She had been accepted into a program allowing her to complete her library-science degree while working part-time at a neighborhood youth center. She told Leo first, with Dominic present, so the boy would not feel abandoned.
"Are you going away forever?" Leo whispered.
"No. My job is changing. But I can still visit, and we'll decide together what that looks like."
"You won't disappear without telling me?"
"I promise to tell you if plans change."
May you like
Dominic listened and made no attempt to change Nora's decision with money. That mattered to her more than he knew. He arranged a farewell lunch where the kitchen staff surprised her with chocolate cake. Leo drew a library with a blue door. Across the top, in careful letters, he wrote: *NORA'S PLACE FOR ALL THE FEELINGS.*
A week later, Nora and Dominic met for coffee outside any employment arrangement. It was the first time he had asked her somewhere simply because he wanted to know her, not because the house needed something. She said yes with equal parts curiosity and caution.
