Family Interrupted by Linda Barrett Page B

shaken us up. His mature demeanor when explaining himself revealed a young man we’d not seen before, and that jarred us too. Jack and I told ourselves that our son was simply putting off his college education. Ian suggested he wanted to build a career elsewhere. He planned to accept a job right after graduation in June, only three months from now.
    Of course, Jack was crushed, but Ian had an answer for everything. “Does a doctor’s son have to become a doctor? Construction is all I know. I need to try other things.”
    He sounded almost reasonable until he turned on me and snapped, “That’s what will make me happy. Okay? I need to be independent, earn my own way.”
    Since when?
But I’d nodded and hoped he’d change his mind before high school ended.
    As though Ian’s decisions hadn’t upset us enough, I’d finally agreed, once more, to return to Barnes Construction. I agreed, because a few nights ago, I’d lost track of time again. Jack found me in the studio and went ballistic.
    “You’re done here, Claire! Done.” He waved his arms to encompass the entire room. “If you can concentrate on this...this
stuff
, you can come to the office. I worry about you being alone all day, moping in the house. You need to get out, and I need your help. Barnes Construction is a
family
business.” His eyes blazed, his nostrils flared. He stepped outside, twirled on his heel, and shouted at the clear night sky, “Why doesn’t anyone understand that? Doesn’t anybody care?”
    His wife. His son. That’s who he meant. The ones he loved the most. My man was in pain, and only a harder heart than mine could have refused his request. I couldn’t. So, once more, I tried to brace myself for the onslaught of customers, staff, blueprints, site visits, and decisions. Jack laughed at me but didn’t sound too joyful.
    “If we had an ‘onslaught’ of customers, I wouldn’t be worried about our company. You can’t have it both ways.”
    My husband is such a people-person—a term I’ve grown to hate—he can’t conceive of how hard I find making myself smile and acting friendly
all day long
. It’s exhausting. And I’ve had no energy since we lost Kayla.
    My second
Day One
would begin tomorrow. Jack had tried to be encouraging. He knew I was nervous again and after dinner led me into the family room, turned on the radio, and opened his arms. I’d always loved dancing with him. Fast. Slow. The beat didn’t matter. Tonight we heard the sounds of soul.
    “Pretend you’ve been a stay-at-home mom,” he said as Gladys Knight sent us on the
Midnight Train to Georgia.
“And pretend you’re re-entering the job market after fifteen or twenty years. Lots of women face that sooner or later.”
    “Pretend? But that’s exactly the way I do feel, and it’s damn scary,” I replied. “How about continuing my two days a week at the office like I did before...before Kayla died, and I’ll work from home as well? I really think that would be better.” I wasn’t finished bargaining yet and flashed him the smile he adored.
    I received a big kiss and a chuckle in return.
    “I love you so much, Claire, and I need you. The business needs you. You can do the work. We’ll take it slower this time.”
    “We certainly will,” I said, “because I have a plan.”
    His blue eyes twinkled. “Let’s hear it,” he said immediately.
    Gladys was still singing about her man leaving L.A., and I kept dancing with mine.
    “Baby steps,” I said. “Little by little, I’ll get it done. I’ll go to the new subdivisions and walk the houses by myself. I want time alone in the office to study the blueprints. And if we’re upgrading our options, I need to call our suppliers and visit their showrooms. But I need to do it at my own pace, or...or...” I tilted my head back. “Or I’ll get overwhelmed, and it just won’t work at all. And I also might take on a helper—your favorite mother-in-law.”
    His sigh of relief should have been