smiles a heartwarming smile and closes the distance in a few steps. He pulls Tonya into a big bear hug and kisses her hairline like he did when she was little. Seeing the two of them together makes my heart ache with a pain so intense that I hold my breath to keep from sobbing. I quickly pull my phone from my purse and pretend to check messages.
They pass a few words in greeting, and then his dark brown eyes gaze upon me with fatherly affection. After all, he’s seen me at my worst and been there through loose teeth and broken arms, so I guess he’s entitled to feel somewhat parental toward me.
“Sully, how have you been, young lady?” He pulls me in for a quick hug and pats me affectionately on the back. I have a hard time with affection since my father passed. I don’t like for people to hug and dote on me; it’s just uncomfortable for everyone involved. I expel a deep breath and let my emotions subside.
“I’m doing good, Mr. Becker. How have you been?” He narrows his eyes as if he’s going to ask the dreaded question I hate to hear, but instead he turns and marches over to the big table and offers us a chair.
“I’m well. Thank you. Have you been keeping an eye out for our favorite girl?” He smiles at Tonya, and I nod back at him.
“Great. Well, let’s get down to business.” He pulls the head chair out and plops down unceremoniously. “I have two paid internships open for the summer. They’re yours if you ladies want them.
“Tonya, your position would be in research and development as a technician, and Sully, your position would be more clerical. I need someone who can type up speeches for benefit gatherings, work on some informational pamphlets, things of that nature. Are you interested?” He looks at me because he knows Tonya is dying to get her hands in that research lab.
She’s going to be the youngest in her graduating class for her PhD in biomedical science. Like father, like daughter. Their passion for science has provided us with countless tales of garage explosions and chemistry mishaps, and we must never forget the volcano they built for her seventh-grade science fair that blew its top and spewed spaghetti sauce all over the judging faculty.
Lost in my thoughts as I am, I’m completely unprepared for the question, and I stutter out a reply. “Yes, sir. Sounds good to me.” He smiles and nods his approval.
“All right, young ladies. I expect to see you both here bright and early Monday morning. Sully, please convey your resignation to the convenience store.” With that said he stands and embraces Tonya once more, and then he’s back in his office and we’re walking to the elevator.
We make our way to the elevator and press the G on the board to take us to the ground floor of the parking garage. I have no long-term plans with Mr. Becker’s company. This is merely a means to cover some tuition costs and feed me through the fall semester.
I have the money from my father’s life insurance and the sale of the house, but I’ve left that in savings for when I’m ready to buy a house and settle down. It’s also nice to know that if I really needed it, it would be there for the taking. That would have made my dad happy. He was always so worried about what was going to happen to me when he died.
As I dwell on it a little longer it finally occurs to me that maybe…just maybe, the real reason I’m reluctant to touch that money is because it’s all I really have left of him. Crazy…yes, I know. But, it leaves me with a sense of peace, knowing that a part of my dad is still around and able to take care of me.
We strap on our seat belts and head out of the parking garage.
“I’m so excited!” Tonya says. “I cannot wait to get into that lab and become a part of medical history. My dad is on the verge of a pharmaceutical breakthrough, and I want to be his lead researcher. Can you imagine? We could be on CNN. I might even get to meet Anderson Cooper.” She is practically
They pass a few words in greeting, and then his dark brown eyes gaze upon me with fatherly affection. After all, he’s seen me at my worst and been there through loose teeth and broken arms, so I guess he’s entitled to feel somewhat parental toward me.
“Sully, how have you been, young lady?” He pulls me in for a quick hug and pats me affectionately on the back. I have a hard time with affection since my father passed. I don’t like for people to hug and dote on me; it’s just uncomfortable for everyone involved. I expel a deep breath and let my emotions subside.
“I’m doing good, Mr. Becker. How have you been?” He narrows his eyes as if he’s going to ask the dreaded question I hate to hear, but instead he turns and marches over to the big table and offers us a chair.
“I’m well. Thank you. Have you been keeping an eye out for our favorite girl?” He smiles at Tonya, and I nod back at him.
“Great. Well, let’s get down to business.” He pulls the head chair out and plops down unceremoniously. “I have two paid internships open for the summer. They’re yours if you ladies want them.
“Tonya, your position would be in research and development as a technician, and Sully, your position would be more clerical. I need someone who can type up speeches for benefit gatherings, work on some informational pamphlets, things of that nature. Are you interested?” He looks at me because he knows Tonya is dying to get her hands in that research lab.
She’s going to be the youngest in her graduating class for her PhD in biomedical science. Like father, like daughter. Their passion for science has provided us with countless tales of garage explosions and chemistry mishaps, and we must never forget the volcano they built for her seventh-grade science fair that blew its top and spewed spaghetti sauce all over the judging faculty.
Lost in my thoughts as I am, I’m completely unprepared for the question, and I stutter out a reply. “Yes, sir. Sounds good to me.” He smiles and nods his approval.
“All right, young ladies. I expect to see you both here bright and early Monday morning. Sully, please convey your resignation to the convenience store.” With that said he stands and embraces Tonya once more, and then he’s back in his office and we’re walking to the elevator.
We make our way to the elevator and press the G on the board to take us to the ground floor of the parking garage. I have no long-term plans with Mr. Becker’s company. This is merely a means to cover some tuition costs and feed me through the fall semester.
I have the money from my father’s life insurance and the sale of the house, but I’ve left that in savings for when I’m ready to buy a house and settle down. It’s also nice to know that if I really needed it, it would be there for the taking. That would have made my dad happy. He was always so worried about what was going to happen to me when he died.
As I dwell on it a little longer it finally occurs to me that maybe…just maybe, the real reason I’m reluctant to touch that money is because it’s all I really have left of him. Crazy…yes, I know. But, it leaves me with a sense of peace, knowing that a part of my dad is still around and able to take care of me.
We strap on our seat belts and head out of the parking garage.
“I’m so excited!” Tonya says. “I cannot wait to get into that lab and become a part of medical history. My dad is on the verge of a pharmaceutical breakthrough, and I want to be his lead researcher. Can you imagine? We could be on CNN. I might even get to meet Anderson Cooper.” She is practically
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