with a smile and graciously accepted the can.
“All right.” She looked at him and sighed. “Let’s head out.”
They walked out of the storeroom and then took the back door, which deposited them on the side of building. There was small patch of grass there and a couple of large rocks overlooking the parking lot. They sat down silently and Marty began to dig in. They sat in silence for a while and enjoyed the rolls.
“So, have you figured it out yet?” Marty asked, her voice quivering a bit. When Michael looked at her face, it seemed that tears threatened her eyes.
“Figured out what, Mom?” Michael asked.
She looked at him a little surprised. “Michael, your father never told me, but I know we are in dire financial trouble. Look at the house, look at this store. I mean, it could be lovely, all of the improvements your father wanted to make ... but I think we’re in over our head.”
“Mom, I—”
“Michael, let me finish, okay?” she said with urgency.
“The night your dad had the stroke, he had been trying to make order of the office. He and I had a fight. I told him he was in over his head and that we needed help. I suggested we call you. You’ve always had a head for numbers and you work in finance, for God’s sake. He started screaming and then throwing papers everywhere. I stormed out and when he didn’t come home that night, I just thought he slept in his office. Something he has been doing more frequently lately …”
Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But it was all starting to make sense. The house was a wreck, Dad probably wasn’t home much, leaving it all to Mom, while he tried to make his dreams come alive. But it almost cost his father his life and his family. Michael had to do something. He didn’t know what yet, but something needed to be done.
His mother continued. “… I came back early the next morning to try to talk to your father. I wanted to talk it through with him and apologize for yelling. Ever since those McAllisters renovated their store, he’s had this idea in his head that a little market like ours wasn’t enough. But unlike us, the McAllisters have a lot of money behind them. Dana McAllister's husband is an attorney, so they had a lot of their own money to put into the business. Anyway, your father saw what they’ve done and wanted to make Malone’s a destination, too. Problem is that now we have a second mortgage on the house, and fewer people shop here, well, because, well … you saw it in there … I just don’t know what to do.” She began to cry.
Michael hugged her and said, “Mom, I had no idea.”
He didn’t know what else to say. He knew Annie certainly couldn’t help any more than she already was doing. Raising three kids and having a husband constantly being deployed overseas wasn’t an easy life … and certainly not the most lucrative. Jonah was just a college student, and Judy was still just a high school student. Michael couldn’t do this either … but he certainly could bail them out — if they would let him. Paying the mortgage was one thing though, but Malone’s market was another thing. Malone’s Market was his Dad’s pride and joy and something he had refused to be a part of up until now.
“I didn’t want to bother you with it, Michael. I could sense something was going on with you, too. But this time I need you. I just can’t do this alone anymore. Annie and the kids are great but I can’t share this with them. But I also can’t shoulder this guilt or this knowledge alone anymore.”
She paused and looked straight into Michael’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to move back here, Michael. I see the look of worry in your eyes. But I am asking you to forgive your father and understand him. He knew he couldn’t do this alone forever and that’s why he wanted you, Annie, and Jesse to be a part of Malone’s Market.”
Michael looked at her, unsure of what to say. Not this again. It wasn’t
“All right.” She looked at him and sighed. “Let’s head out.”
They walked out of the storeroom and then took the back door, which deposited them on the side of building. There was small patch of grass there and a couple of large rocks overlooking the parking lot. They sat down silently and Marty began to dig in. They sat in silence for a while and enjoyed the rolls.
“So, have you figured it out yet?” Marty asked, her voice quivering a bit. When Michael looked at her face, it seemed that tears threatened her eyes.
“Figured out what, Mom?” Michael asked.
She looked at him a little surprised. “Michael, your father never told me, but I know we are in dire financial trouble. Look at the house, look at this store. I mean, it could be lovely, all of the improvements your father wanted to make ... but I think we’re in over our head.”
“Mom, I—”
“Michael, let me finish, okay?” she said with urgency.
“The night your dad had the stroke, he had been trying to make order of the office. He and I had a fight. I told him he was in over his head and that we needed help. I suggested we call you. You’ve always had a head for numbers and you work in finance, for God’s sake. He started screaming and then throwing papers everywhere. I stormed out and when he didn’t come home that night, I just thought he slept in his office. Something he has been doing more frequently lately …”
Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But it was all starting to make sense. The house was a wreck, Dad probably wasn’t home much, leaving it all to Mom, while he tried to make his dreams come alive. But it almost cost his father his life and his family. Michael had to do something. He didn’t know what yet, but something needed to be done.
His mother continued. “… I came back early the next morning to try to talk to your father. I wanted to talk it through with him and apologize for yelling. Ever since those McAllisters renovated their store, he’s had this idea in his head that a little market like ours wasn’t enough. But unlike us, the McAllisters have a lot of money behind them. Dana McAllister's husband is an attorney, so they had a lot of their own money to put into the business. Anyway, your father saw what they’ve done and wanted to make Malone’s a destination, too. Problem is that now we have a second mortgage on the house, and fewer people shop here, well, because, well … you saw it in there … I just don’t know what to do.” She began to cry.
Michael hugged her and said, “Mom, I had no idea.”
He didn’t know what else to say. He knew Annie certainly couldn’t help any more than she already was doing. Raising three kids and having a husband constantly being deployed overseas wasn’t an easy life … and certainly not the most lucrative. Jonah was just a college student, and Judy was still just a high school student. Michael couldn’t do this either … but he certainly could bail them out — if they would let him. Paying the mortgage was one thing though, but Malone’s market was another thing. Malone’s Market was his Dad’s pride and joy and something he had refused to be a part of up until now.
“I didn’t want to bother you with it, Michael. I could sense something was going on with you, too. But this time I need you. I just can’t do this alone anymore. Annie and the kids are great but I can’t share this with them. But I also can’t shoulder this guilt or this knowledge alone anymore.”
She paused and looked straight into Michael’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to move back here, Michael. I see the look of worry in your eyes. But I am asking you to forgive your father and understand him. He knew he couldn’t do this alone forever and that’s why he wanted you, Annie, and Jesse to be a part of Malone’s Market.”
Michael looked at her, unsure of what to say. Not this again. It wasn’t
Similar Books
