Chương 2 - Câu Chuyện Của Những Cái Tên

“If you come with us to the cemetery, you come was father. I passed some loyalty test.”

Ryan rubbed forehead.

Carol stepped forward.

“Maybe everybody needs to calm down.”

Elaine turned .

“You announced visitation.”

“Lauren announced .”

“ you pretty pleased.”

Carol flushed.

Lauren snapped, “Leave out .”

I laughed.

anything was funny.

the alternative was screaming.

“You made mother-in-law part last night.”

Lauren took a breath.

she said, “Fine.”

I waited.

“The name isn’t changing .”

“I heard you the first time.”

“The court order is already signed.”

I .

“ court order?”

Ryan’s head came up.

Lauren glanced him.

me.

“The legal name change.”

“When you file?”

She hesitated.

hesitation lasted maybe two seconds.

felt longer.

“When, Lauren?”

“Last month.”

alive last month.

in hospice.

I felt something in me go very still.

“You filed while father was alive.”

“ knew wanted.”

“ know?”

She didn’t answer.

I asked again.

“ father know?”

Ryan said, “Diane—”

“ ?”

Lauren’s mouth tightened.

“No.”

Elaine whispered, “Jesus.”

Lauren me like she was bracing an explosion.

I didn’t give one.

I nodded once.

“All right.”

“Mom—”

“You made decision.”

I picked up my coat.

“ are you doing?”

“Going to bury my husband.”

“The procession doesn’t leave another hour.”

“I know.”

I toward the room where was waiting.

“You decide whether you’re coming.”

Lauren stood there.

When the hearse left the funeral home, she was in the line cars behind .

Neither was Ryan.

Neither were parents.

the cemetery, the wind was brutal.

Elaine stood one side me.

’s oldest friend stood the other.

I watched them lower the man I loved thirty-four years into the ground.

I kept thinking there should have one more person beside me.

There wasn’t.

—

Nine days after buried , I went to Foods.

I inside the building since the week entered hospice.

My parking space near the side entrance was occupied.

Ryan’s black SUV sat in .

I parked in visitor parking.

should have warned me.

I walked to the employee entrance held my badge to the reader.

Red.

I tried again.

Red.

The security guard behind the desk stood up immediately.

name was Marcus.

worked us six years.

“Mrs. .”

“My badge isn’t working.”

face told me the answer before spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

glanced toward the elevators.

“Administration deactivated Friday.”

“Administration meaning who?”

swallowed.

“Ms. .”

My daughter disabled my building access.

“To my company.”

Marcus miserable.

“I was told you’re no longer involved in operations all visits need to be scheduled.”

I stared him.

I walked to the lobby.

“I’ll wait.”

“Mrs. , I can call upstairs.”

“Please do.”

I sat a gray chair beneath a framed photograph the first Foods plant.

I were in photograph.

I was thirty-six.

was thirty-nine.

were both wearing hard hats too big us.

I waited forty-five minutes.

the elevator doors opened.

Lauren stepped out carrying a cardboard box.

She was followed by an administrative assistant.

Lauren set the box the table in front me.

Inside was my coffee mug.

A framed photograph me.

Two notebooks.

A small plant I kept in my office years.

the cheap wooden pen holder Noah made me preschool.

I up.

“ is ?”

“I office cleared.”

“My office.”

“Mom, you haven’t worked out in almost a year.”

“I was taking care dying father.”

expression tightened.

“’s I meant.”

“ you mean?”

She sat across from me.

“ Foods needs a clean leadership structure.”

I toward the security desk.

Marcus was pretending to hear us.

Lauren lowered voice.

“You Dad put me in charge.”

“ made you CEO.”

“Yes.”

“ make me a stranger.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“You shut off my badge.”

“To prevent confusion.”

I stared .

“With whom?”

“The staff.”

I actually smiled.

“So the staff might get confused if one the founders walks through the door.”

She leaned .

“ is exactly why I didn’t want to have conversation here.”

“You brought my office here in a box.”

landed.

She away.

she reached into bag took out a folder.

“I was going to have our attorney send these to you, but since you’re here…”

She pushed the folder toward me.

I opened .

Voting proxy.

Expanded bank-signing authority.

Authority over executive hiring.