gripped his chest again, and he could do nothing but give her a short nod.
“Let’s go find our seats,” Viola suggested, pulling him away from the duo. “That’s who’s doing your job right now?” Viola asked quietly after they had moved a step or two away.
“Yes”
“She seems … nice.”
He appreciated Viola’s diplomacy. “Nice isn’t the world I’d use to describe Fiona. She’s hard working, she’s tenacious, and she’s driven, for sure. That’s what makes her such an asset to the company.”
“You’re going back to work after tonight, aren’t you,” Viola said suddenly. It wasn’t even a question but a resigned statement.
Liam didn’t reply. He didn’t know. He could already feel himself getting absorbed back into the ninety hour workweeks, and he hadn’t even sat at the table yet. Viola pulled away from him, both physically and mentally, as they sat down. Her smile didn’t quite seem to reach her eyes, and her fingers couldn’t stop moving—whether they were twisting her napkin on her lap or tapping against her thigh. Liam reached out to take her hand, relieved when she didn’t pull away.
Dinner went too quickly, Liam unable to eat more than a few bites because of his nerves.
After the last plate was taken away, Fiona stood at the podium and welcomed everyone. “Tonight, we have the privilege of meeting together to honor our dear friend and colleague, Robert Nichols. Who better to do that, than his oldest son, Liam Nichols, CEO of Pets and More? Liam started working with his father at a young age—from only nine years old, he was helping stock stores.” Fiona continued through his history, and with Liam’s mother’s words in his ear, he realized that in a lot of ways, she was right. He’d had pressure on him to be successful for as long as he could remember. It was rare he could just be a kid, make mistakes, play. Instead, everything he did was expected to be perfect and make profit, and if it wasn’t, then he’d better try harder next time.
He loved his dad, he really did. He missed him in a way that was hard to even fathom some days—when he’d pick up the phone to call his dad about a problem and then remember that he wasn’t there anymore, or expect to see his dad at the head of the table, leading the board meetings, only to realize it was his own responsibility now. Even tonight, Liam half-expected to see his dad stroll through the door, kiss his mom on the cheek, and then start going around the room, making sure he met every single person there. There was a reason everyone had loved his dad.
“And with that, please welcome Liam Nichols.”
Liam stood to the polite applause, a rush of blood whooshing through his ears.
Not here. Not now.
He didn’t move from his spot, and Viola reached up to take his hand. She kissed the inside of it, her lips soft and tender against the skin of his palm. You’ve got this, she mouthed and then winked.
The applause had died down, and the room waited, as if on bated breath, wondering what was going on, and what was going to happen mext. He knew there were several people in that room who would be thrilled if he had a break down right then and there, if only to see him fall.
He took one deep breath and then another, relieved to feel his chest expand fully again, recalling his therapist’s advice for centering himself. He squeezed Viola’s hand. I’m good, he mouthed and then he headed up to the podium.
Once he was up there, staring out at the crowd, confidence filled him. He recognized nearly every face there, though he couldn’t remember everyone’s names. He’d never been as good at that as his father.
“Dad would have loved this,” he began. “Except he would have grumbled about the fact that steak wasn’t one of the dinner options.”
The tension in the room broke as everyone laughed. Liam jumped into his prepared speech, a life-sketch of his dad … not as a husband or a father, but as the CEO of Pets and More. Because of his dad’s work, thousands of people across the country had jobs. Millions of people could afford care for their pets. His dad’s work made a difference, but as he spoke something became very clear to Liam.
Pets and More had been his dad’s passion in a way it never was Liam’s. Liam’s passion had been pleasing his father, and if he