"Maybe," agreed Matthew hesitantly. "But, you know what? Let's forget all that bullshit for the moment. You and Mom are only here in town for a few days, so let's enjoy every minute we have together, okay?"
Wade gave a thumbs-up. "You got it, Matt. I'm going to go help myself to seconds. This is all delicious."
Matthew had been thrilled when his parents had asked if they could spend the week off they had for Spring Break with him in San Francisco. Hayley and Casey were also off school this week, and Lindsey had unceremoniously announced a month ago that he was in charge of the kids this week while she jetted off to the Caribbean for a getaway with her girlfriends. Instead of booking his parents into a hotel for the week, Matthew had insisted they use his bedroom while he slept in the spare twin bed in Casey's room here at the condo. That meant Sasha wouldn't be able to spend the night at all this week, especially since she still insisted on staying at her own place when he had the kids.
But he had been adamant about her meeting his parents, assuring her that they would adore her as much as he did, and she'd reluctantly agreed to join them all for dinner a few evenings ago. As expected, Wade and Maureen had taken an instant liking to Sasha, and persuaded her to come along on additional outings. It was Friday morning now, and Matthew had ordered in brunch before their outing to the Muir Woods National Monument. He was officially on vacation this week, though he'd been fielding emails and phone calls on a daily basis, and had even snuck in a couple of video conferences. When you were the CEO, he supposed with a sigh, you were never really on vacation. Still, he was grateful for any time he could spend with his family, and wished that his brother and sister had also been able to make the trip.
Over the years, and especially since he'd taken the company public and entered the billionaires club, Matthew had done his utmost to help out his parents and siblings. He'd bought his brother and sister each a house, and when his parents had stubbornly insisted on staying put in their own home, had had it extensively remodeled for them. All of his family members had new cars, and the boat he had purchased for his parents was Wade's pride and joy. There had also been numerous vacations he'd treated them to, and very generous birthday and Christmas gifts. And because they were all reluctant to let him do more than what he already did, Matthew had secretly set up trust funds for his parents, brother, and sister, so that they would always be financially secure.
While his father re-filled his plate with the sumptuous brunch buffet that the caterers had set up on the dining room table, Matthew sipped his coffee as he observed the four other people in the room. Casey was chatting animatedly with his grandmother and Sasha, happily chomping on a plate of bacon at the same time. At one point he offered Sasha a piece, who gave a little shudder in response, causing Casey to grin mischievously. Maureen seemed to genuinely like Sasha, and they had had several conversations so far about the merits of herbal remedies and supplements versus traditional prescription drugs. Matthew had been surprised at the extent of Sasha's knowledge, and had asked why she'd never finished obtaining her certification as an herbalist.
She'd given a half-hearted shrug. "I'm not sure I really know the answer to that. At the time, money was something of an issue, though I guess I could have borrowed it from one of my parents or applied for a loan. But I think it was just taking too much time away from the other things I loved - my yoga classes and massage practice - and I had to make a choice. I managed to learn quite a lot in the classes I did take, however, and I still attend workshops and lectures occasionally to keep up with things."
"If you ever decide that's something you'd like to pursue, you know that money wouldn't be an issue, right?" he had told her. "I would happily finance that for you, Sasha, so all you have to do is ask."
"Thank you," she'd replied gently. "I appreciate your offer, Matthew. But I'm very happy with my life just as it is right now. I don't like complications, and I go to great lengths to keep things simple and stress free. So, thanks but no thanks."
Matthew's gaze narrowed now as it fell on Hayley, who was curled up sullenly in a corner of the sectional sofa, fixated as usual on her cell phone. She'd griped loudly about having to get up so early this morning, and even more so about traipsing around in "some damp old woods". She had barely eaten, and aside from greeting her grandparents with a sulky "good morning" hadn't spoken a word.