"Wow, this is a lot to digest. I'll need some time to think about it and discuss it with Chloe."
"Take all the time you need, Matthew. With this company, you and your family, including your father, will never have to want for anything. Sylvia's waiting for me to go to the movies, so I'll take off. Stop by the house tomorrow evening for dinner if you'd like." As he left, he smiled brightly.
"Matthew, this is a great opportunity for you. I think you should take him up on his offer."
"I have my father's roofing business to run. I can't let that fall apart; it's the only accomplishment in his life, other than me, that he's proud of."
"Then I think you should talk to your dad and get his input."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The following morning, Matthew sat with his father at the kitchen table.
"Sell the business, son. It's been nothing but a thorn in your side since I got sick, and I really didn't do that great of a job setting the blasted thing up to begin with. There were things I wanted to do and felt I had plenty of time, but I didn't."
"I can't sell your business."
"Look, you're young, you just got married, and I'm hoping you'll have children soon. Having a seasonal job that keeps you working late hours, seven days a week, isn't what you need. You're not even able to make much money at it. We don't have the fancy equipment to speed things up, and hell, none of the guys who ever work for us are going to make enough money to support their family year round. I don't expect you to end up stuck in a failing business. Sell it."
"If I take this opportunity to run Burlington Enterprises, I won't have time to do roofing. So what am I supposed to do?"
"Then give the dang thing away! Stop worrying yourself about me and the roofing company. You've wasted so many years trying to make ends meet, and look where it's gotten you. You missed the years to go to school, not that I could have afforded to send you in the first place, but I would have killed myself trying. This is a lifetime opportunity. If you don't take it, I'll be really angry, and I know how much you hate that."
"What if I give it to John?" He's worked hard for us ever since he was sixteen."
"That'd be just fine. John's like a son to me, and growing up, you two boys were inseparable. Does he have a truck he can get his hands on? He'll need one to haul supplies around."
"I think so … "
Matthew sat staring at Chloe while she picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite.
"Honey, aren't you hungry? This stuff's great."
"I never thought I'd ever ask you for something like this, but I need you to play Santa. I know you love helping people, so I have an opportunity for you. My brother John needs some help."
"Oh my God, Matthew, of course! Is he okay?"
"In order to take over your father's business, I need to make sure my father's roofing company won't fold. I'd like to give it to John, but he doesn't have a truck. He lacks the equipment to compete with most roofing businesses, but at least with a good pickup, he can haul the materials."
"Are you busy tomorrow?"
"I don't have to be."
"Then tomorrow I want you to get up and go to work. Ask John to handle things, then come here and pick me up. We'll make his day!" Chloe was as happy as a clam.
"Do you have any clue how much I love you?"
Chloe stretched out her arms. "This much?"
"More … waaaay more."
Chapter 18
Matthew and the rest of the crew finished carrying the heavy boxes of shingles up on the roof. He waited until everyone was settled and working before he approached John.
"Why're you staring at me? You missed me last night, didn't ya?" John laughed.
"Yeah, man, you're a real keeper. I should have married you instead."
"Are you going to tell me what's up, or just stand there staring at my beauty?"
"I have to take off for a couple of hours. Can you keep things going for me until I get back?"
"You know it. Take your time."
Matthew climbed in his truck and headed back to Detroit to get Chloe. As he pulled into the parking lot, something occurred to him that he never paid much attention to before. There were no swing sets here like he'd seen by apartment complexes in the suburbs, no parks close by, and sometimes at night you can hear gunshots. This is no place to raise a family. He put the pickup in park and shut off the engine.
Chloe didn't even wait for Matthew to walk up to the apartment to get her. She came bounding down the stairs in such a great mood. The opportunity to help someone who truly deserved it had her practically dancing. She'd been watching out the window by the office door for her husband to pull up, and when he did, she ran out of the building.
"I'm ready!" She said while climbing in the truck.
Matthew laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "You're the cutest thing I've ever seen." He was so grateful her mood had lifted and things were finally falling into place. She got up each morning in a great mood and excited to start her day, which hadn't always been the case.
Chloe instantly started asking him a million questions about the roofing company and John. She had to get Matthew to talk as much as possible before sharing what she thought were the answers to a better life for the man she loved, his father, and his best friend. What he said and how he said them would help her know how to proceed.
"Why are you asking so many questions? I don't mind answering them, but you've been with John hundreds of times. You know pretty much everything about him and our roofing business." Matthew was starting to feel uneasy about the whole thing. Chloe loved to help people, so he didn't understand why she was acting so cautious, as if needing to see if he was worthy or not. "I hope you're not having second thoughts about helping the guy, because he desperately needs a new vehicle, Chloe. His car is in the same condition my old truck was in, and there's no way he can cram roofing supplies in that small car of his."
"John's a smart man, isn't he?"
"Very."
"Don't get mad at me when I say this, promise? Because I've been thinking about something since you left for work this morning."
"Sure, babe, just say it." Matthew was bracing himself for their first marital argument.
"Your dad was right." Chloe paused to see if he'd become defensive or not, because Matthew came home after his talk with his father in a foul mood, and listed all the reasons why he should keep Sharp Roofing above water, no matter what it took. When he remained quiet, she continued. "I think you have everyone's best interest at heart, but did you ever stop to think that John was doing that roofing work just to help you and your dad? Maybe he had his own dreams that he let fall by the wayside when he saw you couldn't reach yours. I think you should get rid of it. You can keep some mementos for your dad from the company, but a few things are happening here that aren't good for anyone. You're killing yourself to try and keep a company going, and that's hurting your father, and it isn't helping John. When your dad sees you come home from work after a long day, and having to pick up extra jobs everyplace just to put food on the table, it hurts him … shames him for making you get stuck in your life."
"But, Chloe, it's his. It's all he has."
"Sometimes we have to let go of things. It's not the work that's important to you, it's the business, and giving it to John is the same as getting rid of it. Keep something from Sharp Roofing, like the sign and legal documents that have your dad's signature on them, but don't plan any more jobs. We'll give the crew a nice severance pay, and then John can move on without having to make the decision to leave. He'll feel like he's abandoning you and your father if he quits."
"Do you really think John's been working all these years in our business just for me and pops? I mean, he's never complained."
"I think he wants more in life than living in a one bedroom apartment in the projects. I know I don't want to live in that neighborhood forever. If you stop the roofing business, we can spend time together getting a nice home built. As much as I love our apartment, it's not a safe place to raise a child, and when we move we're taking your dad with us. Maybe we can talk to Sherry about selling the building and moving to a safer place. I'd hate to leave her behind in a place that's getting more dangerous every day."
"You think she'd do that?"
"Have you asked her if she wants to do something different in life?"
"No, I never did. I've been talking to Sherry every morning and, on some days, more than that, and I never asked her what she wanted. I quit having dreams when I knew mine were no longer a reality."
"I guess I'm sensitive like that. People should know everything they can about the ones they care about. Talk to Sherry, Matthew, and then talk to John. But, you have to do the right thing for everyone and let go of roofing work."
"Baby, I never thought there was a way out for me. All these years I've watched my friends I graduated with go to college and become successful. I'm one of the few people who stayed in the projects. The guilt I felt about leaving my dad and his company behind was killing me. When he got sick, the reality of what my life would amount to was set in stone. But the way you've explained things makes perfect sense. My dad can still be proud of what he made, and a big cloud of despair can be lifted from him. You're a genius and you're beautiful. How did I get so lucky?"