“I’m sorry you had to witness that. My son is impatient and rude,” I said to Jenny as she shook her head.
“Sir, may I speak freely?” I looked over to Jenny, and for the first time today, I actually smiled. She was one of the precious few who had a free pass. I trusted her implicitly.
“Yes, Jenny, what is it?”
“Mr. Reed, please be patient with Jackson. This trip means so much to him, and he is still grieving. He may not show you all the time, but he is. We have talked quite a bit, and he misses you and wants nothing but to please you. He wants you to be proud of him and support his decision to go to school in New York.”
I sighed and slumped back into my chair.
“You just don’t understand. I need him here with me, and it is killing me to come to terms with his decisions and his fierce independence.”
“He sounds a lot like someone I know,” Jenny responded.
I winked at her, as she smiled back at me.
“He will be fine, and so will you. You spend every waking minute here in this office. Your son is going off to college, maybe it’s time for you to take a long overdue break and live a little. Not for the company, not for your son, but for you. I can’t even remember the last time you actually enjoyed yourself socially.”
“My entire life is this company and Jackson. I have no time for anything else. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to spread my wings.”
“I hope you do, sir, because I have a stack of social engagements waiting for you to RSVP to.”
“I guess that will have to wait until we both return from our trips. You need to go and begin your vacation, Jenny.”
“I’ll just finish up with a few things, and I will be on my way. Everything is taken care of for you in New York. Have fun, will you?”
I scoff at my assistant. “What’s fun?”
She was right about one thing…I did work way too much. I said goodbye to Jenny and had Jackson come back in. I took one look at him, and he was all fired up.
“Dad, we are going to miss our flight. You promised me no work on this trip.”
I rose from behind my desk and strode over to my son. “Come to think of it, you promised me something too, but you don’t see me overreacting because I’m not getting my way. Jackson, we will not miss our flight, we are taking the company jet. They run on my timetable. Secondly, this visit to New York is all about you. But please don’t shame me, because I have a company to run.”
“Dad, I know you’re disappointed that we didn’t go to Europe, but it’s not going anywhere, we can arrange another vacation. Please understand how important this New York trip is for me.”
“Oh, believe me, son, I know how important this trip is for you. Not a day goes by that you don’t remind me. Let me ask you a question: Where does your girlfriend factor in on your decision to attend school in New York? Getting involved in a relationship right now is the last thing I want for you. Your priority is school and nothing more, are we clear on this?”
“Dad, I know what my responsibilities are. You remind me every day. I can have both in my life. I would like to think that you know me better than that. I would never base my decision that will ultimately change my future because of a girl, and Riley is pretty amazing, dad. Her coming into my life when she did was just icing on the cake. The unknown forced her way in and right through my heart like Robin Hood’s arrow. I care for her more than you know.”
Jackson’s words reminded me of a similar conversation I had with my father once. This was exactly what I thought when I met Reese.
“Dad, I can’t believe we are having this conversation again! Please, dad, you have to trust me.”
“Jackson, I do trust you, more than you know, but you need to give me some time to adjust to this newfound independence you have now been accustomed to. It doesn’t sit well with me. I knew this day would come when you wanted to strike out on your own, but to be honest with you, I’m not happy with my only son living on the other side of the country. I’m trying, son, I really am, but cut me some slack. I will bend on this for now, but Jackson, make no mistake when I say you’re my priority and your well-being means everything to me. If I see you not living up to your fullest potential, then you will return home to California.”
“Dad, what are you so afraid of? I’m eighteen years old and can be trusted to make my own decisions. Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?”
To look at my son with his mother’s eyes staring back at me, simply cut me to my core. He so reminded me of her. How could I even begin to explain to him my deepest fears and insecurities?
Life was unpredictable with no guarantees. Having to lose his mother to something I couldn’t control still haunted me. Jackson was cheated from loving and knowing his mother. He had to celebrate every milestone without her. I missed Elizabeth for our son. She would be so proud of the young man he had become. I prayed I did everything right by him. I couldn’t take this stress between us, and I looked to Elizabeth for strength. He had so much of her spirit running through him.
Without another word, I grabbed my son and held him while tightening my arms around his shoulders. I needed to have things right between us. He didn’t back away, just hugged me back with a silent understanding between us.
Flying on my company plane made my life easier at times. I had a built-in office and everything I needed to work and still run my company. At the time, I had three major projects going on at the same time. I had been working twelve to fourteen hour days for months now. I missed my son. We hadn’t spent a lot of time together, and with his grandfather dying, it just separated us even more.
Phillip Reed was a selfish bastard. He was arrogant in his personal and business life. He softened a bit when Jackson was born. He loved his grandson more than he ever loved me. My father’s death had been hard on Jackson, but with this trip to New York, his spirits were brightened. I wanted to see him smile and would do everything in my power to have that smile remain.
I should have planned to visit with my mother while I was in town, but driving out to the Hamptons was not what I cared to do. I needed to go through my father’s papers; his lawyer had been urging me to do so. I finished up my pressing matters and decided to focus on Jackson for the rest of this trip.
I changed out of my suit and into jeans and a t-shirt. My son was always reminding me to loosen up a bit.
Have I changed that much that I don’t know what fun is anymore?
Maybe Jackson and Jenny were right. I did need to relax and live a little.
Yeah right, Reed! Doubtful
. I sat with Jackson, as he looked up at me from his laptop. He wouldn’t be following in my footsteps, as the Reed men before me, but he sure did look like one, especially when he was concentrating on whatever he was working on.
“I spoke to Riley. She and her mom will join us at the restaurant for seven. Where do we have reservations?”
“I had my assistant reserve a private dining room in Brasserie Les Halles.”
Jackson looked disappointed. “Dad, can’t we eat somewhere more down to earth? We are not dining with your business associates.”
“Jackson, Brasserie is one of my favorite restaurants I like to visit while I’m in the city. The food is delicious. What’s the issue?”
“Dad, I just don’t want to come off as this pretentious rich kid from California who only eats at five star restaurants. I want to impress Riley and her mom, but not look like a jerk.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, son, but you
are
some rich kid from California, and also the kindest and down to earth person I know. Brasserie is the restaurant, end of discussion. Your girl may surprise you and appreciate what I have chosen. If she cares for you, as you say she does, then why does it matter where we eat? It should be your company that she values most. Now, what can you tell me about her parents?”
“Dad, there’s something you need to know before we meet Riley and her mom.”
“What is it?”
“I haven’t been completely honest with her on who I really am.”
“How so? What doesn’t she know?” I shuffled in my seat with apprehension. The thought of my son lying for any reason raised alarms with me. “What is it? Obviously whatever you have to say to me is weighing heavily on your mind. Don’t make me ask you again.”
“I’m sorry, dad, but this is hard for me to say. I can’t ever remember a time when I was angry with you, but when you couldn’t make mother’s hospital dedication and I had to go with grandfather, I just felt lost. I didn’t want to be there without you, and I resented you choosing work over me. I was so proud of the building that was built in her honor, and I knew what you donated would help many people, but I was still hurt and feeling alone. After the dedication, I found myself staring at the portrait of my mother that was chosen for the lobby, and this beautiful girl was suddenly standing beside me. It was Riley. She took my breath away while making me forget why I was sad and angry with you.”
“Okay, I’m trying to follow, but I’m confused. So how did you lie?”
“I lied by not telling her who I was, and why I was really there. She was there for her father, and I was there for my mother. We had gone for a walk around the grounds, and then when she asked me my name, the first name that came to mind was Townsend, not Reed. I didn’t think I would ever see her again, and I just wasn’t ready to explain my reasons for being at Johns Hopkins. When she asked me, I told her that I was visiting a sick friend. When I was in New York last summer, I never knew that our paths would cross again until I saw her at the film festival. To meet up with Riley again after a year later seemed like fate, and I all I wanted to do was get to know her better. We had too many coincidences between us. The building that houses mother’s picture is the same building that is meant for Riley’s father and his research.”
Still trying to get a handle on all that Jackson was telling me, I fought the urge not to overreact at his revelations. “What does her father do exactly? He’s a doctor? What field does he practice in?”
“He’s a neurosurgeon. He’s pretty famous at his hospital. Riley always downplays it, but I think she is pretty proud of what he does for his patients. You know, rock star of medicine.”
That’s the second time in a month I have heard the mention of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Now I find out that Reed Global built a building for this doctor who happens to be the father of the girl my son loves. My building…that proudly displays Elizabeth’s name.
I only made one trip out to Maryland when I signed off on the project. My right hand man Donovan was completely in charge of it. I don’t believe I even met the doctor. I was completely wrapped up in the design aspect of it, which took all my time and focus. That one and only trip was about getting me to sign on the dotted line. The board of directors was so busy schmoozing me that some of the faces are now a blur. I tried not to think about the coincidence, but my father did mention it while he visited with me. Shrugging it off for the time being, I continued my conversation with my son.
“Jackson, I’m so sorry that I hurt you by not attending the dedication. I would have never missed that if the circumstances had been different. It pains me to hear this, son, especially knowing you kept this from me all this time.”
“Dad, please forgive me, I need you to know that it was a knee jerk reaction, and it means nothing. I just didn’t want one more person feeling sorry for me. Every time I get close to someone, they always ask about my family. And when they learn about mom, all I see is sadness and another person feeling sorry for me because I had to grow up without a mother.”
“I am a Reed through and through dad, so please believe how proud I am to carry your name. But for once I just wanted to be known for me. If I had to explain to Riley about mom, then I feel she would have reacted like every other girl I ever met. I now realize I have to tell her the truth, but first I had to tell you, and say how sorry I am for denying you. Dad, I know what our name represents to you. I swear I am not ashamed of it. Can you understand why I did what I did?”
Remembering Jenny’s words to be patient with my son, I held myself back from reacting to his news. I let out my breaths and simply nodded at his question before continuing our talk.
“I now understand why you were so apprehensive about our get together with Riley and her mother. Jackson, you must know that if you have any real chance with Riley, you need to always have honesty with one another. You should prepare yourself for a strong reaction from Riley. You’ve kept something very important from her, and in any friendship or relationship it comes down to trust. Without trust you have nothing. How will you explain the false name?”
“Exactly how I explained it to you, and I pray she understands. She knows a lot about me already, dad. The missing piece to the puzzle is my real name. But she is amazing, and I hope she understands my reasons for lying to her.”
“Anything else I need to know before I meet them?”
Rolling his eyes at me, he quickly turned his head, knowing that would make me angry. “Dad, without meeting her parents, it’s kind of hard telling you about them. I only know what Riley has told me. One thing I know for sure is that I am crazy about her. I am without a doubt convinced meeting her at mom’s dedication was meant to be. I truly believe it was mom sending me a sign from heaven. Now she’s my girl, and I care about her. Doing the long distance relationship has been tough, but in a few months we will be in the same city, same college. How can you say that’s not fate?”
I saw Jackson give a quick nod, something he always did when he thought of his mother. It made my heart ache for his loss, but maybe it was his small way of keeping Elizabeth close.
“Are we okay, dad?” Jackson looked over to me with a very guarded expression.
“Of course we are, son…we always are.”
I hugged my son with all that I had. I felt his tension slowly leave his body, as he wiped away a fallen tear. Once again my son had completely beguiled me. He expected me to be angry with him after learning his lie by omission, but he was wrong. Jackson had been my greatest gift in this life, and I vowed never to be the way my father treated me. It would only hurt my son, and I would never risk that.