The Forgotten Ones

Changes

Song: Surprise Yourself by Jack Garratt

Hearing my father talk to me like that, it struck a chord with me. But, I also know that my relationship with my dad is now sour. I have burned a bridge with them. And I don't know if I will be able to repair it. They loved Willa. She wasn't like every other girl that wanted the money and the fame behind the Campbell name. She just wanted me and my parents could see that. 

I broke that trust though. They didn't know about a secret grandkid. And even worse, I was the reason behind it. I can understand why they are angry with me. I wish I could rewind time. But every word he said was right. All were right. His words only motivated me though. It made me want to get up and make a change. I didn't want to keep being this rich douche bag. 

The day after the dinner, I went to work and started to make plans. I wanted to change things up for the company. Everything started with the old projects that I began to work on but never finished. More specifically, the work that I began to work on with Willa. 

Willa had great ideas for my company like creating a charity for third world countries and scholarships for students in low-income families. There were a lot of good projects that we both thought of but none that I finished. I just had a lot of other things I had to finish that I never got to finishing up our ideas. But now I feel it is a great time to finish these projects. I know that past Willa would appreciate it and would still want these projects to be real instead of written on paper. They are different from the company usually works with, but it would make a great image for it. 

Although I couldn't get the opinion of my father, it seemed like some of the company partners liked these ideas. They saw the plans and pitched in on donating a sum of money to these projects. For once, I was happy to be in my office, working on them. 

The project I was most important to work on was the support for single mothers in the lower class. Willa was excited about this project when we first thought of it. As a woman, Willa thought that it was important to recognize not only families but also women who had to do everything on their own. She wanted people to pay attention to the women in their lives. I took this project personally. It only reminded me more of Willa. I didn't want to imagine her as a single mom, but I did. I don't know how she would've done it on her own. If she would've lived with her parents or would have her own little apartment. It only made me sad to think about it. 

I was currently sitting in my office now, working out some of the financial kinks with a few of the projects. I wanted these projects to be perfect. Only the best for what Willa wanted. It was almost dawn but sleep never crept in. Everyone else was already out of the office except for the janitor. There were papers scattered all about, but it was still my organized mess. I have been working on these projects for about two weeks and still, I was not fully satisfied with them. I felt like there was something missing from them. I just didn't know what. I tried to get the opinions of some of the partners to see if they too felt like there was something missing. They just told me that they weren't upset or dissatisfied with them. They thought that they were perfect. But in my gut, I feel like they are missing something. Just what? 

I fell against my chair, frustrated with myself. 

On paper, they are perfect. But, thinking about them, they don't. What do they need? 

I looked out of the glass wall of my office overlooking the office, staring at the janitor that was vacuuming the floor. My office is soundproof so I couldn't hear the machine working, but I still felt like I could. And then suddenly. The idea hit me. I stood up, grabbed my coat, and then headed out of the office, the sound of the vacuum finally coming to life in my ears. 

The night was a blur. I remember doing a few phone calls and a couple of organizations. Over the next couple of days, things were moving. After watching the man and being in my office, I realized what these projects needed to happen. Not being able to listen to that vacuum, it was like me with these projects. Although I could see them, I wasn't involved with them. I need to be involved with them.