Finding Home in Redemption

Chapter Twenty-Three

Spring

I couldn't regret the changes I'd made in my life following Aaron's vanishing act. After a few weeks of thinking about what I'd do if I didn't have Cooper's, I began to research careers. Once I ruled out teaching and professional figure skating, I decided it was time to talk to pop.

I spent every day making sure I was keeping my priorities straight. Currently, in my life, I was a boss first. I was running a business with my father, and I couldn't let him down. I couldn't let any of my employees down. So, I did what Pop told me to do, and I put my feelings to the side until I was alone.

Every night I would think about the decisions I had to make, like if I was going to let what happened with Aaron dictate my level of trust I have for others in the future. I also had to consider hearing Amelia's side of the story. I may not ever understand how she could do what she did, but I had to give her a chance to explain.

One day in March, I went to pop and told him that I'd started questioning my career choice. I was scared it was going to be a devastatingly emotional moment, but I should have known better because Isaac Cooper is a realist. He told me that it didn't matter what I wanted to do in my future. He said if it wasn't Cooper's it was going to be okay because he had complete faith in me.

When I told him I wasn't sure about the career path I should take, he dedicated his lunch hour to help me decide.

"What kind of things do you like to do? That's the first question you have to ask yourself."

"Well, I'd like to help people, and humor is a big part of my personality. I thought about teaching, but I don't think that's it. I guess I'm pretty friendly. I like being a boss, but I think it's because I like leading people. I don't think my future career is going to be in business, so I just don't know."

"So, look into counseling."

"I don't need counseling for this. I would really like to decide this on my own."

"Bentley," he said, his voice sounded strained. "I mean go to school to be a therapist or something. Help people by counseling them."

"Oh," I said, and he laughed. "Got it. I hadn't thought about that."

I took out my notepad and wrote it down so I could search it later.

"What happens if I really do go down another road? What will happen to this place?"

"You'll still own it, squirt," he said through a bite of his taco. I looked down at my applesauce covered taco and remembered Aaron trying it out. I smiled despite the sadness.

"How can I own it if my work takes me away from Taylorsville?"

"Did you know we're some of the only owners that work at the business they run? Most people just hire a manager to take care of day to day things."

"A manager. I like it! Who would you choose?"

"Oh, that's your job when the time comes. I'm not planning to retire for another ten years or so, so when I do, and you take over you can make those calls if you need to. I always hoped you'd stay and run the place like I have but that wasn't a fair dream for me to have. You have to figure out your own life."

"Cooper's is always going to be a part of my life, you know? I can't begin to describe how I feel knowing one day I'm going to own this place, even if it turns out that I won't be here to run it."

As close as we were, the weeks that passed brought us closer. Pop really helped me narrow down my ideas and when I got an acceptance letter to an online school and started classes, this dream I didn't know I had, became a reality.