Return to Gray Harbor (12 page)

On the ride over to the hospital, Michael couldn’t help but replay the interaction he had with his dad on Monday over and over again in his head. When his dad had said he didn’t want to see Michael. Would today be any different? Michael took in a deep breath as he pulled into the Saint Andrews parking lot. He had no idea how this was going to go but he knew it had to happen. He walked to the front desk and found out his father’s room number, then made his way up the elevator. Once he got to his father’s door, he stood outside it for a few minutes, trying to compose himself, when his father’s doctor walked out of the room.

“Can I help you?” She asked, holding her clipboard.

Michael looked at her name tag before responding, “Yes, Dr. Williams, I was just going in to say hi to my father.”

“Oh, yes.” She smiled. “You must be Michael, the big finance guy in New York. Your dad will be happy to see you, just go right in.”

Huh? His father talked about him to his doctor? Michael couldn’t believe it, especially after Monday. He took a deep breath and walked in slowly. He saw his father lying there a bit dazed, just watching television.

“Hello, Dad,” said Michael hesitantly.

His father said nothing but looked at Michael and a light seemed to flicker in his eyes before darkening again. But he said nothing. There was a chair by his bed and Michael went over and sat down.

“Dad, I know you didn’t want to see me Monday and I don’t know if you want to see me today. But I wanted to see you.” He paused and looked at his father. His father had turned his head slightly to see Michael better and was focusing on what he was saying. He didn’t say anything but Michael could tell that he could hear him. Michael let out a sigh.

“Dad, thirteen years ago I left because I wanted to live my dream. I wanted to go to New York and make something out of myself, like you did for yourself in Maine. I’ve worked really hard at what I’ve been doing but I think I want to do something else now.”

He took a deep breath before continuing. “Being back home this week has inspired me and I want to try a new endeavor. But first …” Michael took another breath and looked at his father. His father had a hopeful, but also extremely sad, look in his blue eyes. He almost looked vulnerable, something Michael never thought he’d be able to say about his father.

Michael repeated himself again. “But first,” he paused and said, “I want to help out with Malone’s Market and make the whole family's dream come true and finish putting Malone’s on the map. And I also wanted to say...” he faltered a bit and paused.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry for all the time we’ve lost together as father and son because I’ve been too stubborn about all of this.”

Michael looked at his father, who was struggling to move his lips. Finally, his dad said in a strained tone, “It’s okay, son.” It took a lot out of him to say the words. He paused and said, “I na na need you annnnda ammm gladda you are here.” A tear streamed down James Malone’s face. Something Michael had never seen before. His father — the strongest and toughest man in the world — was crying. Michael couldn’t believe it. He got up from his seat and went over and hugged his Dad, starting to cry, too. He knew what he had to do now. He had to fix this. After a few moments, he sat back down and looked at his Dad and held his hand. It was limp, but Michael sat there and held it and listened to his father.

“Sonna I am sorry tatatoo. I na na needa your help. The markmarkettta is in trubtruble.” James fought to get the words out.

“Dad, I know. I’ve been helping out this past week and know all about it. But there is a solution, Dad. If you trust me to work on it with you and the rest of the family.”

James attempted a smile again. “Soundsa good, whattaver yooou thinthink. I am afraida...gotta ina over my head.”

“Dad, I have a lot of ideas but I don’t want to do anything without your consent. How about I work out some ideas and I come here each day and we can go over the plans and make some decisions together? As partners, if you like.”

James smiled again and slowly formulated his next words. “That’s ppperrrfeccct, son.”

Michael smiled and embraced his dad one more time before heading out. James Malone looked happy and Michael felt happier than he had in a long time. In fact, he felt like a million pound weight had been lifted off his back. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already three thirty. This entire day had flown by.

Before heading out, Michael went to find Dr. Williams to discuss his father’s treatment and find out what would be necessary at home and how he would be able to navigate through life with this now.

Dr. Williams explained that James had already started rehabilitation at the health center, which was expensive but worth it. She told him that his father had started to walk, which was huge, but that the next three to four weeks were going to be key and he would need all the support he could get. That meant daily visits and support, maybe even some help during physical therapy. Speech and balance might take longer and he might never be able to use his left hand fully but Dr. Williams said she thought James was very lucky. If it hadn’t been for Marty’s early discovery of James it would have been much worse. Some more changes would need to be made to help James transition back home and back to the store. Michael knew he could help make it work.

Michael walked to the car and called his mother at the market and told her he had visited his father. She was ecstatic. He told her he would pick up some pizzas and other goodies and get things ready for dinner at seven that night. Next he called Jonah to ask what videos or games he might want and to let him know they could discuss the website when Michael got home. Then Michael drove into town feeling better than he had in a long time.

After leaving the hospital, Michael ran a few errands in town including grabbing some soda, videos and video games, pizzas, pasta, and salads. He also grabbed the Wall Street Journal for the hell of it; maybe he’d dig into it later tonight or the next day and see what was happening with the markets.

When he drove home he liked what he saw. The siding had been finished, window boxes with beautiful flowers had been put in, and the lawn looked well manicured. Flowers were planted everywhere. It looked kind of like it had when they were kids, but better. Michael went in and unloaded everything on the table and then looked for Judy and Jonah. He walked into the living room to find Judy sitting in there with her sketchpad.

“Hey, Judy, how’s it going?”

“Hey, Mikey. I’m just sketching a few things. Jonah told me you wanted a new logo and maybe even some rebranding for the market, so I’m kicking around a few ideas.”

“Cool! Hey, you know what, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone sit in this room.”

“Oh yeah, they’re repainting the den. Did you know it used to be a master bedroom? That’s what Bob told me. He’s doing it in a grayish-cream color so that we can really have some fun decorating in there, or even turn it into a bedroom when Dad gets home from the hospital. So anyway, I’ve been sitting in here while they’re working.”

“Huh, that’s a great idea about the bedroom. So, when do I get to see these sketches?” he asked and smiled, as he tried to look at her notebook.

“Oh, no, you don’t. Not till I’m done, but I’m making good progress so probably tomorrow. Sound good?”

“That’s better than good. Thanks again, Judy.”

Michael walked up the stairs to the bedroom and found Jonah hard at work at his computer.

“Hey, you’re here! I have so much to show you!” Jonah launched into a long-winded explanation about why he selected Wordpress over Drupal to create the site. He also got the color scheme ideas from Judy but he said that all the branding was a placeholder for the time being. Michael could see Jonah had already put quite a bit of work into the project.

“So, yeah, if you can get me a list of all the products we carry, I’m going to make a product database for the products page. Oh, and we can even like, hook it up to an inventory system. Or maybe not. But like, I can create one. I have all these ideas that could be really cool. I think I can have this all done by the end of next week for sure!”

Michael loved how excited Jonah was about this, and Judy, too. Maybe if their dad involved Michael more in the market’s decisions when he was a kid, he would have been more into it, too. Michael was even getting excited about it now. They could really turn things around. He told Jonah as much and then headed downstairs to set the table and get everything ready for dinner. His mother had called and let him know that Annie would be joining them and that they would be there shortly.

While Michael waited, he wandered into the den and thought about what Judy had said. It just might make the perfect bedroom for Mom and Dad when Dad came home. He was already walking but it would probably make things easier for him not to have to go up and down the stairs. Michael made a mental note to discuss this with his mother, when he heard voices out in the kitchen.

“Michael, Michael! Where are you?” His mother shouted enthusiastically.

He came back into the kitchen and was engulfed by her arms and her spirit.

“Michael, the outside of the house looks amazing, I can’t believe what you’ve done!”

“Judy and Jonah helped, too, with everything,” he said, indicating that all of the interior had now been painted as well.

A few seconds later, both Judy and Jonah came in and they all sat down to a lively meal. As they ate, they discussed all their ideas and plans and what they had all worked on that day, both for the Market and for their home.

As they were finishing up their pizza, Michael cleared his throat and said, “I have something to tell everyone.” The room grew quiet.

“Today I went to the hospital and spoke with Dad. It was really great. He’s having some trouble talking but he let me know he wants our help in coming up with ways to save the market and he wants to see us all every day, if possible.” He paused. “And he and I have ... forgiven each other.”

Annie let out something that sounded like a war whoop—or was it more like a whoopee—and then said, “Hallelujah, finally. That’s great bro! So, what are we going to do about the market in terms of decisions?”

Michael let her know his idea of having their father actively participate in the decision-making, but no longer having it be a dictatorship market ... it would be a family market, where everyone’s input counted. And that meant that Michael wouldn’t be leading the charge on his own, either. Michael always believed that you needed to involve the whole team, from the mailroom people to the top executives, to come up with fresh ideas. Everyone had something to contribute.

His mother beamed.

They finished up dinner and then Michael and Annie did the dishes. Michael thought to himself that next time he ordered pizza, he needed to remember paper plates and cups.

“Sooo, thanks for babysitting the other night! Tom and I had the best time and the boys couldn’t stop raving about you. They want you to come over again soon!”

Michael chuckled. “That’s just because I’m a pushover and mistakenly gave the boys soda after hours.”

“What? Well that must explain it.” Annie winked at him.

“No, seriously. Michael, it’s nice to have you back here. I feel like I have support now. For a lot of the past decade or so, it’s seemed that I’ve been going at it alone with them. It’s nice to have your help now. I mean, I’m not saying that you weren’t helpful before ... well, I guess I am, but it’s not like it was your fault.” Annie continued to ramble. She tended to do that. It’s a good thing she married such a quiet guy like Tom, Michael thought. They were well suited for each other, he decided.

“So, anyway what I was trying to say was that last night was great. Tom and I went to the Warren Inn but ate in the dining room for once. It is so nice there! So well done and the food was incredible! I feel like Beth should totally have a show on the food network!”

Annie continued for a few minutes about how the Food Network was amazing and how they should do a show based in Maine, and wouldn’t it be amazing if Malone’s Market could be featured? Now, there was an idea. By the time they made it back to drying the dishes, the conversation circled back to Beth. Annie wanted to know what the status was with her and Michael. Michael wanted to laugh at his sister’s roundabout way of speaking, but he thought it was endearing and part of her charm, despite how frustrating it could be. He spaced out for a moment.

“So? So? You never gave me all the details about the other night. And frankly, I don’t need every detail but are you going to see her again? How do you feel about her? How does she feel about you?”

This was like twenty questions, thought Michael, “Yes, I like her. And I’m unsure.”

“Seriously? That’s how you’re going to answer that question. Pish. You’re just like you were when we were kids.”

Michael laughed at that. They finished up the dishes and had a few more laughs before Annie headed home and the rest of the family retired to the living room, where they watched a favorite movie of Michael’s, “Back to the Future.” It took place in 1985, and this mad scientist type, Doc Brown, invents time travel. A young Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, travels back to 1955, and accidentally prevents his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake. Judy had never seen it but she ended up loving it! They had a good laugh and as Michael looked around the room at his Mother, Jonah, and Judy, he realized that he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be that night.

The next morning, Michael got up early and went for another run to the Gray Harbor Lighthouse. He secretly hoped he’d run into Beth, but she wasn’t there. It was probably still breakfast service at the Warren Inn. Or maybe she didn’t exercise every day. He was looking forward to their ‘business lunch’ tomorrow and had settled on doing a picnic in the back of Malone’s. Of course he was going to be doing a little work there today in preparation for tomorrow, but also to help better the Market itself. He was going to get some picnic tables and benches, wood chips, and plants. As far as Beth and thoughts of her went, he guessed it was best he didn’t see her today, since there was a lot to be done aside from his picnic preparations. He wanted to talk to his mother about preparing the house for his father's return. He also wanted to work with Judy and Jonah on the website and re-branding ideas. He also needed some time to think about his own future. Huh, he thought. He kept coming back to that. His future.

He didn’t know what he wanted, but he did know what he didn’t want. He didn’t want to be a part of Goldfarb anymore. It was time to move on. He had been there since business school and he also didn’t appreciate their recent behavior towards him. He was still managing director, he thought. Maybe he needed to do something drastic. He would call his lawyer later in the day and try to set up a call and get his resignation process started.

After spending a few minutes staring out at the water, he ran back home. As he ran, he thought about all that had happened over the past week. He couldn’t believe that’s all the time that had passed. It seemed like so much longer. When he got home, he ran right up the stairs to the room he and Jonah were sharing and was surprised to see Jonah up already.

“Jonah, what are you doing up so early?” Michael checked his watch. “It’s only seven. I’m impressed ... BUT what are you doing?”

“Building the website, you dope. Pull up a chair.”

Michael did exactly that.

Jonah sniffed and said, “Oh, my God! You smell foul. All right, just stay about a foot away from me and try not to drip any of your sweat on my computer, okay?”

Michael was tempted to put Jonah in a headlock but decided against. Instead, he maturely stuck out his tongue and said, “All right little brother, I’ll try not to drip on your precious computer, just show me what you have.”

For the next hour, Jonah showed him how he had set up a simple database where they could load their product data so people could see what the store had to offer and even do searches. For example, what gluten-free products did Malone’s Market have to offer? What kinds of fish? And the best part was he had written a script where they could just upload a spreadsheet (a properly formatted one) and it would load the data. Michael was impressed.

“Oh, and Judy is also writing all the copy, she should have it all done tonight. So basically if Dad likes this, we can launch with this and our current logo now and then relaunch with updated branding in a couple of weeks or whenever.”

“I’m really impressed, Jonah,” Michael said and put his arm around his little brother. You really are a brain. And you just totally freed up my afternoon. How much more work do you have to do on this?”

“Nothing, really, without that inventory list and Judy’s copy — wait, why?” He regretted saying he was free very quickly.

“Perfect. Get dressed and we’re going back to McAllister's. We have some work to do, and then we’ll go visit Dad.”

“Arrghhh. Fine, but what’s in this for me?”

“I’ll get you a couple of egg n’ cheese rolls at the diner this morning. We’ll bring Judy, too. What do you think?”

“All right, you know me, I’m a sucker for food, I’ll go get Judy ... and you may want to take a shower. You really stink!”

Michael laughed at that, but it was true. He did really stink. Running six miles never left him smelling great, but he felt good. He hopped in the shower and opted not to shave again, he was kind of liking the mountain man look but maybe he would shave it off tomorrow and reserve the look for the winter. He pulled on what had become his uniform in Maine: a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and his boat shoes. Then he ran down stairs to an eager Judy and Jonah.

“Let’s go, we’re starving, Michael,” said Judy. Not something he expected from his usually quiet and reserved sister. He guessed she was getting comfortable with him and that made him smile.

They walked out to the car and Michael drove them to the local diner. They ended up ordering pancakes, egg and cheese rolls, bacon, and potatoes and sharing all of it. Michael couldn’t remember having such a pleasant meal ever before. They joked around, talking about music, movies, and even more serious topics like their dad and the store.

“Judy, I’ve been meaning to ask you. I don’t know if this is your sort of thing.” Michael paused and Jonah gave him a warning glance, “But I was thinking it might be really cool to have a mural in the back of the store, outside? You know by the parking lot? We’re going to pick up some picnic tables and stuff for that area today so that people can sit out there and enjoy lunch. Anyway, I’m not much of an artist. And given that I know you’re artistically inclined ...” Before Michael could continue, Judy paused and looked at Michael and then Jonah.

Michael realized then that maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, so he tried to save himself and Jonah by saying, “You know, since you’re working on the logo ... I was if wondering if you would help me with it?”

“Ouch!” Jonah shrieked, after Judy punched him hard in the arm.

“That’s for telling him.” Judy turned her attention back to Michael and said, “Sure, I’d love to help.”