Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“I do, too,” Vivienne argues. “I got it last week after I bought the boat.”
“How?” I put my hand on my head.
“I did the course online,” she states proudly.
“That can’t be safe.” I look over at Chase, wondering if he is thinking the same thing.
“Okay, let’s just backtrack for a bit,” Chase says. “Start at the beginning.”
“Well, I went away for Memorial Day, remember? With my friends to Miami and I loved it.” She shrugs. “So I said, ‘let me buy a boat and spend the summer on it and see how I like it.’”
“So you just bought one?” I ask, and when I think about it, this isn’t even the strangest thing I’ve heard in this family.
“I’m going to be spending the summer on the boat,” she says matter-of-factly. “And Dad forbade me.”
Chase now laughs. “You’re like old.” She glares at him. “Older than me.”
“Apparently, I don’t know what I’m doing and it’s not safe and blah, blah, blah.” She rolls her eyes when the sound of the doorbell now fills the house.
“Grand Central Station,” Chase mumbles. “It’s like nine o’clock.”
“It’s five thirty,” Vivienne says to him.
Chase yells, “It’s open!”
The front door opens and then we hear steps. “Why is the front door open? What if I was a robber?” Max stands there with his hands on his hips.
“A robber who rings the doorbell”—Vivienne snickers at him—“that’s nice of you.”
“What’s going on here?” He looks at Vivienne and then at us.
“I bought a boat,” Vivienne cuts to the chase. “And I’m going to live on it all summer.” She looks at me. “Can I use the guest bedroom?” I nod at her, and she walks to the stairs, stopping to side-hug Max before she walks upstairs.
“I’m sorry, did she say she bought a boat?” he asks, confused.
“Yes, and she’s going to live on it all summer,” I repeat and he laughs.
“Matthew must be going out of his mind.” He claps his hands together. “Also, what the hell was she thinking? She doesn’t even know how to drive a boat.”
“She does now. She took an online course.” Chase gets up. “Do you need me?” he asks Max, who just shakes his head. Chase bends to kiss my lips. “Love you,” he says before walking away.
“Are you busy?” Max asks, coming into the kitchen.
“Not at this moment.” I smile at him as he pulls out the stool that Chase just left. He sits and puts his hands in front of him.
“Why are you looking so weird?” I look over at him and he just laughs.
“I guess I’m nervous,” he admits to me, laughing awkwardly. “I have something I have to talk to you about.”
I sit upright now, thinking that he’s come to tell me he’s sick. My mouth goes suddenly dry and he must see I’m having a bit of a breakdown. “I have something important I want to do and I need your help.”
“Anything,” I say in a whisper.
“I know you haven’t started work yet,” he starts and I look down at my hands.
When all the dust settled, I just didn’t have it in me to go back to work. I decided to take my own sabbatical and decide if that is what I wanted to do or not. The only thing I knew is I wanted to make a difference in their lives. “I just.” I take a deep breath.
Max leans over and puts his hand on mine. “Well, that is what I wanted to talk to you about.” He starts again, “The Horton Foundation does a lot of things for a lot of people.” I nod my head, knowing his foundation works hand in hand with children’s oncology. “I want to make it even better.”
“I don’t understand.” I shake my head.
“I want to create a program under the Horton Foundation called Helping Hands. A program where people who are down on their luck or in the system, but can’t find the help they need, can come to us and we help them. Whether it’s finding them medical care or even a job or just helping and listening. We will have our resources and I’m rambling now, but…” He smiles when he says it, “I want you to run it.”
“What?” I say, shocked.
“Julia, there is no one who will do a better job at it than you,” he says with a huge smile on his face, and I can feel how proud of me he is. “We can make a difference.” The tears just start to come now. “You will have free rein and all I will do is stand in the back and watch you flourish.”
I put my hands in front of my face as I cry and he leans over, putting his arm over my shoulder, bringing me to him. “Why is she crying?” I hear Chase ask, his voice tense.