Chapter 6 - Dad Called Mom
Richard called at 7:18 that evening.
Mom's phone.
She almost didn't answer.
Then she did.
“Richard?”
His voice was loud enough that I heard him from across the conference room.
“Where's Daniel?”
Mom looked at me.
I held out my hand.
She shook her head.
Not yet.
“Where are you?”
“Newark.”
“Why?”
“Meeting someone.”
“Who?”
“Monarch.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Rachel had been right.
Mom lowered her voice.
“Come home.”
“I can't.”
“Employees didn't get paid.”
“I know.”
“Then come home.”
“I’m trying to get money.”
I walked closer.
“Put him on speaker.”
Mom didn't.
Dad heard me anyway.
“Daniel.”
“Dad.”
“Keep the doors closed tomorrow.”
I stared.
“That is your first instruction?”
“People are angry.”
“They're unpaid.”
“I know.”
“Where are you?”
“I said Newark.”
“With Rachel?”
“No.”
At least.
“Why were you on her flight?”
“She was meeting Hartwell.”
“Because you borrowed against their invoices.”
Silence.
Mom's eyes filled.
I continued.
“The bank took the Monarch money.”
“Yes.”
“You thought Rachel did.”
“I thought she caused the sweep.”
“She didn't.”
Dad's voice hardened.
“You have known this for six hours and suddenly you're the expert?”
There he was.
For thirty-nine years, my father could make information sound like rank.
“I’m not an expert.”
“Good.”
“I’m the guy standing inside your locked company while your employees ask where their checks are.”
Silence.
Then Dad said:
“I can still fix this.”
Mom closed her eyes.
I asked:
“How?”
“If Monarch restructures the advance and releases enough working capital—”
“Another advance?”
“No.”
“Sounds like one.”
“Daniel, you don't understand the financing.”
“I understand nine thousand eight hundred forty dollars leaves every business day.”
Mom looked at me.
She hadn't known the exact number.
Dad went quiet.
Then:
“Rachel showed you.”
“The contracts showed me.”
He exhaled.
“Listen to me. We have Hartwell. We have Fulton. We have the Boston Schools package coming.”
“Do we have money to build any of them?”
Silence.
“Dad.”
“I need Linda to send an authorization.”
Mom's hand tightened around the phone.
“What authorization?”
“To release the Hartwell escrow.”
Claire stepped forward.
“No.”
Dad heard.
“Claire, stay out of this.”
She laughed once.
“No.”
Dad ignored her.
“Linda, it's temporary.”
Mom stared at the conference table.
“You told me that before.”
Everyone stopped.
Dad's voice changed.
“When?”
“The home equity line.”
I looked at her.
“What home equity line?”
She shut her eyes.
Dad said sharply:
“Linda.”
Too late.
I stared at my mother.
“You borrowed against the house?”
She nodded.
“How much?”
“Three hundred.”
My chest went cold.
“Thousand?”
She started crying.
Dad said:
“It kept the company alive last winter.”
I stepped away from the phone.
My parents' home was paid off.
Had been for years.
Apparently not anymore.
Mom said:
“You said Hartwell would replace it.”
“It still can.”
“No.”
Her voice shook.
Dad went silent.
Mom continued.
“I’m not releasing that money.”
“Linda.”
“No.”
“Seventy-four families depend on us.”
Mom began crying harder.
I almost hated him for using that.
Then I remembered I had used almost the same sentence every time Rachel suggested reducing shifts.
Dad continued:
“If we lose Hartwell, the company is done.”
Mom wiped her face.
“Richard, the company may already be done.”
He didn't answer.
Then his voice dropped.
“Is Daniel there?”
“Yes.”
“Give him the phone.”
This time she did.
I put it to my ear.
Dad said:
“You wanted me to keep everyone.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“February. Rachel wanted layoffs. What did you say?”
I remembered.
Not the exact words.
The feeling.
People had stayed through COVID.
Through a bad year.
Through everything.
I said:
“I said cutting twenty people would gut the shop.”
“You said if I laid them off before Hartwell, you'd walk.”
Claire looked at me.
I had forgotten that.
Maybe not forgotten.
Filed it under something else.
Dad continued.
“So I found money.”
The accusation landed because part of it belonged to me.
Then he said:
“You don't get to act shocked now that money had a cost.”
The call ended.
I stood holding the phone.
Claire did not say he was manipulating me.
May you like
He was.
He was also quoting something I had actually said.
