The following week arrived with a particular brand of chaos that Marcus recognized as the universe's way of making sure you didn't get too comfortable thinking about anything other than survival. The Tuesday morning began normally enough. Amara, eggs, braids, school. But by 8:30, Marcus was at the Bennett property staring at a new problem. Overnight, the unsealed section of the east wall had taken on water from a drainage issue he hadn't yet gotten to.
And while the damage was manageable, it meant 2 days of unplanned remediation work that wasn't in the contract timeline. He called Richard before 9. I need to be straight with you about a setback. Marcus said he laid it out what happened, what it would take to fix, how it would affect the timeline, and the cost. Richard listened without interrupting.
Then you could have smoothed that over. Made it sound like normal job variance. I could have, Marcus agreed. Why didn't you? Cuz it's your property and your money and you deserve to know what's true.
A pause, Marcus. What is your company's financial situation right now? Marcus went still. Excuse me. I'm asking directly, Richard said.
Because I've asked around and I've heard about coastal development and I've seen what they've been doing to smaller restoration contractors in this market and I want to know the truth. A long pause. We're 60 to 90 days from critical. Marcus said it was the first time he'd said it that plainly to anyone outside his crew. It sat in the air like a stone.
Thank you for telling me the truth. Richard said I didn't tell you so you'd know why you told me. Richard said, and his voice was very calm. You told me because that's who you are, Marcus. I'd like to meet in person, not at the property, at my office this Friday.
Can you do that? Marcus was quiet for a moment. What kind of meeting? The kind where one person has resources and another person has something worth investing in, Richard said. And before you tell me you don't need charity, this isn't charity.
I'm a businessman. I've been watching you work for almost 2 months and I know what I'm looking at. A pause. Please come. Marcus said yes.
He didn't know what else to say. And the truth was that 60 to 90 days from critical was close enough to hear breathing. And his daughter still expected real butter in her scrambled eggs. And some things you accepted, not because your pride was small, but because your love was bigger than your pride. He went back to work.
He was replacing the damaged section. Focused precise when he heard footsteps behind him at just afternoon. He turned expecting Richard or Desawn. It was Olivia. She was carrying a bag from a restaurant downtown.
He could tell by the name on it. And she looked slightly out of breath. Like she'd moved faster than she'd planned to get here. "My father told me what happened to the east wall," she said. I thought she stopped, looked at the bag, looked slightly uncertain in a way that he'd never seen her look and which sat on her like a borrowed coat.