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We both laugh louder. “You sat on it and the whole thing folded in on itself.”

“I was five. What was I supposed to think? I didn’t know you’d meant it as a decoration for our front yard. I mean, it wasn’t following your typical aesthetic.”

“True. Everything else was rusted out.”

I grin as I think of the quirks of my childhood. Even with his funny habits, my dad has always done everything he could to support me in my passions.

“Do you have any clients yet? For your business idea, I mean.”

I can’t tell if he’s asking because he wants to test my commitment, or if it’s to start a lecture on needing to stick to something once I’ve started it. “No, but I’ve reached out to a bunch of people and started posting in some groups on social media. And I signed up to take a class in psychology and functional skills.”

“Did you decide all this before or after quitting the drugstore?”

And he caught me. “Before. Just two days.”

He shakes his head. “MacKenzie Sullivan, you’ve got to stick with something long enough to find out if it’s something you want to do.”

“Which is why I want to do this. Having my own business will be just what I need. I can work the hours I want and not have to answer to anyone.”

“You think starting a business is going to be that easy?” he asks, folding his arms across his chest. “That you’ll be off at five o’clock every day and won’t have to spend extra time to get paid?”

I mirror his pose, giving me a feeling of control. “No, I’ve looked up a lot of info, done my research for this. I mean, it would be a lot easier to start with a ten-thousand-dollar cushion in the bank, but I’ve got to start somewhere.”

“What would you use the money for if you had it?” Interrogation 101.

I focus on emptying the box to give me time to think. “I’d use it to advertise.”

“Where, when, how?”

Seconds tick by and I let my arms drop to my sides. “All right. I guess I need to do more research.”

“Good. Never stop learning.” My dad glances up at me and says, “Why don’t you come by the house this weekend? I’d be honored to be your first client.”

I can’t help but let my jaw drop open at his comment. “You want me to organize the house?” Was I sent to another timeline? I’m not sure I can hack it in the multiverse, so I hope I’m just hallucinating.

It’s been at least six years since I’ve been to my childhood home. I’d decided to go through my father’s storage shed out back one winter break, hoping to get rid of some of the excess and allow us to store real equipment and supplies back there. It’s a crazy idea to store the cars we drive in the garage, like normal people. A large box of comics had been ruined by water and mold, so I’d tossed them out, not thinking it would matter.

That started a fight that lasted several months between me and my dad. We’ve smoothed things over, but I haven’t set foot in the house since college started back up that year.

He presses his lips into a thin line and says, “It’s been too long since you kept me in check. I don’t need anyone reporting me to the city and condemning the house.”

I frown. “Dad, please say it’s notthatbad.”

“It’s notthatbad, but it’s darn close.”

That’s not a good sign. My mind calls up the hallways and bedrooms, likely filled with junk. And if my dad is admitting a problem, it’s probably a lot worse than he’s making it sound. “What if I come tomorrow after my mud run? I don’t have much this coming week, so it will be a good start.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he says, “The rink isn’t the typical place for people needing that type of business, but you could always make some cards with your phone number on them. Maybe someone will pick one up.”

I grin and walk over to the satchel bag I carry as a purse. “I just got them in the mail today. Here you go.”

I hand my dad a small stack of white and black business cards. They follow the aesthetic I want to give as an organizer, simple and to the point.

“What’s with the squiggly box on the back?” he asks, turning it over.

“It’s a QR code, Dad. I have it directed to a simple website I built last week. From there, people can connect to my social media platforms and see what I’ve done in the past.”

It takes a minute for me to show him how to scan the code and go to the site.