Page 27

Room 201

Baby showers were like weddings but with less pressure and more onesies. Thereby, I was a fan. Who doesn’t like oohing and ahhing over tiny socks? Maya, our mother to-be, wasn’t interested in learning the potential gender of her baby, which in my opinion was the most exciting way to go. It also offered those of us who organized the event lots of freedom to decorate as we chose. I looked around the break room on the afternoon of her baby shower, for which we’d closed the store for one full hour at Peter’s go-ahead. Instead of any kind of boring pink or blue theming, we’d exploded the room in a circus of every color and palette imaginable. Jewel tones, pastels, neons, and in between shades. Balloons, swans, teddy bears, and a catered spread from BeLeaf Corporate made me feel like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole to newborn central. The gathering, attended by our employees and Maya and Jason’s family, was a damn delight. It honestly had turned out more beautiful than I’d hoped. Even Buster smiled sweetly in the corner, consuming his square of cake in a blissful display while Maya opened the last of her presents: the bassinette I’d selected from her registry.

“Savanna, no. This is too generous.” I watched as Maya and Jason exchanged an excited look. I knew she’d had her eye on the model. Knowing it was out of their price range, I’d encouraged her to add it to her list just on the off chance that someone decided to nab it. All part of my plan. “It is not. I need this baby sleeping in style when they’re not sleeping on me, that is.” And why did I have baby fever all of a sudden? That was new.

My phone buzzed, which was annoying because this was the seventh or eighth call from that number in the past hour. “You know what? I might need to take this,” I said quietly to Henrietta as I snuck out of the room, sad to leave the fun.

“This is Savanna,” I said once I slid onto the call.

“Ms. Potter, thank you for taking my call. This is Bobby Lehman, from Lehman and Saunders.” He paused as if I should know the name. I didn’t.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, worried this was some sort of marketing call. “I’m actually right in the middle of a gathering for my coworker.”

“And I hate to bother you, but I’m only in town for a short time and have an important matter I need to discuss with you before I go.”

I paused, mystified as to what this could be about. “Is this something we can do over the phone? Or can you at least tell me what this pertains to?”

“I think it’d be better if we met in person. I’m camping out in an office at the courthouse. Can you meet me in room 201 upstairs as soon as possible? There’s an important matter to discuss.”

This was cryptic, and I wondered if it was some sort of prank. Maybe Jonathan was in town and planning to pop out from behind the door when I arrived. Now, that was a surprise I could get behind. I peered through the rectangular window in the door to the break room. People were hugging Maya. The baby shower was winding down. “I suppose if you can give me two hours. I have a store to turn around.”

“That sounds great. See you then. Room 201.”

It turned out room 201, on the second floor of the courthouse, was sparsely decorated, except for a shelf full of law books and a conference table made of dark brown glossy wood. Two men, one older, one younger, stood as I entered. They were wearing suits and definitely weren’t from around here. Interesting.

“Ms. Potter?” the older one said.

“That’s me. Hi.”

“Hal Hobson, and this is my associate Derek Leary.” Derek nodded quietly, and Hal took the lead. “Shall we have a seat?”

I eyed him, still with no clues about why I’d been called there, but now I was starting to wonder if someone I knew had committed a crime. Was I about to be on Dateline ? Because I’d been training for this my entire life.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Donald Faber passed away two days ago.”

I blinked, confused. “He did? Wow.” That didn’t seem possible. That man was as strong as mustard gas. I felt a little sad about all this. Not that I’d liked Faber in the slightest, but I had a heart. “That’s too bad. No, I hadn’t heard anything.”

“He wasn’t in town at the time.”

“That’s probably why.”

“On a Jet Ski in Hawaii when his heart just gave out on him,” Derek offered, followed by a wide-eyed look. Definite sidekick energy.

“Oh. Well, that is a very Faber way to go, making himself happy and spending his gobs of money.”

“That’s actually why we’re here,” Hal said.

“Because he was selfish?” I covered my mouth because this was not the best time for me to blurt my feelings. Someone had died, and I should respect the people who were sad.

“Because of his money. You’re listed in his will as his sole beneficiary.”

I didn’t move a muscle. Neither did either of the two men seated across from me. “But that doesn’t make any sense. He didn’t like me. I was this gnat he occasionally swatted at.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be the first family I’ve represented that didn’t get along.”

“He’s not my family, though. That’s what I’m saying.”

Derek flipped open a manila folder and consulted his paperwork. “He lists you as his daughter.”

“But I’m not.” I froze. What was happening? No way. Not remotely possible. The men looked at me and then each other, not exactly sure what they’d just stepped into. I stood up and walked the perimeter of the room at an accelerated pace that matched my racing thoughts. After three passes, I came to a screeching halt and whirled on them. “He says he’s my father?”

Another exchanged look. “You didn’t know that?” Derek asked.

“No, Derek! I didn’t know that Donald Faber thought he was my motherfucking father!” I grabbed one of those chunky law books, good and shook the hell out of it, and placed it back on the shelf. I was the Incredible Hulk, reeling and ready to wage war on room 201 and Derek and Hal and whoever was the great puppet master in the sky.

I slunk into a chair, breathing heavily, and gathering my bearings. Finally, I eased out an exhale, found a glimmer of calm, and explained. “But the wonderful father who raised me is not a blood relative. Bio dad has been a bit of a question mark recently.”

“So, maybe this is the answer to your question,” Hal said gently. “Once his affairs have been handled, most everything he has is going to you.”

I hadn’t let myself acknowledge that portion yet. “You’re saying I’m rich now?” My voice sounded flat. I couldn’t make myself care about anything other than the bad news that it was very likely Donald Faber, that tool of a human, who was my paternal contributor. Dad was not a word I’d be using. He barely deserved former boss.

“It depends on your definition.”

“No, you’re rich,” Derek corrected. I had a feeling these two would be having a talk in the car.

Hal slid me a very detailed sheet, only I had no idea what I was looking at. “In addition to the properties he owns, and there are many, this number at the bottom is a rough estimate of what will be left once we settle everything.”

“Shut up.” I looked down at all of the zeroes. “That’s real.”

“It is.”

“And it’s coming to me? I manage a grocery store.”

“I’m sure you’re great at it, but you probably don’t have to anymore.”

That seemed like a ludicrous thing to say. “I love my job.”

Hal held up a logical hand. How was he so calm right now? “You don’t have to make any decisions right now. Today is about letting you know of Donald’s passing and what he asked us to do with his estate.”

I looked back down at the zeroes, and something interesting happened. I thought of all the taking Faber had done while on this Earth. All the days he’d ruined, the feelings he’d hurt, and the air he’d sucked up all for himself. This money was a chance to cancel out all of it. I could use his fortune to make a difference for other people in a way he never did. And maybe I was one of those people. “You say he has houses?”

“Several.”

“I’m a pretty good Airbnb host.” Maybe my side hustle could sprout wings and grow. But I was getting ahead of myself. I decided to take Hal’s sage advice and not make any decisions or moves.

We made plans to talk the next week, and still in a daze, I headed for the elevator.

“Ms. Potter?”

“Savanna,” I said, as I turned around to see Derek approach. “You were just a part of one of the weirdest moments of my life. I think we can work with first names.”

“Savanna.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to say that for what it’s worth, this man has no bearing on who you are. You said you had a wonderful father growing up? Nothing has changed.”

His words touched me in a manner I didn’t know I needed. “Thank you,” I said. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

He dropped his tone to just between us . “I’m raising a little girl who is not related to me by blood and never will be. But she’s one hundred percent my family. I’m her dad. She’s my kid. You know?”

I exhaled and smiled. “I do know. Sometimes I need reminding. Thanks, Derek.”

I left the office in a daze. I’d walked in one person and walked out quite another. I needed the world to slow down, I needed either a warm beverage or an alcoholic one, and I desperately needed Jonathan.

First things first. I found a bench down the sidewalk and took a seat. He answered his FaceTime almost immediately. “Did you know that all they eat in Texas is tacos and barbecue? Seriously. Austin takes these two items very seriously.” Then he saw my face. “What’s wrong? You look pale, or is it just your redheaded fairness again?”

“I’m rich, and I’m a Faber.” My mind raced while, at the same time, I was operating in a daze. A strange combination.

He squinted. “I don’t know which of those to tackle first. What do you mean you’re a Faber?” Then it seemed to hit him. “Oh, God. No. Are you sure?”

“Fairly. He left me all his money.”

“Faber died?”

“Right. Should have led with that. He died in Hawaii and sent his attorneys to tell me that the money is all coming to me, his daughter .”

“Stop that right now!” he yelled. “This is amazing!”

“It is not.” Was Jonathan drunk? “I don’t want to be a Faber.”

“Well, you’re not. And you never could be. That asshole’s not even around anymore for you to have to deal with. Do you know what is around? All his selfish money that you’ll turn into good money.”

I softened because it was like he was reading my mind. Apparently, distance hadn’t dulled our connection. “I was thinking the same thing earlier. I don’t know. Maybe I could find a way to put it to good use? There are so many fantastic causes out there that are underfunded. Even some in this very town.” Talking about all of the financial potential helped soften the news. “I could set up a scholarship through the GSA at the high school. And what about a donation to the Arthritis Foundation for research? Maybe even in your name. Hell, maybe we even start a nonprofit.”

“I love that. And I’m sure it’s just the start of the wonderful things you’ll make happen. Focus on the silver lining.” He looked into the camera. “This is what I know about you, my best friend in life. You’re going to take every wrong turn he made and right it .”

I nodded along, absorbing his words. I liked the plan, and right now I very much needed one.

“The opposite of everything he did.”

The concept was already taking root.

“You hear me?”

“I think so,” I said.

He leaned into the screen. “I think this is your new mission in life. You’re the Anti-Faber, and the world is about to be bathed in glitter.”

“Glitter is so messy, though.”

Jonathan closed his eyes. “It’s a metaphor, Savvy. You’re going to leave this place better than you found it.”

“Yeah. That I can get behind. But first? I think I have to figure out how this all happened. Lindy had to have known something. She and my mom weren’t just sisters, they were best friends.”

“Then you know where you have to start.”