Page 22 of Reclaimed Roots

I nodded, but I wasn't sure I believed her. "Thanks, Jeanette. I'll see you Monday."

With a final pat on my arm, she slipped out, leaving me alone in the quiet stillness of the empty office. I sank down into Dad's chair, letting my eyes drift around the space that had been his domain for so many years. I could still feel him everywhere. Even the faint aroma of his favorite peppermint tea lingered on like a ghost.

My gaze landed on the small jade elephant figurine he kept on his desk—a souvenir from our trip to Seoul when I was ten. I'd loved the vibrant markets and bustling city streets, so different from the sleepy charm of Sable Point.

"This little guy is going to bring us good luck," he'd declared, grinning as he handed me the carved trinket. "That's what the vendor said, anyway."

I smiled faintly, reaching out to trace the cool, smooth lines of the elephant's trunk. Dad had always been a sucker for silly superstitions and folklore, no matter how much Mom teased him about it.

He taught me so much about his culture, including the language he knew from birth. I rarely spoke Korean these days, yet I had a habit of switching to it when I felt emotional. Probably from all the years trying to cry my way out of getting grounded for sneaking through Jasper'swindow to sleep in his bed. I'd be speaking even less Korean now that Dad was gone.

God, I missed him.The ache was a physical thing, a hole inside me that never seemed to go away. Losing him had left me raw and exposed. I hadn't felt like this since...

Well, since the last time my world imploded, all those years ago.

I pushed aside the thought, forcing myself to focus on the stacks of paperwork and client files strewn across Dad's desk.

Five days in, and I already felt like I was drowning.

Sure, I had the technical skills and know-how after years in corporate accounting. But this was different. Personal and intimate in a way that spreadsheets and bottom lines could never capture.

Dad didn't just crunch numbers for these people. He was their confidant, their advisor, their friend. His extensive knowledge of their businesses and lives couldn't be quantified or easily transferred.

And me? I was just treading water, trying not to let anyone see how lost and unmoored I really felt.

I raked my fingers through my hair. This was all the proof I needed. Dad's legacy would be safer in someone else's hands. The thought filled me with a sick sense of failure, like I was letting him down.

My phone vibrated on the desk, pulling me from the spiral of self-doubt. It was a text from Mom.

MOM

You still at the office?

NATALIE

Yes, but just packing up. Have you eaten today?

MOM

I had a little something earlier.

That meantno. I knew she wasn't sleeping, not eating much. But I wasn't sure how to help her. The best I could do was take care of the business and give her one less thing to worry about. Give her time to process her grief.

NATALIE

I'm going to stop by Rosie's and pick something up for dinner. Any requests?

MOM

Whatever you get will be fine. Thanks sweetheart.

NATALIE

Kk. See you soon.

Pocketing my phone, I rose from the desk with a weary sigh. A break from this office was exactly what I needed. Some fresh air and a chance to clear my head before diving back in on Monday morning.

I slipped out of the building and into the balmy summer evening. The warm breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers and freshly mown grass. Despite my lingering sadness, I drank in the beauty of the place—the way thegolden sunlight filtered through the trees lining Main Street, casting everything in a warm, nostalgic glow.

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