Page 9 of Meet Stan

“Oh no,” I shook my head. “That meant the world to him. Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry. It’s because I left—”

“Oh, stop. We’ve got plenty of hands to run the shop. Your being here wouldn’t have made one shit lick of difference.”

“Ma, gross,” I said with a disgusted grimace. “Don’t say things like that.”

“Like what? That we’ve got plenty of people to run the shop?”

“No, don’t be a goof, I mean shit lick. What does that even mean? I can’t believe you made me say it out loud.”

“It’s an expression, don’t take it literally.”

I lapsed into silence. Sell the family business? It hurt, a lot, even though I wasn’t really involved with the biz side of things anymore. I just always assumed the shop would always be there, eternal in perpetuity and all that bullshit.

Now, I had to confront the reality that not only could my parents lose their business, but that it might be sooner rather than later.

“I’m assuming Dad knows.”

“Of course. Your sisters all know, too.”

“So I’m literally the last person in the world finding out about this?” I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. “Seriously, mom.”

“Come on, Ivy.” Mom sat down beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Out of all my daughters, you’re the one who I was the most worried about telling the bad news to.”

“Why? You think because I’m the youngest I can’t handle it?”

“No, you’re the most stubborn of all my daughters. I knew that as soon as you found out, you’d try to move heaven and earth to save the business.”

“What’s so wrong with that?” I asked.

“Dear, do you remember when you were determined to build a rain man? How you spent an hour and a half out in the cold rain trying to make it work, and in the end you just got pneumonia?”

“I was eight, Ma, give me a break.”

“My point is you don’t give up. You’re tenacious, and that’s helped you a lot. It’s one of your great qualities, but it’s also your Ajax heel.”

“Achilles heel, Ma.”

“That’s what I said.” She sighed. “You push yourself too hard for lost causes. That’s all. I’m just saying, pick your battles.”

“It sounds like you’re saying I can’t do a damn thing to stop this.”

“Honey,” Ma said with a long sigh. “I’m not sure that anyone can stop it. Once you get upside down on a loan and a card or two, it’s a downhill slide on a slippery slope. I just keep thinking that if we retired—but I always wanted our kids to carry on the legacy.”

A stab of guilt hit me hard in my gut. I put my hand on top of her own and squeezed.

“Ma, don’t sell yourself short. There might still be a way. Maybe there’s some kind of government small business assistance program you can take advantage of?”

“See? You’re doing it already.”

“Doing what?”

“Trying to take over.”

“Ma, I’m not trying to take over.” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “I just want to make sure that you and dad are doing everything possible to make this work.”

“You think we’re not?” Mom’s eyes grew narrow. “You think just because you got that fancy college edu-macation that you’re smarter than me? I’ve got thirty years on you, missy, and I’ll always be thirty years smarter and wiser—”

She stopped, because I was speaking along with her.

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