Doug finally stepped toward the table.
He picked up the photocopy again.
His expression was difficult to read.
"I need to speak with my attorney."
I nodded.
"Of course."
He looked at Jeremy.
"About tonight…"
He stopped.
My son waited.
Doug rubbed his forehead.
"I shouldn't have announced anything like that in front of everybody."
Jeremy didn't respond.
Doug continued.
"I was trying to make a joke."
I looked at him.
"Your joke cost my son his dignity."
Doug's mouth tightened.
"I understand that."
I wasn't sure he did.
But I didn't interrupt.
He looked toward Frank.
"We'll review the employment situation on Monday."
Jeremy shook his head slightly.
"Mr. Lanning, you already told me to clean out my locker."
Doug looked at him.
"I know."
"And everybody heard you."
"I know."
Jeremy's voice remained steady.
"I've worked here nine years."
Doug nodded.
"I know that too."
My son looked down briefly.
Then he said something I wished I had heard earlier in the evening.
"I never asked for special treatment."
Nobody spoke.
"I came here, did my job, and went home. I brought my mother because my wife left, and I didn't want to spend Christmas dinner alone."
I felt my throat tighten.
Jeremy continued.
"That's all."
Denise looked away.
Mike folded his arms.
Frank stood silently beside the stage.
Doug lowered his eyes.
I wanted to say something comforting to Jeremy.
But I let him finish.
He deserved to have his own words heard.
Doug finally said, "Your employment status will be reviewed."
Jeremy nodded.
"All right."
He didn't thank him.
He didn't apologize.
He simply accepted that answer for what it was.
Then he turned toward me.
"Can we go home now?"
I looked at the cookie tray.
It was still sitting on our table.
Most of the cookies were untouched.
A few people had taken some earlier.
The little red napkins were scattered around the centerpiece.
I suddenly felt very tired.
"Yes, honey."
I picked up my purse.
Before leaving, I turned toward Doug.
"One more thing."
He looked at me.
I pointed toward the photocopy.
"I will arrange for the original agreement to be reviewed by an independent attorney. I won't make any financial demands based on a conversation in a banquet hall."
Doug nodded.
"That's fine."
"But I expect the company to treat the document seriously."
"We will."
"And I expect Jeremy's employment record to be examined honestly."
Frank spoke before Doug could respond.
"I'll make sure the records are available."
I thanked him.
Then I turned toward my son.
We walked back to our table.
Jeremy picked up the cookie tray.
I collected my coat.
Neither of us said anything for several moments.
When we reached the entrance, Mike approached us.
"Jeremy."
My son stopped.
Mike looked uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, buddy."
Jeremy nodded.
"Thanks."
Mike glanced at me.
"Mrs. Margaret, I hope you have a good Christmas."
"You too, Mike."
Denise came over next.
She touched Jeremy's shoulder.
"You didn't deserve that."
He gave her a tired smile.
"I appreciate it."
I noticed several employees watching us leave.
Nobody laughed this time.
Outside, the air was cold.
Jeremy placed the cookies on the back seat before helping me into the passenger seat.
He closed the door gently.
Then he stood beside the car for a moment.
I watched him through the window.
He had his hands in his coat pockets.
His shoulders were lowered.
He looked like a man who had been carrying something heavy for far too long.
When he finally got in, he didn't start the engine immediately.
He stared through the windshield.
"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Why didn't you ever tell me about that loan?"
I looked down at my purse.
The photocopy was back inside.
"I didn't think it was something you needed to carry."
"But you put your house at risk?"
"Yes."
He turned toward me.
"Your house?"
I nodded.
"Your father and I lived there. It was a big decision."
He shook his head.
"I can't believe you did that."
I looked at him.
"Your father believed Ray could build something good. I believed it too."
Jeremy rubbed his hands together.
"And all these years, Doug never knew?"
"Apparently not."
He sat quietly.
Then he asked the question I had been expecting.
"Does that mean you own part of the company?"
I looked through the windshield.
"I don't know exactly what the agreement means under today's circumstances. That's why I'm going to have it reviewed."
He nodded.
I reached across the center console and placed my hand over his.
"But listen to me."
He looked at me.
"Whatever happens with that company, none of it changes what happened to you tonight."
He swallowed.
"You worked hard for nine years."
I squeezed his hand.
"You earned your place there."
He looked away.
I could see tears gathering in his eyes.
He quickly wiped them with the back of his hand.
I pretended not to notice.
Sometimes a mother knows when not to make a moment harder.
We drove home without turning on the radio.
The cookie tray sat between the back seat and the passenger door.
At a red light, Jeremy finally spoke.
"Do you think Dad would have been proud of you?"
I looked out at the passing Christmas decorations.
I thought about Robert.
I thought about Ray.
And I thought about the old agreement folded inside my purse.
"I think your father would have told me I should have eaten more dinner before starting an argument."
Jeremy laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh I had heard from him all evening.
I smiled.
Then he became serious again.
"Mom, what are you going to do about the company?"
I looked at him.
"First, I'm going to call an attorney."
He nodded.
"And then?"
I rested my head against the seat.
"Then we're going to find out exactly what your father's old friend promised me."
I didn't know what the next few days would bring.
I only knew that the document had survived twenty-seven years.
And I wasn't going to let anyone dismiss it simply because the man who signed it was no longer alive.
Click here to continue reading: PART 9: The Morning After the Christmas Party, I Took the Old Agreement to an Attorney Who Had No Reason to Protect the Lanning Family
My Son Asked Me to Attend His Christmas Party Because He Couldn’t Bear Another Holiday Sitting Alone
Part 8 of 20
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