“My grandfather was a chauvinistic asshole, and you married someone just like him. Was all that money worth it? Tell me. Was it worth trading for this life of luxury?”

“No,” her mother whispered, regret shadowing her features. “It was never worth it.”

Confused, Jill slumped into her seat. “Then, why? Why did you put me through everything you did?”

Her mother stared into the fireplace as if trying to find the answer in its dying embers. “I was young, only nineteen when I got pregnant with you.”

“Yeah, I know. I figured out the math when I was a kid. That’s no—”

“Please. Let me finish.”

Her mother turned her head, and Jill’s eyes widened at the shimmer of tears in her eyes. Jill nodded.

“Greg was my first love. My only love. He worked at a car repair shop, and one day I had a flat tire just down the road from it. Since it was the time before cell phones, I couldn’t call anyone. So I walked a few blocks to the shop and he was the first person I saw.” A wistful smile overtook her features briefly. “His hands and coveralls were smeared with grease. He stupidly made a move to shake my hand, as if I would get that grease all over my hands.”

“Of course not.”

They shared a small chuckle.

“Anyway, he walked me back to the car and went about putting on the spare tire. He fished a Snickers bar out of his pocket and gave it to me. I was rarely allowed candy when I was younger, so I relished it. I ate while he worked, and conversation just seemed to flow naturally between us. He put the spare on quickly and drove us to the shop. Once he finished, he didn’t charge me and asked me on a date.”

“What did you say?”

“No, of course. My father’s voice was in my ear with words of scorn. Much like the ones I said to Ms. Murphy.” She shook her head. “But there was something there. I couldn’t ignore it.”

“Something special.”

“Yes,” her mother replied quietly. “About a week after that, I brought him a Snickers bar to repay him. I must have done that every week for about a month. That led to secret dates and to more,” she said with a wave of her hand. “And it led to you.”

“What happened then?”

“Well, when I told my father I was pregnant, he forbade me from seeing Greg again. Since he hadn’t heard from me, he kept coming around, but my father put an end to it. I’m not sure how. I assume he threatened him.” Her mother sighed. “Then he made the contract for Douglas. We got married a month later. And that’s how we’ve ended up here.”

“What happened to Greg?” Jill cleared her throat. “To my father?”