The decision to not go into business with his father had opened the spot for Jeff. It was something Dawn had pushed for, when Jeff hadn’t gotten a job out of college as fast as she’d have liked. Jeff had thought it was a lucky break, but it had come with a price. Working for your father-in-law was probably even worse than working for your dad.

They sat around the coffee table catching up for over an hour, until Andrew could barely hold his head up.

“I’m sorry. It’s great to see you two, but I’m beat. I’m still on Paris time. I need to go check in at the hotel and turn in.”

“Andrew Lee York, you are not staying at a hotel.” His mother looked horrified.

“Look, I don’t want to be a bother. This will be easier.”

“Call and cancel that reservation right now. You can stay in your old room. It’s the guest room now. It’s all ready to go. Not a bother at all.”

He knew better than to argue when Mom had that look in her eye. “Fine. I’ll go get my stuff.”

“Glad you remembered that look,” Dawn whispered to him as he walked by. “Can’t argue with her when she’s like that.”

“Oh, I recognized it.”

“I’ll come with you.” Dawn followed him outside. “I’m so happy you’re here, but I have to ask. Are you going to come back after you do this thing in New York? Maybe for a little while, at least?”

He let out a sigh. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

She smiled. “At least that wasn’t a no.”

“Don’t read more into it. I’m just tired, and I have a sweet job to go back home to.”

“Home?” She pulled her hands to her hips and raised a finger. “Home is here. Where your family is.”

He regretted the slip.

He hitched his bag on his shoulder and went back inside. “Goodnight, Mom. Love you. You too, sis. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

His room was now a girly blue with lots of flowers and ruffles. He was too tired to even care. He stretched out across the bed to the familiar sound of Dawn and Mom talking in the living room. It does feel like home.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

“Good morning, Mom,” Andrew said as he walked into the kitchen.

“You’re up early this morning.”

Andrew poured himself a cup of coffee. “I need to get back on an east coast schedule.”

“That’s got to be exhausting changing time zones like that, but you’re still young. You should be able to bounce right back.”

He shook his head. “Have to admit, there are a lot of days I’m not feeling so young anymore.”