Mom had been cooking since Wednesday morning. Dad had set up the extra folding table in the dining room because we had a full house. Evan and Meredith brought their two kids. Karen came with me. She was a veterinary technician at an animal hospital in Mechanicsville, and the only person I knew who could stay calm while a Rottweiler bit her.
Then Paige walked in with Graham, and the whole house rearranged itself around him.
It started small.
We were all in the living room with Mom’s spinach dip and a cheese tray when Dad asked me how work was going. I told him we’d just finished a major security overhaul for a client in the defense sector. It had been six weeks of long nights, and I was proud of it.
I didn’t even finish the sentence.
“Defense sector, huh?” Graham said. “So what, you set up their Wi-Fi?”
He laughed like it was the funniest thing anyone had ever said.
Paige laughed too.
Dad gave that half-smile dads give when they can’t tell if something was a joke or an insult.
I let it go.
Then Graham turned his whole body toward my father, and his voice changed. It got warmer and softer, like he was settling in by a fireplace.
“Mr. Hollis, Paige tells me you’re retired now. Union electrician, right? Thirty-five years?”
“Thirty-five and a half,” Dad said. “But who’s counting.”
“That’s a real accomplishment. And I bet you’ve got a pension that’s just sitting there.”
Dad shrugged. “It’s not sitting. It pays me every month.”
“Sure, sure. But here’s what a lot of guys in your position don’t realize.” Graham leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Depending on the plan, sometimes you can take a lump sum instead of the monthly check. And if that lump sum is managed properly, in the right alternative asset classes, it can do a lot more for you than a fixed payment.”
Mom looked up from the cheese tray. “Oh, I don’t know about all that. We just keep it simple.”
“Of course. And simple is good.” Graham smiled at her. “Mrs. Hollis, you were at a dental practice for, what, twenty years? You probably have a 401(k) from that job too.”
“About a hundred and eighteen thousand,” Mom said, as casually as if she were reading a grocery list. “Our girl at the credit union says it’s doing okay.”
My stomach tightened. Mom tells strangers everything. She once told a Verizon customer service rep the story of her gallbladder surgery.
“Okay is fine,” Graham said gently. “But okay isn’t great. Tell you what. Why don’t I come by sometime in December and take a quick look at your statements? No charge. Family rate.” He winked at Paige. “Just to make sure nobody’s leaving money on the table.”
Paige beamed at him like he’d just offered to repaint the house for free.
Dad said, “Maybe,” in the voice he uses for door-to-door salesmen.
I watched Graham’s face while he talked to my parents. He wasn’t looking at them like people. He was looking at them like numbers.
That’s when the scratching in the back of my brain got louder.
Where did I know this guy from?
Ethan Blake is a skilled Creative Content Specialist with a talent for crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives. With a strong background in storytelling and digital content creation, Ethan brings a unique perspective to his role at TheArchivists, where he curates and produces captivating content for a global audience.
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