Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
"Thanks, Anya," I say, my voice softer now, more sincere. "This means a lot."
She smiles, reaching out to squeeze my hand. "You deserve this, Cal. And so does she."
“Thanks,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck.
Anya takes a seat across from me, her expression serious yet filled with the warmth she’s always had. She meets my eyes with a calm intensity. “Can I say something?” she asks, her tone almost too gentle, like she’s about to drop something heavy on me.
I crack a smile, knowing full well that whether I say yes or no, she’ll say what’s on her mind. “Even if I said no, you’d say it anyway. So, yes, go ahead.”
She grins, but it fades quickly as she leans forward slightly, her voice soft but direct. “Ever since we were kids, you’ve always felt like you had this obligation to all of us. Like you were responsible for making sure everything was okay, like you couldn’t ever really have fun because you were always watching over us. You’ve been that way forever. Even when you opened this brewery, you’ve been married to the job since day one. You work harder than anyone else here—and I don’t think it’s because you’re the boss. It’s more than that.”
Her words catch me off guard, though I try to play it off. “What do you mean?”
She looks at me like she’s been holding onto this observation for a long time, waiting for the right moment to let it out. “I think you’ve held the reins for so long, you’re afraid to let go.”
I shake my head, trying to brush off the truth in her words, but there’s no point pretending. “It’s not that, Anya,” I say, though my voice lacks the conviction I wish it had. “I just… I wanted to make sure our family had everything. Maybe I’ve been a little too controlling with the brewery, but I’ve always felt this weight, like I needed to make sure this place succeeded—for all of us. Dad invested into this place, and I wanted to make sure he got his money back, and then some. I wanted to make sure none of us would ever have to struggle because this place didn’t make it. You know what I mean?”
Anya nods, her eyes filled with understanding. “I do. And that’s exactly why you’ve always taken on more than you needed to. You wanted to protect us. But, Cal, you’ve already done that. This place has succeeded. You built something incredible here. And now, maybe it’s time to loosen the reins a little. Not let go completely,” she adds with a smile, knowing how hard that would be for me, “but just enough to let the rest of us help. We’re here too, you know. You don’t have to carry it all on your shoulders. We can help, and you can spend that extra time with Violet.”
Her words sink in slowly, like a release I didn’t know I needed. It’s like she’s just given me permission to finally let go of this iron grip I’ve had on the brewery—and my life. For years, I’ve convinced myself that as long as my family was happy, that was enough. That their happiness meant mine. But lately, especially since Violet, I’ve realized how much I’ve denied myself. How much I’ve avoided the idea that maybe I deserve something for me too.
I feel a wave of relief lift off my shoulders, like I can finally breathe. “I guess I have been working too much,” I admit quietly. “I’ve never really put myself out there, not for real. Honestly, as long as you all were happy, I thought that was enough. I didn’t care about my own happiness.”
Anya’s eyes shimmer with emotion, and I see the tear slide down her cheek before she stands up. She walks around my desk and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, her small frame somehow offering the comfort I didn’t even realize I needed. “You deserve happiness too, Cal,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “You deserve someone to look after you, just like you’ve always looked after all of us.”
Her words settle deep in my chest, right where I’ve kept that guarded part of me hidden for so long. And for the first time, I feel like maybe she’s right. Maybe I do deserve happiness. Maybe it’s time to stop being afraid of letting someone in.
I close my eyes, holding onto my little sister for a moment longer, feeling more at peace than I have in years. "Thanks, Anya," I murmur. "I needed that."
She pulls back, wiping her cheek with a smile. "I know you did."
Anya leaves my office and I grab my phone, pulling up the chat with just my brothers and Griffin.
I’m getting married.
Griffin: I just heard.