Episode 1211: Too Late?

“Makes sense.” Jesse smirked.

“The client knows what she wants. It’s up to us to figure out what exactly that looks like and deliver.”

Jesse nodded. “Well, I can check the florist you regularly deal with and if they have nothing I’ll try some other ones. I’ll send you photos, make sure it’s exactly what you want before I load it in the van.”

“Thank you. I don’t mean to treat you like an errand boy.” Since graduating from college, Jesse had been a reliable right hand to her events planning and his dad’s landscaping jobs, in addition to their combined projects. Unfortunately for Jesse it had been more grunt work and less anything to do with the business degree their son had earned. “Things have been so busy, too busy to introduce you to the management side of things but I promise more of that is coming your way in the new year. And you definitely will have a bonus coming your way, too. I don’t know how we’d juggle so much work in the busiest seasons without your help.”

“It’s cool, mom. I don’t mind the grunt work or whatever. It’s fun trying to get everything together with deadlines and problem solving and stuff. I’m enjoying it. I guess I’m interested in both sides of running a business, the day to day hands on of it and the desk work. Anyways, I better get going, besides the florist, I promised dad I’d grab some more lights to replace the ones that burnt out last night at the Halloween Haunt. Don’t worry about the flowers, I’m on it, I won’t let you down, mom.”

Jesse gave her a quick hug and headed out a moment before Katherine Marques joined her in the ballroom.

“It’s already taking shape in here, I’m glad to hear that you recognize the flower issue without my having to point it out. I’m impressed by how skilled you’ve become at this,” Katherine said.

“Thanks, compliments mean even more when they come from someone who’s so together when it comes to everything,” Lila said.

“It looks like you’re having quite the success on the domestic front as well,” Katherine noted. “It seems Jesse is eager to follow in your and Bowie’s footsteps. Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with him on my way in here. I would have loved to have inspired any of my children to enter the medical field, to bond over that… I suppose I could have done better with showing them what I do instead of constantly being away doing what I do.”

“Well,” Lila started to reply, caught out by how vulnerable Katherine seemed just then, like she was looking for reassurance when she wasn’t usually the type to need any. “Becoming a doctor is an intimidating gig, that probably had more to do with them avoiding it than whether or not you participated in enough take your kids to work days.”

Lila knew from Sebastian that Katherine and Phillip hadn’t just missed those days, they’d missed nearly everything, but “I have a kid who would never choose to follow in my footsteps. It wasn’t like I ignored Nate and didn’t expose him to the business, he saw as much of it as Jesse did. He’s just, he’s very different from me.”

Katherine nodded. “My youngest, Addie, I couldn’t be further from her theatrical interests. I’ve pretty much given up on connecting with her.”

“You shouldn’t give up,” Lila insisted. “I’m not throwing in the towel yet on Nate and you shouldn’t with Adria, either.”

Episode 1212: State Of Grace