Page 56 of Do It With Me

“Yeah, let them continue. I doubt the architects know anything about dementia.” I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck and sucking my teeth for a moment before I tacked on, “It’s Ellora.”

He groaned softly. “Ah. There it is.”

“Don’t,” I warned, pointing at him. “This isn’t just about scoring points with a woman. Her mom is sick and the system’s broken. I looked into it last night. There’s hardly any financial support for people who don’t have savings or insurance. Most caregivers have to quit their jobs or burn out trying to do everything themselves. It’s brutal.”

Jimmy held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. I’m just trying to get the full picture. Ellora is that student you paid to go to the wedding with you, right?”

I nodded. “We’ve been spending some time together and we had coffee last night. She told me that her mom has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. It sounded like she’d been having a rough go of it and I was curious because it’s not a disease I know much about, so I did some reading after I got home and that’s the full picture you were after. It made me realize that there’s a really big unmet need. I’m trying to meet it.”

His features became more solemn as I spoke, like the weight of all this was slowly sinking in. “You’re saying this is about her mom?”

“It’s about people like her mom,” I corrected. “Ellora has been trying to hold everything together by sheer willpower, a wing, and a couple prayers, and she’s not the only one. Families are drowning out there and no one is throwing them a rope.”

He gave me a slow nod, his gaze slightly unfocused as he took it all in. “This foundation would be your rope, yes?”

“Exactly,” I said. “We’ll set up a fund, get a team together to handle grants, and maybe partner with hospitals or caregiver networks. I’ll seed the capital myself. If we can help even a few families breathe a little easier, that’s a start.”

Jimmy was quiet for a long moment, then finally smiled. “You know, I’ve seen you chase a lot of ideas over the years. Some brilliant and some insane, but this one has heart. You’re not letting it go, are you?”

“You’re damn right I’m not.”

“Alright then,” he said. “Let’s make it happen. I’ll get the legal team to start drafting the paperwork, talk to PR, and figure out what hoops we’ve got to jump through. It might take a while, though. This really is something new.”

“I know, but it’ll be worth it. This is something with a purpose. It’s bigger than just business or the bottom line.”

Jimmy crossed his arms and gave me a look that said he was about to start roasting me now that the formalities had been dealt with. “Has it occurred to you that you’re trying to impress her, bro?”

I met his gaze dead on and didn’t even try to pretend otherwise. “Maybe I am, but do you think these families are going to care why I do it?”

He sighed, his head shaking. “You’re impossible.”

“Yeah, but I’m also effective,” I said. “Let’s get it set up. Fast-track it. You have my go-ahead to hire whoever you need to. Get Maia to help you with the paperwork and coordination. I want this moving by the end of the week.”

Jimmy blinked. Hard. Again and again. “The end of the week? Dude, we’re talking about starting a foundation, not ordering a pizza.”

“I know what we’re talking about, but I want this to happen now and I don’t care how many hours it takes. If it means one less person has to go through what Ellora’s going through, it’s worth it. There’s an entire community of people out there who need this today. Yesterday. Not in two years from now when the lawyers have billed us for heaps of opinions and we’ve gone a dozen rounds with a dozen different entities and organizations to link up with.”

He studied me for a beat, then huffed out a quiet, breathy laugh. “You really like this girl.”

I shrugged, not arguing or affirming. “And get me in touch with a doctor. Someone who specializes in dementia care. I’m talking research, treatment, and support programs. I want to understand this from every angle.”

Jimmy held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll get on it. You’re the boss. Just promise me you won’t lose your mind chasing this woman.”

“It might be too late for that, but at least we’re doing some good while I’m losing it, right?”

He groaned. “God help us all. Holden Langton is in love.”

“Not yet, but I could be soon.”

Jimmy laughed all the way out of the office, muttering something about needing hazard pay from this point forward before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. I collapsed back in my seat, exhaling.

I totally understood why he thought I was losing my goddamn mind. I’d been swearing up and down for at least five years that I was done with women, romance, love, and everything else that even vaguely resembled it, but hey.

Just how much use is a mind anyway if you can’t change it?