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She wanted to ask if Susan would help with childcare, but she chose to keep that to herself for now, since her mother-in-law seemed to be looking for shortcomings to pounce on. “Whether or not Karl and I divorce, I’ll want to work.” She’d been working ever since she was at an age that someone would hire her. “I’m sure he’d help pay for childcare.”
“And when you’re working the night shift?” It was a good thing that the mug was mostly empty of hot chocolate the way Susan was shaking it at her. “Who’s going to help that baby with homework? Read bedtime stories and tuck him in at night?”
“You worked and had four—” Vivian almost said three and barely corrected herself “—children. You weren’t a single mother when they were young, but you were by the time Karl was sixteen.”
“And my working nearly screwed up Renia, even though I had my mother-in-law to help me.”
“Will I not have you?”
“Will you need me?” Susan countered.
Vivian wanted to walk around the table and shake Susan for being so cold and unenthusiastic about this idea, but instead she gritted her teeth. “I suppose I won’t need you, but I would like your help. Even if I hadn’t decided learning a new business while pregnant was a good idea, I’d want your help with Jelly Bean regardless.”
Finally, Susan put down her mug and her face warmed into a smile. “I just wanted to make sure you were serious—and that you knew what you were getting yourself and that baby into. You should be around to love my grandchild, but I also hope you’ll set an example for him or her about making your own way in the world.”
Vivian’s shoulders relaxed and she bit her lip again. “So, you like the idea?”
“I’m not against it.” Vivian supposed that was close enough. “How do you propose to raise the money?”
“I know I should probably be paying you rent, especially now that I’ve been working, but maybe the rent I would be paying you could go in a separate bank account. Set aside, for when you’re ready to retire.” Vivian squared her shoulders again. This idea felt a lot like jumping off a cliff blindfolded, but that didn’t mean she had to go about it in a slouchy manner.
“It won’t be enough, Vivian. I don’t plan on retiring soon, but even still, it probably won’t be enough.” Susan was taking her seriously. Vivian wanted this plan to work, even if she knew everything about dealing cards and next to nothing about running a restaurant. For Susan to have faith in her meant there was more than a zero chance she could succeed.
Vivian closed her eyes on all the problems, groping about for a solution in the dark. “I know. I’m…I’m not sure what to do about the difference. I’m hoping to have a plan figured out when the time comes.”
“From what I know about you—and your father—you could probably use your seed money and spend a couple of nights at a casino to make up the difference.”
“My father likes to believe his future is in the roll of a dice or the turning over of a card. I’m not interested in that.” Her father would never stop at having won enough to cover the cost of buying out Susan. He’d be so enthralled with the feeling of winning that he’d play and play and play until he owed money to someone sketchy. Vivian’s childhood hadn’t been built on quicksand because her father was a bad schemer, but because he didn’t know when to get out.
Vivian was pretty sure she knew when to cut her losses, but that didn’t mean she wanted to ever walk into a casino again, even if she weren’t banned.
“Karl has the money. He could give you everything you need.”
Vivian knew that. And she also knew that Karl would probably do it now, if she asked. He’d like the idea of her buying Healthy Food. But then her ownership of Healthy Food would be dependent on him, and she wouldn’t be more independent than she was now. “If, when the time comes, we’re a regular married couple and we make the decision to buy you out of Healthy Food together, then that may be an option. Right now, I’m not going to ask.”
