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“Thank you for opening early to see us,” I tellher.
“Anything for you.” She smiles fondly atme.
“I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us about you and your son’s experiences with the mental health care system.” I look between them. “Yves, like I said when I called, I reviewed your expansion strategy and it would be stronger if you had deeper connections to mental health at the communitylevel.”
Yves nods, obviouslyenthusiastic.
The three of us talk, Yves peppering Cara with questions and scribbling notes in a notebook. He also presses on issues he feels strongly about. I like his interest, and his willingness to take feedback without compromising the strength of hisvision.
“Thank you. Both of you,” he says after wefinish.
“Say hi to that lady of yours,” Cara says before I turn for the door. “You don’t smile for business the way you smile withher.”
* * *
“Wow! You look…different,”a junior associate declares as I get off theelevator.
Maybe it’s the week’s worth of facial hair, or the fact that I’ve lost five pounds despite failing to work out indays.
I lean in Tris's door, and my brother's face creases in surprise. “Where’sHolt?”
“Think he’s with Xavier. Why?” Tris comes out the door as I head down the hall. “Shaving hasn’t gone out of style, youknow.”
“I’ve had otherpriorities.”
“There’s pizza in your beard. Got you,” he goes on as I rub a hand over my coarse face. “Lying on the couch consuming carbs like normal mortals once they’ve had a breakup is a fascinatingdevelopment.”
“I haven’t been lying on the couch.” I turn, grabbing Tris’s shoulder. “We’re taking Mom for lunch tomorrow. You'recoming.”
His brows draw together. “What?Why?”
“Because I treat her like a burden, and Ishouldn’t.”
I continue to the conference room without waiting for him to respond. I walk in without knocking, and Xavier and Holt look up insurprise.
“Benjamin. What are you doing here?” Xavierasks.
“I spoke with Yves. The CEO of the healthcare venture we passed on,” I go on at Xavier’s blanklook.
Holt rises from his seat, his face a thundercloud. “You can’t do that. I’ve been dealing with him on behalf of thefirm.”
“Including telling him we couldn’t fund him right now because of the tech deal I put in front ofus.”
I drop the folder with my notes, and Holt opens it, thumbsthrough.
“He agreed to revise their strategy to include mental health—links to existing programming as well as complementary services. Not only will it integrate more fully with the medical system, but he—and therefore we—would make twice the return we would’vebefore.”
“Why would you do that now if you knew all along?” Holtdemands.
“I didn’t know all along.” I stare at him. “And I didn’t bother looking closely because it was your idea, and what mattered was beating you in the race to become Xavier’s successor. It mattered even more than thefirm.”
Xavier’s gaze is different than Holt’s—studying,assessing.
“I was wrong,” I tell Holt. “And I’m fixingit.”
Xavier nods at Holt, who slides him thefolder.
“I’ll give you the time you need to review this. If you both agree, then Holt, you should be the one to do the deal.” I head down the hall without a backwardglance.
