“How thoughtful, Paul,” Mia said and squeezed my hand as I pulled out her chair for her.
“Paul, is this for me?” Phyllis was holding the gold-encrusted antique pillbox I’d had them place at her seat. I nodded, humbly. “Exquisite. Thank you.”
I could feel Donald staring at me with a look that was the opposite of the one that Mia and Phyllis were sending my way. But it was too late. I proposed a few months later, calling to ask Donald for Mia’s hand, giving the excuse that I couldn’t pull away from work to fly across the country and ask in person. I found out later Mia’s mother called her in tears, begging her to slow down, even though I’d already given the woman the first of what would become a sea of antique pillboxes meant to win her over, the traitor. But Phyllis was too late. The combination of chemistry and promises had set the hook; Mia was no longer under their control.
On the plus side, they treat me with deference; they must if they want to see their only grandchildren. Somehow they know this, perhaps because I may have implied it to Donald during our second phone call, shortly after we announced we were having a baby.
“Congratulations, Paul. Quick work.” Donald’s words were filled with distaste, like he’d eaten a rotten egg and didn’t know where to spit it out.
“Thank you so much, Donald, or should I say, Grandpa,” I said. I stood in my office, my corner office at the ad agency, feeling like the world was my oyster. And it was. “Now may be a good time to establish a trust, you know, for the grandkids. I just read an article about that.”
“Did you? How interesting. Let me give you a little advice, Paul. Do not presume to tell me how to invest my money. I will take care of my daughter and her children. But don’t expect anything from me, Paul. Not a dime. I see you for what you are.” His words sounded like gravel. Too bad he wasn’t warming up to his only son-in-law. His loss. We could have gone fishing together, or perhaps, joined an investment club together. I know from my research that he likes to take expensive trips. Golfing in Scotland with his only son-in-law would have been swell.
“Listen, Donald. Can I speak freely here? I take good care of your daughter, and I will take good care of your only grandchildren. I’m not sure why you don’t like me, but I wish you and I could build a relationship. It could benefit both of us, you see. I help you keep your relationship with Mia and your grandchildren—a relationship you know won’t end well if you make her choose between us—and you get to take on the son you never had. Let’s take a trip together, to Scotland or somewhere. How about it? You might just change your mind about me.” I prowled to the corner of my office, wiped some dust off the ficus tree leaf. The cleaning service clearly needed to be changed again.
“We will not be friends, young man, and you are certainly not my son. You are my daughter’s husband. That’s it. Nothing more.” This time his voice was quiet.
I dropped mine to match. “Well, your loss. But like you, I’m king of my castle and if you ever want to see your grandkids, you better make sure the king is happy. Talk soon.” After I hung up, I called my secretary. My plant was drowning in dust. It was embarrassing, really. What if a client noticed? “Change cleaning companies, immediately.”
“Mr. Strom, we just changed services two months ago. Give them a chance.” I know my secretary didn’t want to go through the work of finding another cleaning service but too bad. I didn’t like the way my secretary was looking at me lately, like she was sizing me up. Disrespect from the help isn’t ever tolerated. I would need to make two changes, it appeared.
“This is not up for discussion. Just do it,” I said. “And go ahead and take an extra half hour for lunch. You deserve it.” I was a demanding boss, but I could be kind, too. Just ask anybody. Up to a point. This one had reached it. When my patience ran out, it was over. She’d find that out when she came back from her extra long lunch break.
But with Mia’s parents, I must be subtle in my control. I allow the Pilmers to see the boys, of course, ever since Mia told me they’d set up large trust funds for them. So nice, and she gave me access to the accounts so I could monitor them. I was sure old Donald wouldn’t like that, but too bad. Mia was in love and what was hers was mine.
And when they are granted a visit, my in-laws dote on Mikey and Sam just like grandparents are supposed to, bringing them age-appropriate presents as they should. I make sure that chance doesn’t happen too often, stretching out time between visits—theirs to Ohio and ours to New York—to be certain absence makes their hearts grow fonder, or at least kinder, when it comes to their only son-in-law. I know Mia and her mom do video chats often, and the boys get to see their only living grandma then. Now that I’ve made Phyllis a grandmother she’s gotten over any lingering reservations about our hasty marriage, so I keep sending the pillboxes. Easy trade.
It’s nice that Mia came from a family of means, especially at year-end when they gift us serious cash. We often don’t make it to New York for Christmas; usually I have a work commitment conveniently pop up. But the money still arrives, checks tucked inside crisp linen envelopes. Four checks, one made out to each of us. Arguably, this could have been a reason to have a third child. Had I known about these checks rolling in every year, or calculated the payment over the life of a third child, I probably would have said yes to another.
Helps out a lot, those gifts, but they won’t arrive for another seven months. That is not in time. Mia’s quarterly stock dividends don’t hurt either, although that money already has been spent. I can’t even imagine how many shares we will end up with in all of those blue chip companies, once Phyllis and Donald pass. They’re younger than my parents were, but they live in a big, crazy city, so who knows what could happen to them. Her inheritance could appear any day, anytime now. Just like the letter that appeared from Mia’s Texas uncle, Donald’s brother Derrick, the family’s black sheep. Wasn’t expecting that at all. That’s why there is no need to worry about money. Opportunities arise all the time. I’ve been waiting to share the Texas news with Mia and I will, when the time is right.