It was what he’d come home to hear.
When the family gathered in the boardroom the next day, he gave them the good news first. “The final fix for Everlasting is in. After costs and an initial return to keep the marks on side, we’ll bank thirty billion.”
“That means we can fund programs to eradicate polio, malaria, and HIV,” said Mom. “And my albatrosses can have more money. And the Great Barrier Reef, we have to do something to stop coral bleaching.”
“All of the above,” Cal said, genuine pleasure in the fact they were back on top.
“Does it mean you’ve fully restored your own fortune?” asked Dad. He was a voice from the speaker pod in the center of the table.
“Got my eye on a nice little Mer—”
“Environmentally friendly car as befitting the head of Sherwood,” said Mom from the other end of the table.
He looked at his siblings with an expression of abject dismay but had to laugh when they did. He’d be driving a secondhand Prius, if he wanted Mom kept sweet.
“This is all great news, but that’s not why we’re here,” said Zeke.
He nodded. “We’re here because I want to talk about a personal matter that affects us all. As you know, the no outsiders rule is part of our charter to protect our business and keep us all safe.”
“We’re getting a history lesson,” said Zeke. “Oh shit, this is big.”
Bigger than fake start-ups and freshly made dinosaur bones. “But we all know that rule is broken. At some point, a Sherwood was going to fall for an outsider.” He looked down the table at the people he trusted most in the world. He wanted their support, but it came at a risk they’d all bare. “I’m in love with Fin, and I want to make something permanent with her, and that means I need to tell her the truth. I need your permission to do that.”
“You want to marry, Fin?” asked Halsey. Classic Halsey, wanting absolute clarity. He sat so far forward to look down the length of the table at Cal, he almost had his chin on the surface.
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“If she’ll have me.”
“Jesus Christ,” said Zeke, hands to his head. “You sneaky bastard. You never let on.”
“You’re sure?” said Sherin. “It’s a big deal.”
“Yes,” said Rory. All other movement stopped. “Yes,” she repeated, then said, “What?” when everyone looked at her. “Cal knows his own mind. If he says he’s in love and he’s brought that to us honestly, then we can trust he knows what he’s doing. I want him to be happy.”
“It’s not Cal we need to worry about,” said Mom.
Cal opened his mouth to respond. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Rory, so Halsey got there first. “Fin is deeply implicated. She’d have to trash her own charity, bring suspicion down on herself and her business partner to expose us,” Halsey said.
“She won’t do that,” said Rory.
“She does own that sad fleabag cat,” said Zeke. “Proves she’s a soft touch.”
“The cat has no fleas,” said Mom. She pointed a finger at Zeke. “Don’t pick on defenseless animals.”
Zeke readied a volley to lob at Mom, but Rory sitting beside him cut him off with an arm thrown across his chest. “Does she love you? Does Fin love you the way you deserve to be loved? Does she love you so you can feel it in the air you breathe, in the space you take up even when she’s not near? Does she love you so you have comfort and protection, laughter and truth, because if you have that with Fin, if you have a haven that’s full of joy, then all of us are voting yes.”
He’d had no doubt Zeke, Halsey, Sherin and Tresna would give him the votes he needed. It wasn’t in their interest not to. He counted on Dad to sway Mom, and he’d banked on Rory choosing to abstain. That she was his champion astonished him. That she understood how he felt rendered him speechless.
Sherin bumped his arm. “Caleb?”
“Yes,” he said. It was the only way to answer Rory.
“Yes,” said Dad.
“Yes,” said Zeke, his hand coming up.
“Yes,” said Halsey and Tres together.