Chapter 25 #2
"A house! Together! This is beautiful! Next comes marriage, then babies, then growing old together!" He refused to let them pay, insisting it was his "gift for the future."
"He's not subtle," Lucy said after they left.
"No one in this town is subtle."
Back at their apartment—they wouldn't move into the house until after renovations—Jake made coffee while Lucy scrolled through her phone.
"I got an email today," Lucy said. "From a restaurant group in Boston. They want to talk about franchising Margaret's concept."
Jake felt his stomach drop. "Franchising? Like—multiple locations?"
"That's what franchising means, yes."
"What did you say?"
"I haven't responded yet. I wanted to talk to you first." Lucy looked up from her phone. "Jake, this could be huge. Margaret's in Boston, maybe Portland, maybe Burlington. Real expansion."
"It could also be a disaster. Losing control of your concept, your recipes, your vision."
"I know. That's why I'm hesitant. But also—this is what I dreamed about. Building something bigger than one restaurant."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. Meet with them, I guess? See what they're offering? It might be nothing."
Jake tried to sound supportive. "You should definitely meet with them. Hear what they have to say."
But inside, he was panicking. Franchising meant growth, meant travel, meant Lucy's attention pulled in multiple directions. They'd just bought a house together, were building a life in Timber Falls. Did franchising fit into that?
Over the next week, Lucy met with the Boston restaurant group.
They flew her down for a day, showed her potential locations, talked numbers. When she came back, she was buzzing with excitement.
"Jake, it's incredible. They want to open three locations—Boston, Burlington, Portland. They'd handle all the operations, I'd consult on menu and training. I'd make a percentage of each restaurant's profits."
"That's amazing."
"I know! This could be—this could change everything!"
"What about Margaret's here? The flagship?"
"I'd still run it. This would be in addition to, not instead of."
"Lucy, you're already working sixteen-hour days. How would you add three more restaurants?"
"I'd delegate more. Hire a manager for Timber Falls. Travel as needed for the other locations. It's doable."
"Is it, though?"
Lucy's expression shifted. "What do you mean?"
"I mean—we just bought a house. We're building a life here, in Timber Falls. Franchising sounds like it would pull you away. To Boston, to Portland, to wherever these restaurants are."
"It wouldn't be all the time. Just—occasionally. For training and oversight."
"Lucy, I've seen how you work. You don't do anything occasionally. You'd be consumed by this, trying to make sure all three locations were perfect. Just like you're consumed by Margaret's now."
"So what, I should just turn it down? Give up this opportunity because it might be inconvenient?"
"I'm not saying turn it down. I'm saying think carefully about what you're taking on. About whether this is sustainable with the life we're trying to build."
Lucy stood up. "I can't believe this. I thought you'd be excited for me. Supportive. Instead, you're—you're trying to hold me back."
"I'm not trying to hold you back! I'm trying to be realistic about what this means for us!"
"There is no us without our careers, Jake! We're both ambitious people building big dreams. I supported you starting the coaching academy. Why can't you support me expanding Margaret's?"
"The coaching academy is here. In Timber Falls. It doesn't pull me away for days at a time. This is different."
"So I'm supposed to limit my dreams to Timber Falls? Never grow beyond this one restaurant because it might be inconvenient for you?"
"That's not what I'm saying!"
"Then what are you saying?"
Jake took a breath, trying to calm down. "I'm saying that we need to think about balance. About building our careers without destroying our relationship. We almost lost each other once because of competing ambitions. I don't want to do that again."
Lucy was quiet for a long moment. "I need some air. I'm going for a walk."
"Lucy—"
"I just—I need to think."
She left, and Jake sat in their apartment, feeling like he'd just ruined everything.
He wasn't trying to hold Lucy back. He was trying to protect what they'd built. But clearly, she didn't see it that way.
Jake pulled out his phone and texted Marcus: Had a fight with Lucy. About her expanding the restaurant. I think I screwed up.
Marcus responded immediately: Where is she?
Jake: Went for a walk. Said she needed to think.
Marcus: Give her space. Then apologize. You probably did screw up.
Jake: Helpful. Thanks.
Marcus: That's what I'm here for. But Jake—real talk. You can't ask Lucy to limit her dreams. That's not fair.
Jake: I'm not asking her to limit her dreams. I'm asking her to consider how her dreams impact us.
Marcus: That's the same thing, man. Either you support her fully, or you don't. There's no middle ground.
Jake set down his phone. Was Marcus right? Was he asking Lucy to choose between her ambition and their relationship?
He didn't want to be that person. Didn't want to be the partner who held her back.
But he also didn't want to lose her to another city, another dream, another version of Paris.
How did they balance both?
Jake had no idea.
Lucy walked for over an hour, processing the fight with Jake.
He'd seemed unsupportive, worried about the franchising opportunity pulling her away. Like he wanted her to stay small, stay local, stay in Timber Falls forever.
But was that fair? Jake had supported her through Paris, through opening Margaret's, through every step of her career. Was it really unreasonable for him to worry about franchising pulling her away?
Lucy ended up at the restaurant. It was closed—they were dark on Mondays—but she had keys.
She sat in the empty dining room, looking around at what she'd built. This was hers. Her vision, her hard work, her dream realized.
And now she had the opportunity to make it bigger. To bring Margaret's to more people, to build something that lasted beyond just one location.
But at what cost?
Her phone buzzed. Uncle Walter.
Uncle Walter: Heard you and Jake had a disagreement. Want to talk?
Lucy: How do you know about that already?
Uncle Walter: Small town. Marcus texted Rei who texted me. Come over?
Lucy drove to Uncle Walter's new condo. He had tea waiting.
"Tell me what happened," Uncle Walter said.
So Lucy did. The franchising offer, Jake's concerns, their fight.
"He thinks I'm choosing my career over him. Again."
"Are you?"
"No! I'm just—I'm pursuing an opportunity. How is that choosing my career over him?"
"Because the opportunity requires sacrifice. Time away, attention divided, energy spent elsewhere. And Jake's worried that those sacrifices will come at the expense of your relationship."
"But I can do both. I can expand Margaret's and maintain our relationship."
"Can you, though? Lucy, I've watched you work. When you commit to something, you commit fully. You don't do anything halfway. Which is admirable, but it also means you don't have balance. You consume yourself with work."
"I'm working on that."
"Are you? Because from where I'm sitting, you're already working sixteen-hour days. Adding three more restaurants—even with delegation—that's going to require even more time, more energy, more focus."
"So what, I'm supposed to turn down this opportunity? Stay small? Never grow?"
"I'm not saying that. I'm saying you need to be honest about what you're taking on. And honest with Jake about what it means for your relationship."
Lucy was quiet. "What if I can't do both? What if I have to choose between expanding my career and keeping my relationship?"
"Then you choose. But Lucy—make sure you choose consciously. Not by default, not by letting ambition override everything else. Really choose."
Lucy drove back to the apartment. Jake was still awake, sitting on the couch looking miserable.
"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.
"You first," Lucy said.
"I'm sorry for making it seem like I don't support you. I do support you. I'm just—I'm scared. Scared that franchising will pull you away. That we'll end up in the same place we were before, with competing priorities pulling us apart."
"I'm sorry for accusing you of holding me back. You're not. You're just being honest about your fears. Which is what partners are supposed to do."
They sat down together, and Lucy took a breath.
"I've been thinking about the franchising offer.
About what it would really require. And Jake—you're right.
It would pull me away. I'd be traveling constantly, putting out fires in multiple locations, dividing my attention.
And that's not fair to us. Not when we just bought a house together. Not when we're trying to build a life."
"So you're turning it down?"
"I'm going to tell them I'm not ready yet. Maybe in a few years, when Margaret's here is more established, when we're more settled. But right now—right now I want to focus on this restaurant, this town, this relationship. On us."
Jake pulled her close. "Are you sure? I don't want you to resent me for this."
"I won't resent you. This is my choice. Jake, I almost lost you once by choosing ambition over us. I'm not making that mistake again."
"But your dreams—"
"My dreams include you. And sometimes that means saying no to opportunities that don't fit with the life we're building. That's okay. There will be other opportunities."
They held each other on the couch, and Lucy felt certain in a way she hadn't before.
She was choosing Jake. Choosing their relationship. Choosing the life they were building together.
And it felt right. Not like she was sacrificing her dreams, but like she was choosing which dreams mattered most.
"Jake?" Lucy said.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For being honest. For telling me when my ambition is getting out of control. I need that."
"Thank you for listening. For choosing us."
"Always. From now on, always."
They went to bed, and Lucy felt lighter. She'd made her choice. And it was the right one.
The franchising could wait. Her career could wait.
Love—real, committed, lasting love—that couldn't wait.
And she wasn't going to let it.
Not again.
Not ever again.