Chapter 8
JIYA
Ientered my house holding the contract, curious and frazzled, wondering why the owner had suddenly changed his mind about my proposal three days after I submitted it.
The memory of what had happened after the rejection came rushing back.
When I had walked out of the restaurant after Jack told me the owner had refused my proposal, I went home and stared at my empty hands, tears sliding down my cheeks as the weight of everything bore down on me.
With a baby growing inside me, my emotions had been constantly on edge, and I had cried more in those three months than in my entire life.
I had just wanted someone to tell me everything would be fine.
Caleb’s face flashed in my mind, and I broke down again.
Then I thought of Patty—her homemade cookies and warm hugs.
I started to dial her number but stopped before the call connected because I couldn’t drag her into my problems. She would ask questions I couldn’t answer, especially if my phone was being tapped.
Maybe I could visit her instead… after the baby was born.
Over the next two days, I combed through the newspaper, circling every job opening I could find because I had no choice but to keep moving forward. I had survived worse in my life, and I refused to accept defeat now.
After making several calls and marking possible opportunities, I went for a swim at the YMCA. Floating in the pool made my body feel lighter as the tension slowly drained away. For a little while, the water held me up in a way life hadn’t been doing lately.
Then Jack called out of the blue after I dropped Lucas off at school, and my pulse quickened.
Hope stirred in my chest.
Now, as I read through the contract carefully, I noticed that the owner’s initials appeared everywhere, yet his name was nowhere to be found.
I tried to decipher the signature, but it revealed nothing.
That only deepened the mystery. Why hide something so basic if this was supposed to be a straightforward business arrangement?
After a few moments of hesitation, I signed all four copies.
Next, I began making phone calls.
I did not want to use the same expert and designer I had worked with at the Lexington.
Too many questions would be asked about my name change and the sudden move.
I did not need any more attention than I was already attracting, especially because I was now pregnant, which was something I was still trying to conceal.
I had worked too hard to disappear quietly into this new life.
The last thing I needed was someone from my old world looking too closely at me and putting pieces together I was trying desperately to keep apart.
The next day, Delia Bobin, a designer, met me in the Tipsy Cow’s parking lot along with restaurant expert Marcus Alan.
I shook their hands warmly and welcomed them to the village.
We exchanged small talk before walking into the restaurant.
I introduced them to Jack and handed him the signed copies of the contract.
As we walked around the restaurant discussing ideas, I heard a loud gasp behind me.
I turned around quickly.
It came from Delia. She had just noticed the man sitting in the corner. “Does he come with the restaurant?” she asked me with a playful grin. “Can I give him a makeover too?”
I smiled slightly and glanced toward the man sitting in his usual corner.
Beneath his rough exterior, I could not help noticing that he was quite attractive.
There was something striking about him despite the unkempt beard, the worn clothes, and the heaviness that always seemed to hang around him.
For a brief second, I wondered about him again before shaking my head and forcing myself to focus on the task at hand.
Scanning the restaurant carefully, I mentally noted the amount of work that had to be done. As I explained my ideas to Delia, I told her that I wanted to keep the two pool tables but move them toward the front of the restaurant so that diners could enjoy the view of the water outside.
“That sounds like a great idea. I like it,” Delia said as she wrote it down.
“The process of hiring and training will start in two weeks. I will work on other aspects such as marketing, advertising, and yes, the menu creation with Will,” Marcus said.
I nodded.
Everything was starting to sound real now. Not just a hopeful idea, but an actual plan with shape and movement and people attached to it. Fear flickered beneath my excitement, but it did not overpower it.
After they left, I noticed that Will was standing nearby, biting his fingernails nervously.
“What am I going to do for four weeks? I’ve never been off work that long,” he asked anxiously.
“It’s not exactly four weeks,” I said gently, placing my hands on his shoulders.
“The renovation will take about two weeks. Marcus will be working with you and the suppliers on the menu. You will also be there to hire and train the new cooks. So technically,” I paused thoughtfully, “you’ll be off for a week to a week and a half, max. ”
He visibly relaxed.
“This seems like a good start,” Jack said as he walked beside me.
It truly did feel like a good start. I could not have been more grateful for this opportunity. I silently promised myself that I would pour every ounce of effort and energy into making this work.
No matter what it cost me.
For Lucas.
For my unborn daughter.
For our future.
For myself.
The next day, I was on my way to the bank to arrange a line of credit for the business when Jack called and asked me to meet him at the restaurant.
When I arrived and got out of the car, Jack walked over to me and handed me an envelope.
“What’s this?” I asked with a raised eyebrow, opening it.
Inside was a cheque for $400,000.
My head jerked back slightly, and my hand flew to the base of my neck in shock.
“The owner wants to put all the money down so that you don’t have to. You don’t need to go to the bank,” Jack said with a smile. “You just need to make sure this works. He is counting on you.”
I thought about it carefully.
This was incredibly generous. But fifty-fifty meant fifty-fifty. I did not want charity. I did not want favours. I wanted to do this on my terms and share the responsibility equally. If this restaurant succeeded, I wanted to know I had carried my half of it. If it failed, I wanted the same.
“No, Jack,” I said firmly.
He tilted his head slightly.
“It’s a fifty-fifty partnership, and I want to put in my share. I don’t want any handouts. I want to put in all I have, whether it is money, ideas, blood, or sweat.”
I meant every word. I was passionate about this new venture. This was going to be my restaurant. Well, half of it. But it was still something I was building for myself, and I intended to work my butt off to make it succeed.
“You going to be fine though?” he asked, glancing at my stomach. “Especially in your state?”
I instinctively stepped back.
How did he know? My clothes were loose, and I had tried to hide it carefully.
“What are you talking about?” I asked quickly.
He sighed. “My daughter was the same when she was pregnant, running to the bathroom every fifteen minutes. What are you… about five months?”
I nodded slowly.
“You’re small for five months.”
I swallowed, unsure what to say. My body tensed automatically, still not used to people noticing, still not used to this pregnancy belonging to the visible world and not just to me.
“You sure you’re going to be okay to handle this?”
I nodded again.
“You got a doc here?”
I nodded.
“What about a fella?”
Caleb’s face darted in front of my eyes.
I shook my head and bit down on my bottom lip. I did not want to lie to Jack, so I told him I did not have a ‘fella.’
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I think you should see my daughter’s doctor. She was very good and helpful.” He wrote down the doctor’s name and number and handed it to me.
After thanking him, I returned the cheque and drove to the bank. My savings, along with the documents I brought, allowed me to secure a line of credit.
Next, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Jean Skylar. I wasn’t comfortable with my current doctor, and Jack’s suggestion had come like a blessing in disguise. I had researched a lot on the internet about pregnancy, and talking to Elle helped, especially with my bouts of morning sickness.
After picking up Lucas from school, we headed over to the Maternity Clinic of the Cowichan District Hospital.
As I entered the hospital, the smell of antiseptic hit my nose.
It carried a slightly bitter scent with undertones of artificial fragrance that immediately made my stomach tighten.
Hospitals always had that smell, and it had a way of pulling memories out of me, whether I wanted them to surface or not.
A hollow feeling formed in my chest as I walked through the hallway.
I reached up instinctively and twirled the infinity ring that hung on the chain around my neck. The cool metal brushed against my fingers as memories flooded my mind.
I had said goodbye to Caleb in a hospital room.
He had been unconscious and had no idea I was there. I stood beside his bed, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, knowing that once I walked away, my life would change forever. I would never see him again.
The memory made my chest constrict as I forced myself to breathe.
That same day, a call from the hospital to Kevin Wong, my real estate agent, set everything in motion.
“Hi, it’s Jiya Flores. Start the process.”
Even now, remembering those words made my stomach twist. Saying them had felt like cutting a piece of my life away.
With a list in hand, I took a cab from the hospital to my apartment. My body ached from the bullet wound, and my arm rested in a sling, but I forced myself to keep moving and follow the list meticulously.
A few minutes after I arrived, two bags of money were delivered as instructed by Eleanor, Caleb’s mother.