Winters (Book Five)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Twirling around in my office chair, I continue to try and file away the rest of the paperwork scattered across my desk. I really need to continue to switch everything over to digital but it's easier for me to read off a sheet of paper than off of a computer screen. I spend so much time sending emails, working on proposals, and approving things via my laptop, I just become so sick of staring at the screen.

Checking my watch, it tells me I have about fifteen minutes before everyone invades our office to head over to Click's graduation. She withdrew from two of her classes in the spring and retook them over the summer. She wasn't in the headspace to finish them after that everything that happened and no one faulted her for that.

Avi and Hadley are both going to start their doctorate programs in a few weeks. After being pulled from all of their projects, they've just been working together killing time before they go back to school. Hadley is focusing on something related to biology and chemistry and Avi is focusing on nanoparticles and something else. Just when I was starting to understand some of the things they are talking about, they go and up the ante. Even Xander is going back to school part-time to get another master's degree in something engineering-related. But that is only being made possible by Lyle officially taking the position of CFO.

"Hey Lena," Orion says startling me.

"Hey Orion, you are here awfully early," I say and I give him a perplexed look. I can see he has a tablet in his hand and I gesture for him to come in.

"I'm sorry, I was hoping you would have a few minutes to talk," he says and I can see the nerves in his eyes.

"Of course, I do. What is on your mind?" I ask him curiously.

"Well with Faith going back to school for her masters so she can teach music theory, I've been thinking about the fact that I never went and pursued a degree in anything," he says and I nod listening. We never pressured Cabe or Orion to go to college period, we wanted their mental health to be at the forefront. But that is a luxury that this family can afford.

Orion is running a fairly successful photostagram account, I would know because I have helped him with contracts for sponsored posts and affiliation programs. I guess that's the gift of being able to go anywhere, he can photograph anything.

"Do you want to go back to school? I mean everyone else is," I say in a teasing tone and he lights up the screen and hands me the tablet.

"I've never found a program that felt like it would be worth the investment. But this one is a two-year with a focus on business development and retouching and it seems like something I could use," he says awkwardly and I scroll through the site.

"When would you enroll? It's a little late now," I say calmly and he fidgets.

"I could apply in a few weeks and start in the spring but..." He trails off, trying to find his words.

"But?"

"School is so expensive and I wouldn't know how to finance it and I know it's only a two-year program but I'm afraid," he splutters and I look up from his tablet.

"You do realize you are in a family with three millionaires, right? Orion, worry about building your portfolio, getting into the school, and getting whatever scholarships you can. When you get all the paperwork I can sit down with you, Ruka, and Dax and we'll figure it out. If you are afraid to go back to school, that's a different problem," I say and I watch as he rubs his hands together in his lap nervously.

"What if I have to drop out or leave the program? I've been working so hard but... I'm afraid it won't be enough! Faith makes it looks so easy," he says honestly and I lean back and nod.