For the first time in two days, Evelyn laughed.
It disappeared quickly.
“The crew wants you restored.”
“I know.”
“You’ve talked to them?”
“They keep calling me.”
“Did you tell them not to return?”
“No.”
“I believe you.”
Graham studied her.
“That sounded difficult.”
“It was.”
“Good.”
She smiled faintly.
“What do you want?”
Graham looked toward the toolbox inside his garage.
“I don’t know if I’m coming back.”
The answer surprised her.
“I assumed—”
“That’s part of the problem.”
She stopped.
Graham softened his tone.
“I don’t want your apology to be another management strategy.”
“It isn’t.”
“Then give it a day.”
“Customers are waiting.”
“They were waiting yesterday.”
“Graham.”
He held her eyes.
“The company will survive one more day of thinking.”
Evelyn left without an answer.
That evening, Callum called Graham.
Graham let the first call go to voicemail.
Then listened.
“Hi. It’s Callum. I know you probably don’t want to talk to me. I just… I’d like to. Not about Evelyn. Not about the company asking you back. About me. If you’re willing.”
Graham listened twice.
Then texted:
Tomorrow. 8:00 a.m. Coffee shop on Mason.
Callum arrived at 7:46.
Graham arrived at 8:02.
“You’re late,” Callum said.
Graham stopped beside the table.
Callum’s face went pale.
Then Graham smiled.
“Good. You’re learning sarcasm.”
Callum exhaled.
They sat.
He had no tablet.
Graham noticed.
“What do you want to say?”
Callum looked at his coffee.
“I’m sorry.”
“For accepting the promotion?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Callum looked up.
“I wanted it.”
“I know.”
“I thought I deserved it.”
“I know.”
“And I resented you.”
Graham leaned back.
“That I didn’t know.”
“You corrected me.”
“That happens in garages.”
“You did it in front of people.”
“Also happens in garages.”
“I know.”
Callum rubbed his hands together.
“I thought you were reminding everyone that I wasn’t really qualified.”
“Were you?”
“No.”
The honesty landed quietly.
Callum continued.
“I kept thinking if people respected the position, eventually they’d respect me.”
Graham said nothing.
“Yesterday I found your notes.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them, apparently.”
“That sounds terrible.”
“The delivery truck. The ground connection.”
Graham nodded.
“Old problem.”
“I would have replaced the sensor.”
“A lot of people did.”
“You knew not to.”
“I’d seen it before.”
“That’s the point.”
Callum leaned forward.
“You’ve seen everything before.”
“No.”
“It feels that way.”
“That’s dangerous thinking.”
“Why?”
“Because then you start waiting for me to solve things instead of learning.”
Callum stared.
“That’s what I’ve been doing.”
“Yes.”
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I did.”
“When?”
“Every time I asked you to come closer to the truck instead of standing behind your tablet.”
Callum looked embarrassed.
Then laughed at himself.
“Fair.”
Graham stirred his coffee.
“What do you want?”
“Another chance.”
“At Northstar?”
“Yes.”
“Doing what?”
Callum hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“Then you’re still asking for a title.”
His face fell.
Graham continued.
“If you want to understand that garage, start as someone who needs to learn it.”
“You mean technician?”
“Trainee.”
Callum stared.
“I have a technical certification.”
“Congratulations.”
“I’m not completely inexperienced.”
“Then you’ll progress faster.”
“You seriously think I should come back as a trainee?”
“Yes.”
“What would people say?”
“That you came back as a trainee.”
He looked away.
“That’s humiliating.”
“No.”
Graham’s voice became firmer.
“Being corrected isn’t humiliation. Asking questions isn’t humiliation. Starting where your ability actually is isn’t humiliation.”
Callum looked at him.
“Pretending you’re somewhere else is.”
The coffee shop noise continued around them.
Espresso machine.
Cups.
Someone laughing near the window.
Callum finally nodded.
“Would you teach me?”
“If I come back.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
At ten that morning, Graham drove to Northstar.
His toolbox stayed in the truck.
Evelyn met him in the conference room.
Mara was there.
So was human resources.
The board chair joined by video.
Graham sat.
Evelyn spoke first.
“I am prepared to restore you as lead mechanic effective immediately.”
Graham shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone stared.
Mara turned.
“What?”