Chapter 10 - THE LIFE HE WANTED BACK
“What do you mean, Dad?”
Luca set down his fork.
Frank looked at the garage keys in his palm.
“I've spent forty-two years getting up before sunrise and coming home after dark.”
Luca nodded.
“I know.”
“Your mother used to tell me I was married to that garage.”
A small smile crossed his face.
“She wasn't entirely wrong.”
Luca leaned closer.
“Are you telling me you want to retire?”
Frank hesitated.
“Not exactly.”
“Then what?”
“I don't want to spend another winter crawling beneath cars when my knees can barely get me back up.”
Luca's expression softened.
“Dad, you should have told me.”
Frank smiled sadly.
“Son, I couldn't even get you to stop buying me things. Imagine telling you I couldn't do my own work anymore.”
Luca looked down.
The remark wasn't cruel.
But it carried years of frustration.
Frank continued.
“Every time I complained about something, you offered to replace it.”
“The heater was broken.”
“I know.”
“The roof leaked.”
“I know that too.”
“You needed help.”
Frank nodded.
“Yes. But sometimes I needed a son who would ask me what I wanted before deciding what I needed.”
Luca sat back.
For the first time that evening, he had no immediate answer.
I understood why.
He'd spent hours confronting Vanessa for making decisions about Frank's life.
Now his father was gently asking him not to make the same mistake.
“Okay,” Luca said finally.
Frank looked surprised.
“Okay?”
“Tell me what you want.”
The old man took a breath.
“I want to keep the garage open.”
Luca nodded.
“But I don't want to be the only person responsible for keeping it alive.”
“That makes sense.”
“And I want to teach.”
Luca looked up.
“Teach?”
“Mechanics. Young people who can't afford expensive training programs.”
Frank's expression changed.
For the first time since entering the mansion, he looked genuinely excited.
“You remember how I used to let neighborhood kids help sweep the shop?”
Luca smiled.
“I remember being one of them.”
“You were terrible at sweeping.”
“I was nine.”
“You were terrible at it until you were seventeen.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
Frank grinned.
Then he grew serious.
“Some of those kids came because they wanted to learn about cars.”
He paused.
“Others came because they didn't want to go home yet.”
Luca nodded slowly.
“I remember.”
“There was one boy who used to sit on the old stool for hours just watching us work.”
“Matteo.”
Frank's smile faded.
“Yes.”
The name brought the evening back.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Frank looked at the brass memorial plate.
“I didn't teach Matteo because he was going to make me money.”
Luca studied him.
“I know.”
“I taught him because he needed somebody to tell him he was good at something.”
His voice tightened.
“And somewhere along the way, he forgot how to believe that without proving he was better than somebody else.”
Luca looked toward the doorway through which Matteo had left.
“Maybe.”
Frank shook his head.
“I'm not excusing him.”
“I know.”
“But I don't want his betrayal to be the last thing I remember about that garage.”
Luca nodded.
“Then it won't be.”
He began describing improvements.
New lifts.
Better lighting.
A modern office.
Updated equipment.
Frank listened for a while.
Then he gently interrupted.
“Son?”
“Yes?”
“You're doing it again.”
Luca stopped.
“What?”
“Planning everything before asking me.”
Luca stared at him.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
“You're right.”
Frank smiled.
“I know I am.”
Luca took a breath.
“All right. Your garage. Your plan.”
Frank looked relieved.
“I want the old workbenches repaired, not thrown away.”
“Okay.”
“I want the customers who've been coming for thirty years to feel welcome.”
“Of course.”
“And I don't want my name on a fancy building nobody can afford to enter.”
Luca glanced toward the brass memorial plate.
“Then we'll keep that somewhere meaningful instead of making it the center of everything.”
Frank nodded.
“Your mother would like that.”
I quietly gathered the empty dessert plates.
But Frank stopped me.
“Claire, can I ask your opinion?”
I was startled.
“Mine?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
“If we offered paid apprenticeships to people who needed a start, what would matter most?”
I thought for a moment.
“Reliable wages.”
Frank nodded.
“Go on.”
“And someone who actually teaches them instead of making them do every unpleasant job.”
Luca looked toward me.
“You've seen that happen?”
I nodded.
“Before I worked here, I handled orders and invoices at an auto-parts counter in Cicero.”
Frank looked interested.
“You did?”
“For almost three years.”
“Why did you leave?”
“The shop changed owners, and they cut the office staff.”
I hesitated.
“My mother needed help with her bills, so I took the mansion position.”
Frank considered that.
“Did you enjoy the work?”
“I liked knowing that when someone needed a part, I could usually find the right one.”
He smiled.
“That sounds familiar.”
Luca looked thoughtful.
“A training program would need someone who understands invoices, scheduling, and payroll.”
Frank nodded.
“Exactly.”
I smiled politely.
But I could feel the conversation moving toward something I hadn't expected.
Frank was looking at me with the same thoughtful expression he'd worn when I first refused to send him away.
Then he turned toward Luca.
“There's another problem.”
“What problem?”
“Manny Ortega.”
Luca frowned.
“Your mechanic?”
Frank nodded.
“He's worked beside me for twenty-two years.”
“I remember.”
“He's the reason I've managed to keep the garage running these past few years.”
Luca leaned forward.
“What happened?”
Frank looked down at his hands.
“When the men started measuring the building, Manny asked me whether we were closing.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I didn't know.”
Luca's expression changed.
Frank continued.
“He has a wife and two grandchildren living with him. He couldn't afford to wait for somebody else's decision.”
Luca nodded slowly.
“So he started looking for work.”
Frank's eyes filled.
“He found another shop.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
Luca stared at him.
Frank gently closed his suitcase.
May you like
And the old man's voice cracked as he spoke.
“Manny gave me his notice today, son. The man who kept my garage alive for twenty-two years thinks I've already sold it.”
