Ryan walked through the front door of his childhood home and was greeted by the familiar smell of freshly baked cookies. His mother was no where in sight, but with the smell, he could guess where she was, and he trailed the familiar smell that led to the kitchen.
Mrs. Lerman was in the kitchen, humming a cheerful tune as she finished icing a batch of chocolate chip cookies. She turned around and smiled when she saw her son standing in the doorway.
Mrs. Lerman walked up to him, the not so often smile of hers still on her face. "I see you are back, quite late as you have predicted!" She said, giving him a warm hug. "How are you doing?"
"Hi, Mom." Ryan replied in a stressed tone, returning the hug.
"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Mrs. Lerman asked, gesturing towards the kitchen table. "You look a bit tired and stressed -it is written all over you, son."
"No, thanks," Ryan said, shaking his head negatively and declining her offer. "Why are you the one in the kitchen and not the butler?"
"Ah -he is away." She cited simply in reply, earning a creased expression from Ryan. "I gave him a few days off-it's been a while since I had to spend sometime with you, my dear Ryan. I want to start with preparing your favorite meals for you; myself."
"Oh, I see..."He mouthed slowly, nodding his head a few times. "But that aside for now, I'm actually bothered by something else at the moment, Mom."
Mrs. Lerman was anxious about whatever might be bothering her son as she quickly wipes her hand with the damp paper towel with her. "What is it?" She asked, her face etched with concern as well as in her voice too.
"I actually need to talk to you about something." He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation he was about to have. "It's about the company," he began. "I've made a decision that, I think, is going to change things, and I wanted to tell you about it."
"Oh, honey," Mrs. Lerman exclaimed, her expression turning serious. "Is everything okay?"
"It's just that...I've decided to sell a majority share of the company, sixty-five percent of it actually..."Ryan said, bracing himself for his mother's reaction. "I know it's a big decision, and it wasn't easy, but I think it's the right thing to do."
Mrs. Lerman's eyes widened, and she looked at her son in disbelief. Her son had asked for her permission on it, and she gave him her words, but the sixty-five percent was really huge and heart-wrenching on her part. "You're selling sixty-five percent?" She asked, her voice crackling with surprise. "But... why sixty-five ofall the shares?"
"There are a lot of reasons." Ryan said, trying to explain his decision. "But the biggest one is that I'm just not sure I'm cut out to run a company. If I am fit for it, how did I manage to drag the company into so many debts in a few space of time?"
His mother could only sigh without a reply. Her mind was clouded with different thoughts, making it fuzzy and hard to think through.
She realized she was the one who had led him to the mess he was in the first place, if only she had never been hard on him. If only she was not busy molding him into what she defined as ideal, perfect son of her. It was too late to turn back the hand of time, but of only she did let him make his own decision when he was opportune to.
But things are different now that she has realized her mistake, she wouldn't force anything on him any more like she used to -it is time he starts deciding for himself and shaping his future in the best way he can.
"I've made a lot of mistakes," He continued as he breaks through his mother's train of thoughts, his voice was strained. "And I've been so stressed out trying to fix them. I feel like I'm in over my head, and I just don't know if I can keep going like this. I feel like I need to focus on my well-being for a while, and selling the company will give me the time and space to do that."
Mrs. Lerman was silent for a moment, processing what her son had said. "I understand, son. I do." she said, finally finding her voice. "It must have been a difficult decision, and I'm proud of you for making it."
"Thanks, Mom." He muttered under his breath, slowly breathing out in relief. Considering his mother's nature, he had thought she would react negatively to his decision -but for the first time in years, he was wrong.
"But son, I have to ask..."Mrs. Lerman said, a hint of concern in her voice. "What about your employees? What will happen to them?"
Ryan knew this question was coming, and he had an answer ready. "I'll work out a deal with the potential buyer." he uttered in response, fielding his mother's curiosity. "All of the employees will be kept on, and their benefits and salaries will remain the same. I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt them."
"That's good to hear," His mother said, looking relieved. "But what about you? What will you do after you sell the company, what will happen to the remnants of the company?"
"I'm not sure yet," Ryan admitted. "I might take some time off to travel, or I might look for a new challenge. I just know that I need a break from being a CEO. I've been doing it for so long, and I need to figure out what I really want to do with my life."
Mrs. Lerman nodded, understanding her son's need for a change. "Whatever you decide to do," She enunciated with a soft and assuring smile on her face. "I just want you to be happy. You've worked so hard for so long, and you deserve to find some peace and fulfillment."
"I know, Mom." Ryan enounced, a small smile forming on his face in reciprocation. "And that's what I'm trying to do. I just need to figure out what that looks like for me. I'll figure it out, though. I promise."
The two of them stood there for a moment, looking at each other with love and understanding. "Thank you for listening, Mom," Ryan finally muttered, breaking the soon to become awkward silence. "And thank you for supporting me, no matter what."
"You're welcome, dear son." She doped out.
"Just be careful," Mrs. Lerman muffled out, as she watched her son walk out the door. "You never know what the future might hold."
As the door closed behind him, she couldn't help but wonder what he would do next. She wondered if he will discover himself and go back to being the usual cheerful son she had raised from a toddler -if he will find the happiness he desired as possibly as he can. She knew he was determined to find happiness, but she couldn't help but worry about what he might encounter on his journey.