“I’m sorry,” Mark said, pulling them both into a hug. “I’m so sorry I made you try with them. I thought… I thought if they just got to know you…”
“It’s okay,” Elena said. “We tried.”
“Did you fire David?” Mark asked.
“I did.”
“Good,” Mark said. “Tomorrow, I’m firing my parents.”
They walked into the restaurant. The maitre d’ bowed low. “Chairman Vance. Mr. Vance. Your table is ready.”
Part 6: A Christmas of Freedom
The restaurant was a wonderland of gold lights and soft violin music. They sat at the best table by the window, overlooking the city skyline.
Lily was still quiet. She was drawing on a linen napkin with a pen the waiter had given her.
“What are you drawing, sweetie?” Mark asked.
“My dress,” Lily said sadly. “I don’t want to forget it.”
Elena looked at the drawing. It was crude, colorful, and full of life. It was better than any design she had approved in the last quarter.
“You won’t forget it,” Elena said, reaching across the table to take the napkin. “And neither will the world.”
“What do you mean?” Lily asked.
“I’m going to send this to the design team in Paris,” Elena declared. “The Nova Spring Collection will be based on this drawing. We’ll call it the ‘Lily Line.’ It will be colorful, and fun, and full of sparkles.”
Lily’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Really. And every penny of profit from that line will go to a charity that gives clothes to kids who need them. So no one ever has to feel like their clothes are trash.”
Mark raised his glass of champagne. “To the Lily Line.”
“To the Lily Line!” Lily cheered with her apple juice.
The next morning, the fallout was spectacular.
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