Deciding if I was going to really come home, then I had better start with her. “Theresa, I am sorry, I realize being here must have not been your idea of a romantic holiday. I apologize if I have not been a gracious hostess. I shall endeavor to rectify that as soon as possible. Now I believe we are just in time for breakfast, so if you will all excuse me, I am going to go see what has been prepared, and then find out what Mother has planned for the day.” I began to turn and follow Mother into the dining room but stopped and turned to Harry instead.

“I assume that since you are here, the new clients’ didn’t work out. We can discuss it later; maybe you can call me after you get back home from your and Janet’s trip.” I then faced Grant, “We need to talk, I refuse to discuss business until after the holidays are over, if you and Theresa have plans, then by all means please feel free to go and do them.” I looked at the only other person left in the hallway.

“Kevin, I realize that your family and mine have made plans without asking us, and I do apologize to you as well. If you would rather be somewhere else, then please go. Grant will not need you on my account until after Christmas at the earliest and probably not until after the New Year.”

With those parting words I left them standing there. I know that if I was following protocol, I should have asked them to join me, but I didn’t want too, no I just couldn’t deal with any of them any longer.

In the Dining Room, I sat in front of Mother at first then looked at the head of the table. No one had sat there since my father, not even Keith had when we were here. Mother had opened her mouth to say something, when I picked up my coffee and moved to the head. There in front of me was the paper turned to the business section. No one since Father had died had thought to stop placing the paper there, as if they were waiting for someone to fill that seat. Until that moment I always thought they were waiting on my father to come back from the dead; but in that moment I knew they were not waiting on him. They were waiting on the head of the family, the one who would keep us going forward. The one who would get us through any problem, no matter how big or small it was. The one that make the decisions that would either make us or break us. In that moment, I knew it was me they had been waiting on. They were waiting for me to take over as I had vowed to do so long ago.

Mother and Marie-Élise simply stared at me; Mother had a look of pride on her face, while Marie-Élise had tears in her eyes. I hadn’t told anyone of my plans to stay, but I believed they knew. Not wanting to leave them or myself in any undue suspense, I nodded my head. “It’s time, I have looked everywhere from here to the States to try and find myself, but today, no last night I realized that I was never lost, that I had simply been running away. Well to be honest I am tired of running. I turned 30 this year and have owned Burundi Wines and Sinful Chocolates on my own for two years now and I need to act like it. I have been the next Burundi my entire life; I simply refused to accept it. I knew that though Keith and I loved each other as friends, we were never going to last as a couple. I still believed though that he would take care of the winery and me, but I was wrong. It was never his. It was mine.”