My Mother Told Me To Stay Behind While She Took My…

Grandma must have sensed how I was feeling, because she went all out. She let me invite a few friends over, ordered my favorite food from the little Italian place downtown, and even baked a cake herself. For a few hours, with music playing in the kitchen and my friends laughing around the table, I almost forgot about everything.

The next morning, Grandma called me into her office. She had a serious look on her face that made my stomach drop. “Sit down, Lauren,” she said, pointing to the chair across from her desk.

“We need to talk.”

My mind immediately raced. Was she asking me to leave? Had I done something wrong?

Where would I go? Then she smiled, reached into her desk drawer, and pulled out a small folder. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Open it.”

I did, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw what was inside. “Grandma, is this…”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “The company is yours now, Lauren.