The paper landed face-up, and the room leaned in. It was the acquisition announcement from the parent technology group, my photograph printed beside the title Vice President of Talent Infrastructure and Strategic Acquisitions. Beneath it was the org chart, and near the top of that chart was my name, with a clean line running down to Voltra, and beneath Voltra, in a box like any other new hire, sat Marcus. Renata’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Marcus turned his own page over slowly, and I watched him read the words that explained exactly why my comment at the reunion had never been a joke.

“You didn’t just get hired at a company I happen to know,” I said quietly. “You were hired into a company my division oversees. Your offer letter, your stock options, your compensation package, every one of them was approved through my office.” I let that settle over the pearls and the new suit and the applause that had died in the air. Grandpa lowered himself back into his chair, still holding the paper, reading it a second time. Then Renata did the one thing I had waited four years to see. She stopped talking, and for the first time in my life, she looked at me as if she had never actually met me before.