“What do you hope to gain from this information?”
“Time will tell. Time will tell. It’s hard to know if I should act now… or wait until a more opportune time.” Again, his words were slowly drawn out as he spoke, and I knew he was deliberately doing it.
“Interesting. What is it about this information that you feel will help you?”
“I think I finally understand my son’s motivation.”
“Okay,” I nodded, grasping for something to expand the conversation. “Do you feel comfortable talking about what happened with you and your son now?”
“We had a bit of a disagreement on how to run the family business.”
“Families can be tough at times. Especially when parents and children have differing opinions.”
“Yes, I think my son has become weak.”
“Interesting word choice there,” I commented, but it was almost like he didn’t hear me and kept talking.
“I’m not sure if he has the stomach to do the things that are required of a Mascro.”
“So your family name is important to you?”
“The most important.”
“It’s good to have connections to our family history.”
“Do you know anything about your history?”
Confused, I looked up from my computer where I’d been typing. “I’m not sure that’s relevant, Mr. Mascro. We’re here to work on you, not me.”
He assessed me thoroughly this time, and it weirded me out. The way his eyes rolled over me made me feel uncomfortable.
“Did I ever tell you I have a daughter as well?”
“I think you mentioned it once, but you’ve not spoken of her. Is your relationship with her any better?”
“She’s a little bit easier to manage. But she’s sided with her brother at the moment.”
“Well, maybe it’s important to them. Perhaps you could sit down and talk with both.”
“I don’t know if talking will get us where we need to be.”
“I found in my experience that most things can be resolved if people sit down and discuss their wants and expectations. And then you can find a compromise.”
“I don’t know if I’m willing to compromise on this.”
“Well, do you mind sharing what it is you’re struggling with? Then maybe we can find a compromise together. I’ve been told I’m pretty good at finding solutions.”
“I’m sure you are Mrs. Carter. In fact, I think you’re very flexible with some of your solutions.“
Quirking my brow, I tilted my head at him. Dayton was being cryptic, but he was more open than he’d ever been. “I don’t understand what you’re implying or are referring to, but I’m glad to hear you’re open to new possibilities.”
This time he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Possibilities. Yes. Oh, the possibilities.” Again, it felt as if we were having two different conversations, his words holding a different meaning than what they traditionally did. I decided to redirect and get the conversation back on track and under my control.
“Have you been experiencing any symptoms of distress lately?”
“I was very distressed, yes. But like I said, once I gathered this new intel, I’m now feeling a lot more confident. Soon I think I will have my life back the way I want it to be with no barriers or distractions.”
“It’s good to focus on goals and be able to visualize what we want them to look like.”