The Seed of an Idea
I couldn’t sleep that night. Eleanor’s casual suggestion had unleashed something in me – a possibility I’d never considered before. Me, Cathy, a business owner? At 58?
I pulled out my laptop at 2 AM and started researching what it would take to buy and run a coffee shop.
The settlement money was burning a hole in my bank account anyway – more than enough for a down payment and startup costs. By sunrise, I had spreadsheets, business plan templates, and a folder of bookmarked articles about small business ownership.
I’d spent fifteen years memorizing other people’s policy numbers; maybe it was time to write my own policies. The more I thought about it, the more right it felt. No more begging twenty-something hiring managers to see my value.
No more corporate politics or backstabbing. Just me, creating a space where people felt welcome – where experience was valued, not mocked in TikTok videos.
I called Eleanor that afternoon, my voice trembling with an excitement I hadn’t felt in months. “I’d like to discuss the possibility of buying Perks & Brews,” I said, surprised by my own confidence. Eleanor’s warm chuckle came through the phone.
“Honey, I was hoping you’d say that. Come by after closing tonight – there’s something about this place I haven’t told you yet.”