Employee IDs 001 through 010.
Some had moved on.
Some retired.
Two had died.
Daniel remained.
His section was simple.
DANIEL CARTER
EMPLOYEE 001
GENERAL OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN, 2005
BUILDING OPERATIONS, PRESENT
Underneath was a quotation.
Not about loyalty.
Not about kindness.
Daniel had rejected both.
Instead:
“If something is worth fixing, first find out what is actually broken.”
Victoria loved it.
Daniel claimed he did not remember saying it.
Samuel said:
“You’ve said some version of that for twenty years.”
At the anniversary reception, Lily stood in front of the display.
She read every line.
Then looked at her father.
“You were really first.”
“I’ve been telling you.”
“I thought you meant first after, like, a lot of people.”
“That makes no mathematical sense.”
She pointed toward the picture.
“Grandpa Samuel looks younger.”
“He’s not your grandpa.”
“He gives me birthday money.”
Daniel paused.
“Fair.”
Samuel stood behind them.
“I heard that.”
Lily turned.
“Grandpa Samuel.”
Samuel smiled triumphantly at Daniel.
“Too late.”
Victoria watched from across the lobby.
The same lobby where she had publicly fired Daniel.
The memory still embarrassed her.
It probably always would.
That was not necessarily bad.
Shame was useless when it only made someone hide.
Useful shame became a guardrail.
Victoria approached.
“Lily.”
Lily looked up.
“Hi.”
“I’m Victoria.”
“I know.”
Daniel nearly choked.
Victoria smiled.
“You do?”
“You’re Dad’s boss.”
Daniel said:
“Technically several layers above.”
Lily ignored him.
“You broke his old badge.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Victoria answered:
“Yes.”
“I did.”
Lily studied her.
“Why?”
Everyone nearby became uncomfortable.
Children did not care.
Victoria crouched slightly.
“I was angry about something else.”
“I thought your dad had done something wrong.”
“He tried to explain.”
“I didn’t listen.”
Lily considered.
“That wasn’t very CEO.”
Daniel looked away to hide a smile.
Victoria laughed.
“No.”
“It wasn’t.”
“You said sorry?”
“Yes.”
Lily looked at Daniel.
“She did?”
“She did.”
“Then okay.”
Daniel immediately said:
“Not exactly.”
Lily frowned.
He smiled.
“But we’re good.”
Victoria stood.
Lily looked at Daniel’s new badge.
“Show her.”
“What?”
“The back.”
Daniel sighed.
“She knows.”
“Show her.”
Daniel flipped it.
Lily grinned.
“My dad is number one.”
Victoria looked at Daniel.
Daniel said:
“I have explained this repeatedly.”
“I’m sure.”
Lily took his hand.
Then said something neither adult expected.
“He was number one before the badge.”
Daniel stopped.
Lily was already pulling him toward the dessert table.
“Come on.”
Victoria remained where she was.
That sentence stayed.
A year later, Henry Cole retired from security.