Building My Own Empire

ter, as I numbly walked out of t

from

had too much wine at the firm's awards gala last month. It was a mis

n cold. Too

xt con

tell you. He's agreed to take that overseas fellowship. He'll be g

e child

with Dav

a physical blow, knocki

as I stared

ourthouse. She was offering me a li

sharp, surge

nger stopping on a name I hadn't call

ah

to New Orleans for some big food festival. Her fo

third ring, her voic

Hey! Wh

the words tumbling ove

le

e you serious?

. it doesn't matter. I'm ser

rport announcements

ght she' d hang up,

, Mike?" Her voice

ing." And in tha

den decisiveness in her

ing to someone, "Canc

you?" she

rthouse, actually." The

, right? The 'Always & Forever'?" she s

be t

, my hear

d always liked her, her easy laugh, her no-nons

, slightly dusty chapel. She wore jeans and a t-

me, a questi

st n

iant a kindly old man who probabl

e we

bride," Sarah looked up at me,

ssed her. It was sof

to the Austin af

ock, defiance, and a tiny,

. Thompson," she said, a teasin

ng a deep breath. "