Grace did not question him.
Daniel followed Marcus into the back storage room.
“What?”
“You need to slow down.”
“I’m fine.”
“Karen says people who say that to medical professionals are usually lying.”
“Karen isn’t here.”
“I have retained the knowledge.”
Daniel crossed his arms.
Marcus pointed through the doorway toward the shop.
“You hired me.”
“Yes.”
“You hired two more mechanics.”
“Yes.”
“You trained Tyler and Alicia to do half the basic work you still grab from them.”
“I supervise.”
“You hover.”
“There’s a difference.”
“Not from where I stand.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
Marcus cut him off.
“You helped Grace because you believed somebody should carry the weight for a scared kid when she couldn’t carry it herself.”
Daniel went still.
Marcus continued more gently.
“Why do you think you’re the only person who isn’t allowed the same thing?”
Daniel looked down.
“I’m responsible for all of this.”
“No. You are responsible to it. Different thing.”
Marcus let the words sit.
“You keep acting like accepting help means you failed to provide it yourself.”
Daniel leaned against the shelf.
“I don’t know how to stop checking everything.”
“Learn.”
“That simple?”
“No. That necessary.”
Daniel went home at six that evening.
Chloe opened the apartment door and looked behind him suspiciously.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you sick?”
“No.”
“Did the garage close?”
“No.”
“Then why are you home?”
Daniel held up a grocery bag.
“I thought we could make dinner.”
Chloe stared at him.
Then she hugged him hard enough to make the bag swing against his leg.
That was the moment delegation stopped feeling like a management concept and started feeling like a promise.