Chapter 18 - RUBY LEARNS THE NUMBERS
At eighteen, Ruby received full beneficiary education.
Hawthorne.
Independent fiduciary.
Naomi.
Me.
No Corinne unless Ruby requested.
She did not.
The branch trust held:
Ten percent of protected governance rights after reform.
Diversified investments.
Economic interests in several family holding entities.
Education and health provisions.
Future distribution schedules.
No unrestricted lump sum at eighteen.
Ruby asked:
“Am I rich?”
“Yes.”
No point lying.
“How rich?”
“Enough that you need good advisers and a personality not built around it.”
Naomi looked at me.
“Technical.”
Ruby laughed.
Then fiduciary explained ranges.
Not guaranteed values.
Market changes.
Taxes.
Trust conditions.
Protected governance did not equal economic ownership.
She understood quickly.
Then:
“Can I resign from being beneficiary?”
Certain rights could be disclaimed later.
Others structured.
No decision now.
“Can I never work at Ferraro?”
“Yes.”
“Can I marry someone you hate?”
I stared.
Naomi answered:
“Yes.”
Traitor.
Then:
“Can Aunt Corinne control any of this?”
“No.”
“Can Dad?”
“No.”
Ruby smiled.
“That part I like.”
Again.
Healthy.
Then she asked the hardest question.
“Why did Aunt Corinne care so much about sixteen percent if it wasn’t money?”
I answered:
“Because control can become identity.”
“Did you do that too?”
“Yes.”
Good.
No saints.
Then Ruby went to college.
Animal science.
Across the country.
I hated it.
Did not stop her.
Corinne sent care packages.
No expensive jewelry.
Snacks.
Socks.
One pair of shoes.
Ruby texted me:
SHE FINALLY BOUGHT THE SHOES.
I laughed for five minutes.
Corinne had asked first.
Ruby accepted.
No hidden meaning required.
May you like
Yet some meaning existed.
That was okay too.
