“I’d like to think that I mean it, because I’m not capable of giving anything to anyone, despite what you think. And isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? People,” she waved her empty plate towards the boisterous crowd of her employees, “they require things from you, and you may even try to give to them. But what else can you count on? Their reactions, their thoughts, their safety, their attitudes, even their lives—none of these come back at you the way you think they will.” She dropped her hand and took a breath. “I can’t risk not knowing what’s coming back my way, Arch.”
