Marcus looked at her.
“What?”
She smiled.
“It's a number. We can find out what it requires.”
He shook his head.
“You can't just solve a quarter-million-dollar problem with a calculator.”
Sarah looked toward him.
“No.”
Then she turned the ledger.
“But a calculator can tell us whether the problem has a realistic solution.”
For a moment, Marcus stared.
Then he smiled.
“Fair enough.”
They began working.
The first financial review was sobering.
The garage had improved its collections, but it still needed money for payroll, inventory, insurance, utilities, and future repairs. The business couldn't simply empty its accounts to buy the building without risking its ability to operate.
Sarah insisted upon separating working capital from funds that might reasonably be available for a purchase.
She also insisted that the money collected for the Next Kid's Repair account remain separate.
Marcus agreed.
The coffee can represented contributions intended to help families with vehicle repairs.
Using that money for a property purchase would violate the trust people placed in it, even if the shop eventually benefited.
Dean offered to invest some of his savings in exchange for a documented ownership interest.
Luis expressed interest too, but Marcus refused to accept money from either mechanic until everyone had independent advice and understood the risks.
They contacted a local commercial lender.
The lender requested financial statements, tax returns, cash-flow projections, and information about the property.
Sarah worked with the shop's accountant to organize the records.
It took weeks.
There were questions Marcus hated answering.
How much did the business owe suppliers?
What would happen if a major employee became ill?
How much revenue came from restoration projects compared with routine repair work?
And what would the shop do if demand declined?
Marcus discovered that business ownership involved a remarkable amount of work nobody could complete with a wrench.
He also discovered that Sarah was remarkably good at asking questions without making anyone feel stupid.
One evening, as they reviewed another set of figures, he looked toward her.
“You should finish that accounting certificate.”
Sarah froze.
For a moment, she seemed embarrassed.
Then she smiled.
“I've been thinking about it.”
Marcus nodded.
“Good.”
She looked toward her notebook.
“It's expensive.”
“Education usually is.”
She laughed.
He leaned back.
“But you have a talent for this.”
Sarah's expression softened.
For several seconds, she didn't speak.
Then she whispered.
“Thank you.”
Marcus nodded.
He returned to the ledger.
Then added.
“And don't you dare spend the rest of your life thinking your job is only to keep everybody else afloat.”
Sarah looked up.
For a moment, his words startled her.
Then she smiled.
“You sound like somebody I know.”