She told him about the conversation.
The old aircraft.
The maintenance disagreement.
The founder's apology.
And the way he'd admitted that his treatment of the young technician had been wrong.
Her father listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he looked toward the photograph.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Then he smiled sadly.
“I remember that airplane.”
The CEO sat beside him.
“What happened?”
He considered the question.
“We had a technical problem before an important flight.”
She nodded.
“He told me.”
Her father looked toward the window.
“The company was small then. Every charter mattered. Everybody was afraid of losing customers.”
He paused.
“But I wasn't comfortable clearing it until the problem was properly resolved.”
The CEO watched him.
Her father continued.
“The founder thought I was being difficult.”
“Were you?”
He laughed softly.
“Probably. I was young and stubborn.”
She smiled.
“Still are.”
He grinned.
Then became serious.
“But the technical concern was real.”
She nodded.
“That's what he said.”
Her father looked down.
“I didn't leave only because of that incident.”
She looked surprised.
He continued.
“There were other reasons. Better opportunities. Different management. I wanted to work somewhere with more structure.”
He touched the photograph.
“But I never forgot how angry he became when I told him the aircraft needed more work.”
The CEO remained quiet.
Her father looked toward her.
“Does he understand now?”
“I think he's beginning to.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
She hesitated.
“Are you angry with him?”
Her father considered that.
“Not the way I was back then.”
She looked surprised.
He continued.
“I spent enough years working around aircraft to know that frightened people sometimes become unreasonable.”
She frowned.
“That doesn't excuse them.”
“No.”
He nodded.
“It doesn't.”
Then he looked toward the photograph.
“But I don't need to spend the rest of my life hating a man because he behaved badly when I was young.”
The CEO smiled faintly.
Her father continued.
“I'd rather know he's learned to listen.”
She took his hand.
He looked toward her.
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“Are you going to buy his company?”
The CEO sighed.
“I don't know.”
He nodded.
She continued.
“The review is taking longer than expected.”
“Good.”
She laughed.
“You keep saying that.”
Her father smiled.
“Because I'd rather see you spend six months learning the truth than six years regretting an expensive mistake.”