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Chapter 52

"I think that is all the business we need to discuss." Lila said going over her notes. Now that the Nurses' Ball was complete the next big thing on their agenda was the annual Heart Ball. It was held every February and benefitted the pediatric research fund that was named after Lila's brother. The money would be given in the form of grants to researchers around the globe that were looking to eradicate childhood illnesses.

The ladies also began discussions for the summer camp that the foundation sponsored. While the warm weather break seemed like a long way off there were a lot of moving parts to pull together. January was the official launch date for that project, but prep work started now and by April they would be ready to start signing up campers.

While the foundation did a lot of work, the two galas and the summer camp were the three highest profile events on the calendar. Generally the rest of the year they worked quietly behind the scenes helping to make Port Charles and the surrounding area better through grants along with their volunteer programs.

"I'm excited about this year's summer camp." Georgie had been a volunteer at the camps as a teenager, and frankly had a lot of fun. The day camps were held out by the lake and there were all kinds of activities to be enjoyed.

"You can't go. There's an age limit." Liz laughed at her friend. "Otherwise we'd all be there." She had volunteered while in college. "We should look into an adult camp. Do you know how much money we could raise?" She took some notes. They were all the rage right now.

"Georgie would you excuse us? I need to speak to Liz about a few things." Lila requested of her assistant. "Don't wander too far because I'll need you to come back."

"Okay." Georgie would type up the notes.

When it was just them Liz looked at her boss. "What did you need?"

Lila smiled at the younger woman. When she started thinking of retirement Liz had been family by choice. It tickled the older woman to realize that by the time the plans went into effect Liz would be family through marriage. Because Lila had no doubt that Jason was going to marry Elizabeth. So control of the foundation would stay in the family.

"I have decided that it's time to retire." Lila could see that she had surprised the younger woman. "I'd like for you to take over running the foundation."

"Me?" Liz blinked in surprise at what she was hearing.

"The structure we have in place is a bit misleading. I don't officially have an assistant director, however everyone here knows that you are my right hand. That your job is more extensive than just press releases." Lila explained some of how she reached this decision. "You have been the face of the foundation for the past year, which has been intuitional on my part. Frankly I wanted to see how you did. To say you exceeded my hopes is an understatement."

"So this isn't because I'm dating Jason?" Liz was still processing what Lila had said.

"No. That's just a happy coincidence." Lila understood where the question came from. "My grandson's personal life has no impact on what happens here. I founded this organization, and I've funded it with my relish company. I've nurtured it so that it would grow. In a very real sense this foundation is another of my babies." She explained with a fond smile. "I wouldn't trust it to just anyone. I've known since shortly after you started as my assistant that you would one day run the foundation." The younger woman would also one day inherit the relish company to ensure the foundation stayed funded.

"Lila." Liz was blinking back tears. She always wanted to make Lila proud, and to know that she had done so meant everything. "Thank you. I would be honored to continue the work that you are doing here. However I'd like to say you don't have to leave. If you need me to take on more responsibility so that you can stay I have no problem with that." She knew what the foundation, and the work they did, meant to Lila.

The older woman just smiled. "I want to retire." She shared. "It's time. I'd like to devote more energy to my roses." Also Edward was going to be retiring next year, he was letting AJ take full control of ELQ. Lila wanted to spend time with her husband. Her health was deteriorating, so was Edward's, and they both wanted to travel some while they still could.

"What did you have in mind?" Liz would really let what just happened, the passing of the baton, sink in when she was back in her office. Now they had things to do.

"You officially being promoted to my Assistant Director." Lila was creating the new position. "Over the next year I'd like to start turning over more responsibilities to you. I'd like my official last day to be December 15th of next year. By that point I expect to be spending more time away from the foundation then at it. I also plan on staying at the head of the board. That will be enough of a presence for me. The same day I leave you will take over as Director."

Liz was nodding. That was a good time line for the transition. "I like knowing that you are not going to be totally hands off. Your spirit and heart are what make the foundation the success that it is."

Elizabeth's spirit and heart were what would ensure the foundation continued to serve the community at large. "With the holidays coming we are going to be slowing down so now is a good time to start with some of the physical changes. "I'm going to have some work done in the building. Down the hall we have two empty offices, because they are smaller we haven't been using them lately. So I'm going to have the wall between them knocked out to make a larger office for you." Lila opened her journal to her notes. "I'm moving you because you need space for an assistant and we can do that over there. So you get to pick paint colors, and new furniture. You'll also have a better view, you can see the park from the new space." It was the same view Lila had.

"What's the timeline for that?" Liz was thinking one of Jason's crews was going to do the work.

"I was told a week for demolition, rehab of the space, and painting." Lila had called Jason not because he was her grandson, but because he was a board member. She didn't want to spend money if she didn't have to. "Construction will happen the first full week in December. Once you move we will have another meeting to discuss what additional duties you'll begin taking on initially."

"Will Human Resources be hiring my assistant?" Liz would need to adjust to having someone helping her on a full time basis. That might be the hardest part of the change.

"They will do the initial round of interviews and forward you the viable candidates." Lila began explaining how the department would be helping them. "We need Georgie for the next part." Lila called her assistant back in.

"So what mischief have you been planning?" Georgie asked taking the seat she vacated earlier.

"My retirement." Lila said then laughed at the expression on Georgie's face.

"Really?" Georgie couldn't tell if she was being tricked or not.

"Really. At the end of next year, so changes will be happening." Lila said before bringing the younger woman up to speed.

"Congratulations." Georgie smiled over at Liz. "You will be awesome as our Assistant Director, and then Director." It would seem so odd to not have Lila with them. Georgie could see in her friend's eyes that she was thinking the same thing.

"With Elizabeth being promoted we will of course need a new Public Liaison." Lila and Liz both looked over at Georgie. "Which is not going to be you." The older woman said after a dramatic pause.

"Thank goodness." Georgie said feeling relieved. "I just don't feel comfortable doing the job."

"I gathered that." Lila had watched her assistant closely while Liz was gone. Georgie could do the job with no issues, she just didn't enjoy it. That was something that probably wasn't going to change. More importantly Georgie didn't want the job, so there was no point in making her miserable. "I considered having you work with Liz as her assistant, but honestly you would be wasted. You have more to offer, and I know you want to offer more."

"I enjoy working with you." Georgie didn't want it to seem like that wasn't the case.

"I enjoy working with you, but unfortunately we have to break up. I've moving you to the position of Business Manager. Harry is leaving us in March." Lila shared with them. He had been with her from the beginning, and like her was ready to retire. His son's family had moved to Nevada and Harry wanted to be closer to them so that he could spend time with his grandchildren. "He's agreed to train you to take over the position. You will start with him on December first if you are agreeable."

"I accept, thank you. Who will be helping you?" Georgie felt protective of Lila, and wanted to make sure she was in good hands.

"A wonderful woman named Cynthia Allison." Lila told both women. "Most recently she was the assistant to the president of my relish company. She started at the company with me and was my assistant before I left to start my foundation. She also wishes to retire." Many of Lila's peers were at the point where they were ready to leave the workforce. "When I heard that I asked her if she wanted to finish out together." Lila felt that would be amazing. Like things had come full circle. "She said yes. So she is pushing her retirement back one more year to indulge me."

"Cynthia will be a wonderful fit for the time that she's here." Liz had spoken to Lila's new assistant, or returning assistant, often for business purposes. They had met in person multiple times over the years as well. "You won't even have to do much in the way of training her."

"The final piece of the puzzle will be an Assistant Director to replace Liz when she moves up. That will be decided next year." Lila wanted her future granddaughter to be able to enjoy life as well. The foundation was a joy to Lila, but it was also a great deal of work. Downtime was necessary. "That will complete the restructure." Georgie would a contender for that position by that point. The responsibilities of the Business Manager could be rolled into the Assistant Director position, but Liz would make the final decision. "I'm leaving the foundation in good hands, that helps me to rest easy." Lila wanted them to know that she had every faith in them.

"We have a whole year to change your mind about that." Liz couldn't help but say.

"Maybe if we are awful at our new jobs Lila will stay." Georgie chimed in.

"I can still cancel the cake." Lila looked between the two women sitting on the other side of the table.

"I'm going to be the best Business Manager ever." Georgie said changing her tune. "Cake." She said to Liz. "Yes, I'm really that easy."

"Does John know that?" Liz asked with a smirk. "He can save a lot of money. A cake is cheaper than an evening out."

"Which is why he will never find out." Georgie said smiling. "If he does I'll know who told him."

"Lila has never been able to keep a secret." Liz said making all three of them laugh. "Are you sure you want to trust us with your legacy?" She asked her boss grinning.

"I looked around, there isn't anyone else." Lila said with a shrug and continuing the joke. "Get out, go find something to do to earn that piece of cake."

Georgie held up two fingers.

"Incorrigible." Lila said as the two young ladies left. Her foundation would continue to do good work and serve the community. Elizabeth and Georgie were going to do incredible things. Now Lila would work on the letter she would send to the board so they knew what was going to take place.


Elizabeth practically bounced into the penthouse. For the entire day after her meeting she had been floating. To know that Lila wanted her to take over the foundation filled Liz with such pride. It was the same feeling she got when her grandmother watched her graduate from college. "You're here." This week would see her and Jason getting used to one another's work schedules. Communication was going to be the key word for the next few weeks. She'd never lived with anyone but her family, so the learning curve was pretty steep. "I thought I would beat you home."

Jason had said that he would be home between five-thirty and six-thirty most days. He promised to call if he was going to be late because she would be home first. With that schedule in mind Elizabeth was going to be making dinner during the week. To balance that he would make breakfast. For his girl most mornings, when not on vacation, that was some sort of smoothie. The weekends they would play by ear.

"I got an email from my grandmother." Jason explained why he was home first.

"Is that right?" Liz asked pretending not to know what he was talking about, and trying not to blush.

"Uh huh." Jason was nodding as he answered. He walked over to where his girlfriend was standing. When she tilted her head up he placed a lingering kiss on her lips. "Congratulations." He told her when the kiss ended. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." Liz wrapped her arms around him and snuggled close. "I couldn't believe it when Lila said she was retiring, and I almost fell out of my chair when she said she wanted me to succeed her."

"You are going to be amazing." Jason made himself let his girl go. He had a surprise for her. "Did you tell Sarah yet?"

"No. I won't tell her until the vote takes place." Liz had to be approved by the board of the foundation. She wasn't worried. There were seven board members, three of whom were members of the Quartermaine family and they liked her. Also the four non-family members were all people she got along well with. So her placement should be a slam dunk.

"The vote is done." Jason told her smiling. His grandmother gave him permission to pass this along. "We voted using the power of the internet. You were confirmed, unanimously, about thirty minutes ago. Grandmother will make it official in the morning by announcing it to the staff. Same with Georgie's new position. So you can call your sister after dinner."

"She's at work, so I will leave a message asking her to call me back." Liz knew Sarah was going to be thrilled. "Maybe we can get together for lunch this week."

"Or dinner. I wouldn't mind going out with her and Patrick more than once this week." Jason escorted his girlfriend into the kitchen.

"Jason." Liz said looking around. They ate a lot of meals at the island. She liked that they could sit next to each other and talk. Tonight there were flowers and candles set up ready to go. The linen place settings were down and linen napkins were on gleaming white plates. The last thing to catch her eye before she turned to face him was the champagne on ice. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. We can have a bigger celebration with your family and then mine." Jason leaned forward for another kiss. "I ordered in because I didn't have time to cook and get this set up." He had to dig out all the items to create the nice place settings. He was thinking going forward they would get more use.

"This is perfect. You are wonderful to do all this." Liz felt cherished and cared for. She was also grateful to have Jason to share this moment with.

"Ready to eat?" Jason held out her chair.

"I am thank you." Liz sat down and looked forwarding to spending a romantic evening with her guy.


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