"Thank you."
They married two years later.
Their first apartment was small enough that Samuel could reach the kitchen sink from the dining table.
They owned secondhand furniture and a car that broke down almost every month.
But they were happy.
Every evening, they sat together and discussed their dreams.
Samuel wanted a watch shop.
Eleanor wanted a business where ordinary people would feel welcome.
"Not just rich people," she insisted.
Samuel laughed.
"Rich people are the ones buying expensive watches."
"And ordinary people have special occasions too."
He considered that.
Eleanor continued.
"A father might save for years to buy his daughter a graduation gift. A woman might want to repair the watch her husband wore before he died. A young man might want something to remember his first promotion."
Samuel nodded.
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that when we open our shop, nobody should have to prove they're important before we treat them like they are."
Samuel reached across the table and took her hand.
"Then that's what we'll build."
They spent five years saving.
Five years of overtime.
Five years without vacations.
Five years of secondhand clothes and carefully planned grocery budgets.
When they finally found a vacant storefront, it was hardly impressive.
The windows were cracked.
The floor was uneven.
The ceiling leaked.
And the neighborhood had seen better days.
But Eleanor stood in the doorway and smiled.
"It's perfect."
Samuel stared at her.
"Perfect? The roof might fall in."
She laughed.
"Then we'll fix the roof."
"We can't afford a new floor."
"We'll fix that too."
"And what about customers?"
Eleanor looked at him.
"We'll earn them."
They signed the lease.
For three months, Samuel repaired the building after finishing his regular job.
Eleanor handled paperwork, contacted suppliers, and negotiated with creditors.
Their friends helped paint the walls.
Joseph Carter traveled from Detroit to install the first workbench.
And on a rainy Saturday morning, Carter & Sons opened its doors.
There were only twelve watches in the display case.
The cash register was secondhand.
The sign outside had been painted by Eleanor's younger brother.
But Samuel stood behind the counter wearing his best shirt, feeling as proud as any businessman in Chicago.
Their first customer was an elderly woman carrying a broken alarm clock.
She looked embarrassed.
"I know this isn't the kind of thing you usually repair," she said.
Samuel smiled.
"Let's have a look."
He fixed it in twenty minutes.
When she asked how much she owed, he told her five dollars.
She searched her purse.
Then she handed him three.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "That's all I have."
Samuel returned the money.
"Keep it."
Her eyes widened.
"But—"
"Come back when you need something else."
The woman began crying.
After she left, Eleanor looked at Samuel.
"We can't give everything away."
He smiled.
"I know."
"Then why did you do that?"
Samuel glanced at the door.
"Because she looked like my mother."
Eleanor kissed his cheek.
"Then I suppose we'll find another way to pay the rent."
They did.
Slowly, the business grew.
A customer recommended Samuel to a friend.
That friend recommended him to a collector.
A collector introduced him to a supplier.
Within three years, Carter & Sons had become known for honest repairs and exceptional service.
Within seven years, Samuel opened a second location.
Within fifteen, the company had become one of the most respected independent watch retailers in the Midwest.
And through every expansion, Eleanor insisted that the original promise remain unchanged.
Respect first.
Sales second.
When a young employee once mocked a customer for asking about an inexpensive watch, Eleanor called him into her office.
"Do you know why that man came here?" she asked.
The employee shrugged.
"To look at watches."
"No. He came because his son is graduating from medical school."
The employee looked surprised.
"He has been saving for two years."
Eleanor leaned forward.
"That man spent twenty-eight years cleaning hospital floors. His son is becoming a doctor. And he wanted to celebrate."
The employee lowered his head.
Eleanor continued.
"You saw an old coat and decided he wasn't worth your time."
She paused.
"Do you understand what you almost took away from him?"
The employee nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Then go apologize."
Samuel watched that conversation from the doorway.
Later, he told Eleanor, "You should be running the whole company."