Emily worked overtime on her new collection to have everything prepared for Fashion Week. She hardly even saw any of her friends, so she was a little annoyed when none other than Nova Summers strode gracefully into her studio wearing an extravagant sun hat."I hope you're happy!" Nova said with no preamble. "Carter dumped me."This was shocking news considering how much Carter seemed to adore Nova. One would think a guy like him would be lucky to date a movie star, but then again, it was Carter. Emily even forgot her annoyance for the moment. "How could he?" she asked.Nova rolled her eyes. "He said something about being a lone wolf or something stupid like that.""I told you," Emily replied, "he's an idiot."Nova made a dramatic gesture with her hands. "I know, I should have listened to you." "You are way out of his league, so it's probably for the best," Emily concluded."That's true," Nova agreed, "I couldn't see it as a long-term thing anyways. He's always trying to climb m
A couple of Byron's security agents went on ahead to check out the hotel on the day of the meeting. They found nothing at all suspicious about the premises, and so Emily and Byron arrived at the appointed time.They sat down at a small table. The security agents were still around in case anything went wrong, but Emily still felt a little jittery.It was already seven, but no one had shown up."Maybe it's Quinn Faines!" Emily suggested."Yeah, you wish, naughty kid," Byron said, "Still planning to run away with him?""If I was, I wouldn't tell you," she replied.At five past seven, the bar was still mostly empty, and no one came to greet them."Maybe it's a practical joke, and they just stood us up," Byron said after another couple of minutes had passed.Just as he said it, his eyes alighted on a man who had entered the bar and was heading straight towards them.He was a good-looking man, possibly in his sixties. His hair and stylish goatee were both grey, but his skin looked h
"I'm really sorry about all of this," Emily said, "especially my part in it.""You don't have to be, really," Byron said. His driving became less rough, although Emily could tell he was tense. "My dad is the one who decided to come back after these years, uninvited. I just don't want to relive the old trauma...""Then don't," Emily said. "I know it's easy for me to say, but try not look back at the past."Byron laughed with a touch of bitterness. "You're right. I'm sure my father will just bring some new troubles into my life, so I can focus on present trauma instead.""You're such a sweet ray of sunshine! How about we get some pizza?""Sure!" Byron agreed at once. He often enjoyed caviar wrapped in the finest crepes prepared by his personal chef or making his own gourmet creations such as eggplant lasagna or sauteed scallops. But once in a while he craved fast food burgers or a good old fashioned pepperoni pizza from some humble family restaurant. It might have been temporary ins
"It's my birthday, and I want to die," Byron groaned as he struggled out of bed in the morning.Emily was horrified for a moment. "Don't say that!""Oh, sorry, I don't mean literally," he corrected, "I promised I would tell you if I ever felt suicidal again.""And you haven't?" she asked tensely."Not yet. I just don't want to celebrate growing older."Emily got up too and searched her dresser for some clothes fit for the occasion. She wanted nothing too dressy, but something casual yet fun. She chose a flouncy yellow blouse with a white skirt. "We don't have to celebrate much," she said. "Maybe just have a nice dinner, watch a movie."But their plans were derailed when the doorbell rang that afternoon and Sylvia showed up with a big strawberry cake. Emily regretted not making an escape plan since Byron clearly didn't want his birthday to be a big deal, but now it was too late. Byron was very sweet, though."Thanks for coming over, mom," he said, "and for giving birth to me
Much to Emily's surprise, Teddy actually made it to the fashion show on her invitation. It was the show of another designer, a friend of hers, so Emily could relax and sit in the audience. Although she was still not sure whether she was doing the right thing by encouraging the reunion, she was glad of the chance to talk to Teddy and get to know him more. When she spotted him at the entrance to the fashion show, he was blending in with a fashionable shirt and faux leather trousers. "I'm glad we could do this," he said, "though I don't want you to get in trouble for supporting Team Teddy. Not a very popular choice right now.""It'll be fine," Emily said. "Byron knows I'm trying to help him. I've had to fight him on certain issues before... But he was upset about you coming to his birthday.""I didn't mean to upset him," Teddy said. "I wish I could take a more gradual approach, but I don't have much time. I can't be away from my work too long."They entered the bustling lobby an
Byron tried to steel his heart against the inevitable pain that spending time with his father would bring. But no matter how he tried, he knew there was no way to avoid the suffering. It was kind of like putting his hand deliberately into a fire, knowing it would scroch him.Maybe Emily was right, and it was a good thing to be vulnerable. The feelings of nostalgic affection he had for his father couldn't exist without the pain of abandonment. The memories were too intertwined. He had to accept the good and the bad as an inevitable part of life.They walked on the beach together, and in some ways it felt as if his dad had never left. They used to have deep talks like this back in the old days, ranging from tractors to the meaning of life.It was a misty day, with just enough sun filtering through the pale grey clouds. "The last time I saw you," Byron said, "when you got mom to loan you that money... Why did you disappear again for so many years? We never heard from you.""I though
The panic attack at the fashion show was a disappointment. Emily had been secretly hoping she was over them. But now she knew a good technique to overcome them, thanks to Teddy. She also knew Ruby was still around in the fashion world.Ruby had not shown her cards yet, but Emily was sure there was some kind of trouble on its way. She hated to wait passively and respond to Ruby's next provocation. On her way home from work one day, she decided on impulse to stop by Ruby's shop. Byron was driving her home from work as he often did these days, still considering the Josh threat level to be high."Let's stop here a moment," she said, "I want to drop in on Ruby.""Do you want me to come with you?" Byron asked."No, that's okay. Could you wait in the café?""Are you sure?" he asked, parking the car expertly on the same block where Ruby's notorious boutique was located."Yeah, Ruby is not that scary, honestly," Emily said. She had dealt with far worse. Although Ruby had posed a threa
Not only was Teddy leaving town, but Emily's student Katie was going away for the rest of the summer."This is my last lesson," Katie said. Although Emily already knew it, she was sad to hear it spoken out loud. The studio had quite a few of Katie's paintings hanging on the walls, and it would never be the same without her."Well, it's been a pleasure," Emily said, "I guess you won't likely be back to art lessons in the fall since you'll be busy with college.""Yeah, I probably won't have as much time for art anymore. I've decided to take business as my major.""Still aiming to get that rich husband?" Emily teased."Of course, but this time I have a better plan. I'm going to be rich myself, and then it'll be so much easier to sort through the rich men of the world.""Love the confidence," Emily said. "And if you need a part-time job when you get back, I could always use some help around the office. I'm sure we could find something business-y for you to do.""That would be awes