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Several of them nod.
"Got here too late," one of the women in a pantsuit says. "My meeting ran long."
I look at her in surprise. "You left work to come?"
She shrugs. “Of course."
I focus on the woman with a walker. "Where are you coming from?"
"Home. I started out early enough, I thought, but it's tough to get around with this thing." She shakes her walker.
"Are you all here because of the video of Prince Torin last night?"
Some of them actually seem confused by the question.
"What video?" Aisling asks.
"Were you coming here to see if I would kiss the prince in front of everyone?" I ask with a teasing grin.
The little girl wrinkles her nose. "Ew. No. I made a tomato plant with you the other night,” Aisling tells me. “And Mommy said today I could see real ones that you grew on your very own farm.”
“Oh…” I don’t know why I’m surprised by this. “That’s so nice. I’m so glad.”
"And we’re here to listen to whatever else you want to talk about,” Sorcha adds. “We always come whenever the queen or princess addresses the public."
I didn’t know my mother-in-law or grandmother-in-law did that. “How often does that happen?"
The woman with a walker shakes her head. "Not very often. That's why we have to show up when it does.”
"And what do they talk about?" I ask.
"The queen leads all of the women's initiatives. Maternity leave, healthcare, fair wages, childcare, things like that," the woman in the pantsuit tells me. "So we come and listen to her ideas and plans, and then we’re able to offer input and suggestions."
I like hearing that. I need to sit down with the queen and hear more about the initiatives and her plans. But I frown. "You have to show up in person to do that?"
They all look at one another and nod.
"That seems unnecessarily complicated and burdensome," I say. I can’t believe women with walkers and who are very pregnant with young children in tow have to come all the way over here to see the queen in person. Not to mention women leaving work for it.
"You could just email me anything you want the queen to know, and I can take it to her," I say.
“You have email?” someone asks.
"Of course. Oh! And they recently got me an email as princess! After we did the video call with the kids."
"That was so fun!" Aisling tells me. “You should do more of those."
My eyes widen. "I should. I don't get nervous doing those. I don't need to throw up.” And now I’m staying so I can make plans like that. I can do lots more video chats and kids’ programs and… I feel butterflies start flitting through my stomach. Good butterflies. I’m staying. That feels so, so good.
A thought occurs to me. “Maybe I could use some video chats like that to talk with everyone." I look around the group. "We could have them at varying times, but then you could join and listen to me talk about new plans and ideas, and you could give me input without having to come all the way over here in person."
Sorcha rubs her belly. "That would be a lot easier."
The woman in the pantsuit nods. "We could probably even join from work. But certainly afterwards. If you have them after hours or record them.”
I nod. "We’ll do a variety of times so everyone can join."
Aisling smiles up at me. "You don't look nervous anymore."
