But every time I try to write the announcement, I hear Georgia’s voice.These were real people. They deserve more than being a headline.
And she was right. God, she was so right.
Their story deserves to be told completely, carefully, with the respect it merits. Not rushed. Not sensationalized. Not used as a weapon in my personal war with my father. I was being impulsive when I argued with her against that point.
So, I don’t make the calls. Don’t send the emails. Don’t alert anyone to what we’ve found.
There’s a sudden knock at my door, and I blink my eyes into focus. “Come in.”
Ollie enters with a cup of coffee and sets it on the coaster on my desk. “Thought you could use this.”
“Thanks.”
He doesn’t leave, which means he has something to say. I’ve worked with Ollie long enough to know his tells, and that little way he’s rocking his weight is one of the larger ones.
“What is it?” I ask, turning my face up to him.
His voice is careful. “Should I… reschedule anything for today?”
“No. Why would you?”
“Are you sure? Because you seem…” He trails off.
“Distracted?”
“I was going to say miserable.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “That obvious?”
“You’ve been… scattered since you came back. Yesterday you left without your phone.”
That’s because I know Georgia won’t be calling, so what’s the point?
He gestures to my computer. “And you keep looking at those photos.”
I follow his gaze to where I’ve pulled up images of the excavation. The unopened tomb. The pottery fragments.
And Georgia. Multiple shots of Georgia working, crouched over the site, directing her team, looking like a model and the head in her field all at once.
“Have you talked to her?” Ollie asks quietly.
“No.”
He clicks his tongue.
“She made her position clear. She quit. I accepted. End of story.”
“Is it, though?” He sits in the chair across from my desk without being invited, a liberty only Ollie would take. “Because you halted the excavation. You haven’t hired a replacement. You haven’t announced the discovery. You’re basically frozen, waiting for something.”
“I’m being respectful. Taking the time to do things right.”
“Or you’re punishing yourself. And hoping she’ll come back.”
The accusation hits too close to home.
“She’s not coming back,” I say flatly. “Why would she? I told her she was replaceable. Let her walk away. I’ve proven exactly who I am.”
“Have you tried apologizing?”
