Then something caught my attention above the bustle of the crowd– something that sounded like my name.Ilooked up at the gate, but no, they hadn’t called me.Isupposed it could be a mom somewhere–Teddyhad spiked in popularity for babies a few years ago.Butno, that wasn’t it, either.Therewas something in me that tugged at my attention, telling meIneeded to investigate.Iturned in place, annoying the family trying to push past me, looking around as bestIcould.
I saw a blob of yellow careening toward me, and it took me a moment to focus in on it and register whatIwas seeing.Itwas a yellow corset on a pale woman, tangled auburn hair billowing behind her as she full-on sprinted through theterminal, almost body-checking someone standing in the middle of the moving walkway.Sheglared at them as she ran past, then almost tripped over the suitcase of a boy trying to get out of her way.
“Teddy!”Chloecalled again, clearly not having seen me, but beelining toward my gate.Istepped forward, pushing against the current of passengers, standing on tiptoe to make myself more visible.Shelooked up and locked eyes with me, and the smile that lit up her face was so bright it was like looking directly at the sun.
This woman who didn’t run for anything if she could help it was running full pelt to me.Forme.God,Iloved her.
I started elbowing my way through the crowd, and by the timeImade it past the throng of people,Chloehad reached the gate.Therewas a sheen of sweat across her chest, which was heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath.Ipulled my water bottle out of the side pocket of my bag and extended it to her, and she took a long drink.
Eventually she caught her breath, and she looked up at me.Imarvelled at her beauty: the flush on her chest and cheeks, the burnt umber of her hair, the pink of the lipsIknew from experience were as soft as anything.
“What are you doing here?”Iasked.
She took a deep breath in and smiled, andIjust knew she had a speech prepared.She’dtalked my ear off at length about much less, and this was the biggest thing in the world.Atleast to me.
“You were right about me all those months ago,” she said. “Whenyou saidIwas just flitting through life?Youwere right.”Shetook another big gulp of air. “Andit got under my skin, what you said.Iwanted it to be wrong.Iwas so determined toproveyou wrong.”
“Iwaswrong,”Isaid, daring to interrupt her, butIcouldn’t letChloethink for a moment that the idiotTeddyof all those months ago had known anything about the goddess standing in front of her now.Ireached my hand out between us to lace with hers. “Iwassowrong.You’rethe most considerate, charming, capable personI’veever met.”
Chloe flipped her hair with her free hand. “Why, thank you.Butthat’s not the point.”Shelooked at me chastisingly.
“Sorry,”Isaid, snickering slightly, even as she glared at me.
“The point is,” she continued, “Ihadn’t found my passion.ThenIcame toGwenynen, andIthought that was my passion.Butit wasn’t.Isn’t.Notall of it, anyway.”
I frowned, but she kept going, on a roll now.
“I love my job.Ibelieve in whatGwenynenstands for, and the vision you all had for it all those years ago; the vision you still stick to even now.Evenwhen things are hard.AndIwant to be a part of bringing that vision to life.ButI’mpassionate about a lot of things.Andone of those things is you.”
My heart pinched, andIsqueezed her hand in mine.
“My job is amazing for lots of reasons, but the reasonGwenynenfeels likehomeis because you’re there.Withoutyou, it’ll be a great job.Butit won’t be home.Becauseyou make everything better.Ourfriends love you, your family at the farm loves you, andIlove you.”
I let out a pained sigh. “Ilove you, too,Chloe.ButIcan’t stay.Italked toJen.It’sjust not poss?—”
“I spoke to the council,”Chloeinterrupted, andIfrowned mid-word. “Ihad a meeting with them, andItold them they were idiots not to consider you a local.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Youdid not call the council idiots.”
“Okay fine,” she conceded, “butIdid tellDafyddthat you were the best thing for that farm.Thatit wouldn’t exist without you, and that if he wants to helpGwenynenHollowreach its full potential, keeping you is the best way to do it.”
“You did?”Iasked, a lump in my throat.I’dpoured my heart and soul into that farm, and hearing her acknowledge that– fight for it on my behalf, even– meant the world.
“I did,” she said, beaming with pride. “Andthey agreed.”
It took me a moment to compute what she’d said;Ijust stood there blinking at her.ButwhenIdid understand, my mouth dropped open. “You’reshitting me.”
Chloe laughed and shook her head. “I’mreally not.Thegrant money can be used to pay your salary, as long as the farmsponsorsyou officially.AndJensaid they can do that.Somethingabout you starting to pay rent?”
My heart felt like it might burst out of my chest, board the plane, and take off into the sky.
“You did that for me?”Iasked, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak.Butthe tears forming in my eyes said everythingIcouldn’t.Chloereached up and brushed them away with her thumb, which just made more take their place.
“I would do anything for you.”
“But what about you?”Iasked, holding her hands in place where they held my face. “It’snot home for me, either, without you there.Notanymore.Ican’t imagine it without you.”
Now it was her turn to get emotional, her mouth turning down as her lip began to quiver. “Fuck,Teddy,Ilove you so much, you and your honey-glazed heart.”
