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‘No. I offered you the job based on your skills and your work on this year’s festival before I ever knew about you and Xavier.’

‘What if he and I break up?’

‘That’s your business.’

‘But it would affect our working relationship.’

Hillary pauses. ‘I like to think it wouldn’t, but I can’t promise that. I’m human. But what I do know is that you are important to me, Charlotte, and I think no matter what happens, we could figure our way through it. But it’s up to you.’

‘What about what other people will think?’

‘I do not give a hoot about what other people think. Do you?’ She smiles, stands up, holds out her hand for me to shake.

‘No,’ I say, taking her hand.

‘Then it’s done. You’re stuck with me now.’

‘One more thing,’ I say. I want to be honest with her about everything. I don’t ever want to have to worry about another secret—I don’t want to have a shot of fear if I see her talking to Grady, or someone I used to work with. ‘I never told you, but I was made redundant from my role as editor at Jones & Peterson.’

‘Oh, I know.’

‘You do?’

‘Of course I do. I do my research before hiring people. That’s part of the reason I hired you. People are hungry when they’re coming off a disappointment. My show was axed, my time in TV was over, and I needed this festival to be a success. I wanted to work with someone who also wanted to prove themselves.’

‘Oh. Well, good,’ I say.

‘Now, let’s get going because we both have a lot to do,’ she says, standing up. I follow her out of the office, my mind buzzing, rearranging, letting go of so many things I thought I had to be ashamed of, excited about all that I have to look forward to.

Spring

(One year later)

42

I’M PROPPED ON the couch, pencil in hand, ready to edit, but I need to lean down onto the floor to pick up the manuscript, and if I move too sharply, Rex will wake up and possibly dig his claws in, as he is wont to do when disturbed, and so, inch by inch, I lean down, scrabbling my fingers to find the corners of the pages until I can grip them and lift them carefully. Rex’s ear twitches, but he remains asleep. I’m safe.

Lana has moved overseas and so Xavier and I are Rex’s ‘temporary owners, indefinitely’, which is an arrangement that allows Lana to feel like she hasn’t completely abandoned her cat but, also, we all know that Rex belongs to us now.

I’m working on the new novel by Rachel York. She’d heard I had edited Xavier’s upcoming novel, and asked if I was doing any freelance work because she’d love me to edit her again after our work together on Emotional Damage. I said yes, of course, and I now have several other authors lined-up for manuscript work.

Suddenly, I’m an editor again and it feels like putting on my favourite piece of clothing or eating my favourite food. Ah, you’re back, this piece of me I was missing.

My job as program manager of the festival is full-time in the months leading up to the festival but part-time during these spring and summer months afterwards, which allows for a balance of editing and programing work. I never thought I’d like juggling two jobs but if being a PA for Hillary taught me anything, it’s that I’m capable of juggling things.

I hear the front gate, and I sit up quickly. Rex raises his head in outrage, claws digging in, but I don’t care, because I’ve been waiting for the sound of the gate all day.

I put Rex and the manuscript down and hurry to open the door, but Xavier is already opening it from the other side.

‘You’re home!’ I say, jumping dramatically into his arms and kissing him.

He laughs, and kisses me back.

‘I missed you,’ he says.

I give him one more kiss and slide back down to the floor.

‘Does it look as beautiful as I imagined?’ I say.