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“If Mom could read this, she would think it was the best thing ever.”
“I know.” Closing her eyes, Willow took in a deep breath. “Go on then, read it to me.”
Hadley cleared her throat dramatically. “‘Hi everyone, my name is Willow. I live in a small town called Windy Lake, which I think is the cutest little small town ever. I can often be found sitting at the shoreline, watching the sunset. I’m one of the best photographers in the state, but I like to keep my options open so I don’t always work for the same company. I’m a very free-spirited person and think it’s important to look after my chakras. Sage is one of my very best friends, followed closely by my collection of crystals. Whenever there’s a good day, you can find me out on the lake. I’ve become really good at paddleboarding this last year, but sometimes I’ll take a trip out in the canoe or go hiking with a couple of friends. Easy to talk to, fun loving, and one of the bubbliest people you’ll ever meet. Why don’t we catch up sometime?’” With a grin, Hadley laughed. “What do you think?”
The giggle that tore from Willow’s mouth answered Hadley’s question. Her sister’s eyes were dancing, and after a few minutes, both of them were weak with laughter. Her dating profile had descended into outright lies. Hiking? The last thing Willow would ever want to do would be to stick on a pair of boots and go out hiking, but on the profile, it made her sound really outdoorsy and fun.
Probably better than saying I just like to cook dinner and curl up to watch a film with Asher.
“We’re going to have to delete all of that.”
“I know, I know.” Wiping her eyes, Hadley sat up straight and reached for the laptop.
Shaking her head, she tried to swallow the last of her giggles. “I can’t imagine what Asher would say if he saw that.”
“Wait, let me send it to him right now before we delete it.” Before Willow could stop her, Hadley had taken a picture of the screen and then sent it straight to Asher.
“Just make sure he knows it’s fake!” Willow warned. “The last thing I want is for him to come back at me with hisownfake profile!”
“Asher doesn’t need a fake profile. He’s going to be snatched up right away.” The remark was made so casually that it took Willow a second to realize what Hadley had said. Blinking at the weird twist of emotion in her belly, Willow tried to shrug it off.
“Probably. He deserves to find someone great.”
“And so do you.” Hadley smiled and then gestured to the laptop. “Let’s write a real profile. I’m excited to see who you’re going to get matched with first!”
The strange twisting in her belly grew suddenly stronger.I’m just nervous, that’s all.“Let’s just make it honest.”
“Nobody is honest on a dating app.” Hadley’s lip curled, but Willow shook her head.
“Well, I’m going to be. I don’t want to pretend to be someone I’m not.”
Hadley smiled softly. “I get it. I promise I will highlight the real reasons you’re amazing.”
Willow didn’t sit back this time. Instead, she watched as Hadley typed out a new profile blurb. It was short, simple, but honest, and it put her in a better light than she would have done herself.
“What do you think?” Twisting a little in her seat so that she could study Willow’s expression, Hadley tipped her head and folded her arms across her chest. Willow read the blurb twice, biting her lip but then giving her sister a nod.
“I think on the whole it looks great.”
“On the whole?” Hadley tilted her head a little more. “What’s wrong with it?”
Chewing her lip, Willow hesitated. “You’ve written so much about my hobby.”
A flicker caught Hadley’s eyes. “You mean the part where I say that you’re a successful photographer with a great business? A business that you’ve started and run by yourself?”
Willow nodded. “Yeah, that part. It seems over the top.”
“Or maybe you just lack confidence.” Leaning forward, Hadley put one hand on Willow’s arm. “Every word I’ve written is true. You are an amazing photographer. You have an eye for things that no one else seems to see. That’s why your business has been going so well! That’s why Camp Windy Lake wants you back every single season. That’s why the first name that comes up when you type in ‘Windy Lake Photographer’ is yours.” Letting go of Willow’s arm, Hadley sat back, shrugging. “You asked me to write the blurb, and you asked me to be honest. I’ve done both.”
Taking a deep breath, Willow smiled back at her sister, aware that her chin was wobbling slightly. Yes, she had built up her own photography business, but there was still an uncertainty there—imposter syndrome. She still wasn’t sure that she was good enough, and there was always the fear that someone would turn around and tell her that she was either charging too much or that she should change careers altogether. “Thank you, Hadley.”
“Then I’m going to leave it in?”
Willow gave her a jerky nod. “Sure, leave it in.”
“That’s all there is to it, then!” Hadley clapped her hands together, sounding suddenly very excited. “All you have to do is choose a photograph of yourself, and then we can upload the profile.” One eyebrow arched. “Do you actually have any photographs of yourself?”
Laughing, Willow nodded. “I don’t model for my own photographs, but yes, I’ve got a couple that will do.” Taking the laptop, she quickly found one that she thought was suitable and uploaded it.
