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“Yes. Definitely. If you do, the rest of the world will follow suit.” I laughed and slid the magazine back over to her.
“My mother always told me to dream big. Truth is, I never really understood what she meant.” She tapped the cover of her old magazine. “Not until much, much later. That’s what this was. Except, it had more of hold on me than I did on it.”
“That’s exactly how I feel,” I said quietly. And hearing Hayden talk about the inspiration her mother gave her . . . it connected so many dots. She’d been one of the first mentors to come speak at Paths. Afterward, I remember being nervous to approach her, but that had disappeared in seconds. We’d clicked, and if it weren’t for her support, I wouldn’t have made the progress I had. Sometimes I wondered if I’d still be hiding away in my room.
Her face turned somber. “I wouldn’t give up the magazine for anything. It’s me. Who I am. Without it, I’m not sure what’s left.” She fiddled with her coffee cup. “But that isn’t right for everybody. And you’ll have to give up some things you might not realize you didn’t want to give up until it’s too late.”
The flash of pain in her eyes tore me apart. “I just like experimenting with the products. Seeing what a dash more honey adds or a bit less color. When I’m mixing up lip gloss, it quiets the noise.”
“Knowing that will make it a lot easier to decide how to move forward so you have control of your brand instead of it controlling you.”
“A friend of mine . . .” A streak of doubt slashed across my chest. “He-he bought an old building. One he wants to revitalize into a car garage. It has a huge upstairs space and—” I was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by what Holt had done.
“And?” Hayden asked the question like he hadn’t suggested something life-changing.
“He offered it to me to make my products. He’d even mapped out a display area for them in his lobby.” The magnitude of what he’d offered and that I’d immediately rejected it hit me hard.
“So what’s the issue?”
Was it that easy to simply say yes to Holt’s proposal? She seemed to think it was.
“When he showed it to me, it felt like he was taking away my choice. But now, I’m not so sure.” I glanced out the window as confusion descended.
“Want my advice?”
“Please.”
“Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep tweaking, improving, loving what you do. You’ll know if you want to push to the next level or stay where you are now.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Whatever you decide, I’m behind you. You have a place at the magazine, but if you want to pursue cosmetics, I’m with you as soon we have the lab verify it's safe.”
“I’m happy right now.” As I said it, I realized that was the truth.
“Let’s chat about this again in . . . a month? Would that give you more time to see what sort of line you’d want to start with? Complete the products to be ready for testing?”
“I’d like that.”
Gratitude for Hayden coming into my life filled me. Knowing I had her support and friendship eased my stress.
She grinned at me over her cup. “Now tell me about this man who’s offering you space in his garage.”
Chapter Fifteen
Holt
“What are you doing here?”
Inwardly, I cursed at the nervous edge in my voice.
“I didn’t know how else to reach you.” My mother stayed rooted in her position by a worn-out chair and dusty end table littered with magazines that were at least five years old.
“How’d you find me?”
“You wouldn’t answer my calls.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to talk.” The words were hollow, even to my own ears. I’d wanted to speak to her all my life . . . more than anything.
