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Confetti rained down on the front seats. Tears threatened to run down my face. The crowd was on their feet for me. My entire world had come to watch me win this crown. They were currently seated to the left of the stage, and I waved. Their cheers rose even higher.
I’d been in pageants since I had been old enough to toddle on the stage. They were outdated, of course. As much as debutante balls. They were patriarchal bullshit. A way to get men and to have men ogle us and for women to be judged on their looks. But at the same time, it was so much more than that for me and all the other women on this stage. It was about doing good for the world, raising money for charity, and finding a platform to be heard as a woman. It was damn hard to have that in this world. If I had to strut in a bikini and a ball gown for a few judges so I could promote my platform, then so be it.
At the debutante ball earlier this year, I’d raised five thousand dollars to help get foster children clothing and supplies. Today, the entire state of Georgia had heard me discuss the need for a better foster system and the promise that, one day, I would open my own clothing boutique and donate proceeds to help.
All of this would be worth it in the end.
After the fanfare and pictures and interviews, I was finally released for the night and found my family waiting for me.
“Mom,” I said, throwing myself into my mom, Margie’s, arms.
After my obligations were over for the pageant, I would be going to Charleston to spend a few weeks with her, and I’d been looking forward to it all summer.
“You were incredible, sweetie.”
“You really were,” Kathy said, crowding in next to her.
My moms. Kathy was my stepmom, and I probably should have hated her for breaking up my family. But she had been with my dad for five years and had been at every single event of mine. Even the ones that Mom couldn’t drive in for because she was too busy with her interior design business.
I released my mom and threw my arms around Kathy. “Thank you for coming.”
Kathy laughed and squeezed me tighter. “My little pageant queen. Of course, we all had to be here.”
“Baby,” my dad, Doug, said from behind my moms.
I released Kathy and stared at him. I’d always been a daddy’s girl. I wasn’t quite sure what I was now that he’d ruined everything. Sure, I’d gotten a second mom in the process, who I loved. He was still my daddy, but part of me hated him.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said softly.
It was my mom urging me forward that got me to take the step in my heels. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.
“You did amazing.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
I broke away first and turned to find my brother.
Derek handed me another bouquet of flowers. “I knew you’d win.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Derek.”
My cousin Marina barreled into me, crushing my bouquets between our chests. “It was horribly outdated, but you were right, it was magic.”
I snorted. Mom had driven Marina in from Charleston. She was my closest friend. I’d never trusted any of the girls at school like I did Marina. We’d spent every summer together since we were kids, and I hated that this was going to be the last one.
“I can’t believe you even came. You hate pageants.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t hate anything with you in it,” Marina said matter-of-factly. She was the kind of dark-haired, blue-eyed girl next door that didn’t have to try for everything that came her way. She was comfortable whether running for school president, wearing a homecoming queen crown, or fishing on one of her family boats.
“Thanks, Rina.”
A throat cleared behind her, and my world shifted.
“Ash,” I said in surprise. He’d told me at the deb ball that he’d be here, but that had been months ago. I hadn’t been sure if he remembered … or cared.
He held out another bouquet of red roses. “Congratulations on your win.”
I accepted them with a smile. “Thank you so much. I’m glad you came.”
“I told you that I would.”
Derek coughed. “My little sister.”
Ash shot him a dirty look. “What? She did good.”
Derek punched him in the arm. “I saw that look before.”
My cheeks flushed at those words. I loved my older brother, but sometimes, he was so embarrassing. He could have let me and Ash have our moment.
“All right,” my mom interjected. “It’s late. Let’s head back to the hotel. We can do brunch in the morning.”
Everyone started talking at once, and I fell into step beside Marina. I glanced back once at Ash to find him looking right at me. Our eyes locked in the space between us. My stomach flipped as something solidified in that look. The same one I’d seen at the debutante ball when I considered being brave enough to kiss him. Then, Derek smacked him in the chest, breaking the look.
