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PART 1
THE PAST
Where it all began…
CHAPTER ONE
Lily – Age 22
I wiggle in my uncomfortable wooden seat and open a new document on my laptop.
“Welcome to this year’s Archaeology Conference.” The man standing on the stage, who I assume is the speaker for the day, scans his beady eyes around the tiered, enormous auditorium. He continues to talk and I think I hear him introduce himself, but I don’t really catch the rest of what he says as I zone out.
A cold sweat flashes across my already hot, flustered skin as I scramble around in my wine-colored leather tote bag in search of my email confirming my course enrollment.
Finally, finding it jammed between my cosmetics bag and my notebook, I pull it out, ripping it in half unintentionally. “Could today get any worse?” I mutter under my breath.
Piecing the two halves together like a jigsaw puzzle, I try to work out where I should be. It’s not an Archaeology Conference, that’s for sure.
Skim reading the words in the email, I realize I should be in lecture hall 8 not 3, which I am currently sitting in. Shoot.
Folding the two separate pieces carefully in half, desperately trying not to disturb the guy sitting next to me, I shut the lid of my laptop quietly and shove it inside my bag. Slipping it up over my shoulder, hoping not to be seen, I keep my head down as I slide out of the end seat to make my escape and tiptoe to the exit closest to me.
The man on stage’s voice sounds louder than before when he barks, “Oh, I’m sorry, was it something I said, Ms.?” Only two steps away from the exit, I stop in my tracks and turn to face him. Knowing the entire auditorium is staring at me, I feel my face turn the same color as my leather bag.
“Murphy. Lily Murphy, sir,” I almost whisper, forcing myself to keep my eyes trained on him for fear of seeing just how many people now know my name.
This is not exactly how I pictured my first event as a representative from High Octane Events going. Instead of arriving in a calm and organized manner at the Making Team Building Fun event I am supposed to be attending today, observing, and learning as much as I can because I will eventually be hosting these workshops myself, I’m a sweaty, discombobulated, mess who is badly in need of a refreshing shower. A shower I didn’t have time for this morning.
I worked later than usual last night at the second job I work in the evenings to make ends meet. Dead beat, fully clothed, I fell asleep on top of my bed and I forgot to set my alarm, meaning I had to skip having a shower this morning, throw on some clothes, and then call a cab. Rush hour traffic was terrible, making me even later, which led to my current situation.
At this point, humiliated and standing in the wrong conference hall, I’m thinking it was a wrong decision to change my life plan.
I had no plans to return home to Canada or move to Edmonton.
But when my mom died, I turned down the once in a lifetime position as events assistant with Ivy Events in New York. It was a bittersweet pill to swallow. But my family needs me.
That’s why I am here. To be closer to them, specifically my dad.
Having lost my mom only eight weeks ago, me, my sister, and Dad all need each other right now. Living thousands of miles away, where it would take a nine-hour flight to get home, didn’t feel right, and moving to Edmonton made sense. Even if it wasn’t what I wanted, it was necessary.
Fresh out of Columbia University in New York, of course, my dad wanted me to continue my role of Events Assistant with Kristina Harris, the most highly respected events planner in Manhattan, but once he realized I had already handed in my resignation and made my decision to return to Canada, he backed down.
Knowing how much I had always wanted to study and work in New York, he admitted he felt bad, but hey, I secured a great job in Edmonton, and it’s a pretty cool role. It may not be as exciting as planning weddings for New York’s elite, but the people are nice, my team is great fun, and everyone is super knowledgeable. I’m also adding another skill to my resume by working in corporate events. Something I’ve never done before.
Moving back has stirred up so many emotions. Mainly guilt. For not returning home more often. For not inviting my mom to come visit me to watch the infamous Christmas parade, and for not taking that girls’ trip to Hawaii we always talked about.
I have so many regrets, but I made a promise to myself I wouldn’t make the same mistakes with my dad.
Returning to Canada feels right. Now that I am here, I am reminded of how beautiful and cosmopolitan the city is. With different music, food, and cultural festivals taking place every month, and the vast landscapes and wildlife. I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I kind of missed it and it feels nice being home.
The view from the hill I climbed yesterday reinforced how incredibly breathtaking the wild landscape is. I’m certain on a clear day I will be able to see my tiny hometown of Spruce Plain only fifty kilometers away. The view is everything.
Standing at the lectern, the gentleman on stage asks me, “Well, Lily Murphy, is there a fire?”
Warmth grows hotter in my cheeks and neck. “I’m in the wrong auditorium,” I tell him as I side eye the room quickly, then regret it. There must be at least three hundred people looking at me. Wow, this is a really big hall.
And who knew there were that many archeologists in Canada?
