Leaving me in the front office area, he rushes to the back. I’m assuming to call Clara. I let my gaze lazily search the walls, lingering on each photo. Most are of Paul and the other jumpers diving alone or tandem with clients. Then there’s some of Paul and Clara. I smile and my heart swells when I find one of them on their wedding day shoving cake in each other’s faces. It feels good to see them happy. I always wondered if they’d made it after Neena passed away.
Paul returns and hands me a bottled water and together we stare at the wedding photo. “How’d you convince her to say yes?” I tease as I twist the cap on the bottle.
Paul shrugs. “I have no idea,” he laughs.
We make small talk for a few minutes before Clara arrives, breezing in with a wide smile on her face. I’m amazed at how well she looks. I thought they’d both look so much older, but time has been good to them.
“Ashley.” She beams as she embraces me, squeezing me tightly. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I admit. Clara pulls away, her suspicious gaze running over my body.
Does she know? “Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m good.”
We all take a seat and chat about the past. They ask about Zane and Mills, who are both married with children. Zane works for his father’s company laying concrete, and Mills is a graphic designer for a small company in Manhattan. It’s been years since we’ve seen each other, but Facebook allows us to stay in touch.
“And where did life lead that stubborn little pain in the ass we met years ago?” Paul jests. It’s no secret he thought that about me. And he was right. I was hungry and relentless. I was a teenager trying to tell a story that was beyond my ability to truly understand. I knew it was a love story. I also knew it was a sad story. But I had no idea the magnitude and depth that Desperately Seeking Epic really entailed. I was proud of what I put together. The story was a hit and catapulted me into the spotlight. After all, I was only seventeen and somehow I’d managed to get this family to give me exclusive rights to their story. It’s always been their story. But my youth prevented me from seeing it as such. Back then, it was my story. It was my platform. And as I went on talk shows and became the one being interviewed, I never thought differently.
But I do now.
Now, all of that just doesn’t seem as important as it once did.
I grin at Paul, knowing he’s just kidding around with me. But it strikes a chord. I wonder now if they think I did their story justice. Do they feel I did Neena justice?
“I got a scholarship to Northwestern where I majored in journalism. I’ve been working for the New York Times for the past few years.”
“That’s amazing,” Clara beams. “I knew you were going to do something big.”
“I just gave my notice, actually,” I tell her. Both of their smiles fade and they watch me, waiting for me to explain.
Swallowing hard, I chuckle. “I’m moving back here. I actually just bought a house not far from here.”
“Well good for you,” Paul cheers as he rubs Clara’s back. I can see under the glass surface of the table that her hand is on his thigh. They’re still crazy about each other.
“Some things have come up recently . . .” I pause, searching for my next words. “I’ve been thinking about Neena a lot.”
Paul’s eyes flicker down, his mouth curving into a sad smile.
“I hope you felt your story was presented okay and did you all justice.”
Clara looks to Paul, her gaze sad, before she returns it to me. “Ashley, honey, you gave Neena exactly what she wanted. We’re proud of you.”
Paul nods in agreement just as my throat starts to tickle. They’re going to make me cry. “I think Neena would love hearing about all the success you’ve found.”
I nod in appreciation. “Was it worth it?” I dare ask. Paul squints his eyes, confused by my question. But Clara’s mouth curves up gently and her eyes gloss over. She knows exactly what I’m asking. She slides her hands across the table and takes mine, squeezing it gently.
“I’d do it a million times over if it meant it was the only way to have had her. Her life, her love . . . they were my greatest gifts.” She flicks her eyes to Paul and smiles.
Paul nods. “Our most epic adventure.”
Tears stream down my face, then Clara begins to cry, too. Still holding my hand, she says, “You’re going to be a wonderful mother, Ashley.” I bob my head, unable to speak as the tears keep falling. Clara stands and rounds the table, bending down to hug me. “I like to think, if Neena were alive, she’d be a lot like you. Fearless. Ambitious.”
Paul slides a box of tissues toward me and I take a few, cleaning myself up, then take a deep breath. When I stand, Clara places her hand on my belly. “Boy?” she questions.
“We don’t find out until next week,” I sniffle. “My fiancé, Brian, he wants to know, but I think I’d like it to be a surprise.”
“You’re pregnant?” Paul questions, finally catching up, making us both laugh. “I thought maybe you’d just gained some weight.”