Chapter 135 You Will Get There
Emily needed an ally in the negotiations with Sylvia. If the wedding was going to be in any way less insane than what Sylvia envisioned, someone had to convince her, and Emily didn’t want to be that someone. It was too dangerous.
Her relationship with her mother-in-law was usually pretty good, but it was like a house built on volcanic soil, always under threat of complete destruction.
Luckily, Emily’s parents were coming for a visit. They could give her some advice, maybe even talk to Sylvia to sort out the wedding arrangements.
The house was filled with their voices and laughter as soon as her parents got in. They praised the house and the décor, and even the dogs, who got lots of affectionate pats. Emily was so proud to show them the place.
“Is it true that epic weightlifting contests take place here?” her father asked.
“Yes, and I won the last one,” Byron said, his lips curving into a satisfied smile.
“He’s very strong, but not much in the brains department, I’m afraid,” Emily said, shaking her head sadly.
“Emily, you’re so mean!” her mother chided.
“I’m kidding!”
“It’s okay, Chiara, we tease each other all the time,” Byron said.
Emily thought it must be weird for her parents to see her in a committed relationship. It was still weird to her when she thought about it sometimes. This was her first serious relationship ever, and she wanted it to be the only one.
Byron took Johnny into the gym to show him the weights, and Emily was left alone with her mother.
“Look at you, getting married,” her mom said wistfully.
“I know.”
“I always thought you would take a lot longer to settle down,” Chiara said.
“Gee, thanks, mom.”
“I don’t mean that in a bad way. Some people need to experience life before they choose a life partner.”
“I actually thought so too,” Emily admitted, “but I don’t want to experience life all by myself anymore. I don’t think it would be as fun without him.”
“And you’re absolutely right,” her mom said, “You’ve found the love of your life. When the two of you are together, it’s so sweet. I can tell it’s a forever thing.”
“How can you tell?” Emily asked.
“I don’t know, I just can.”
“Why are they taking so long?” Emily wondered as she could hear Byron and her dad’s voices in the gym. “They’re probably doing weights together.”
“Knowing your father, that’s entirely possible.”
“So, about the wedding…” Emily began, “Do you have any ideas or… plans?”
“I always pictured you getting married on a beach somewhere,” her mother said.
“Ugh! Not the beach!”
“Okay,” Chiara waved her hands defensively. “I didn’t know you felt that way. It’s your wedding, so you should do whatever you want.”
“Exactly! That’s what I think. But…” Emily lowered her voice to a whisper, “Byron’s mother just wants everything her way. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
The phone rang, and Emily was distracted for a moment when she saw it was Katie. It was pretty rare for her to actually call, so Emily excused herself to pick up the phone.
“Katie, how’s it going?”
“Not great,” her friend replied. “I can’t believe this happened. I’m sorry to bother you, but you know the whole situation.”
“Slow down, Katie,” Emily said, “What situation are we talking about?”
“Brandon dumped me!” she wailed.
“Oh…” Emily was stunned for a moment. “Okay, hold on, I’m going to be right there. Where are you?”
When she hung up, her mother looked concerned. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s a Katie-mergency.”
“A what?”
“The girl has been dumped,” Emily explained, “I better go talk to her. She’s had a rough time with relationships. Are you guys going to be okay here for a bit?”
“Yeah, we’ll make ourselves at home,” said her mother, “go talk to your friend.”
When Emily arrived on the scene, Katie was crying in the corner of a café. The staff looked concerned and awkward whenever they passed by her booth. Emily slid into the seat beside her.
“Hey kid, you’re going to be okay.”
Katie sniffled softly.
“So what happened with Brandon?” Emily asked.
“Same thing that happened with me and Carter…”
“Huh?”
“He said I was ruining my future prospects, that I wasn’t ambitious enough.”
“But that makes no sense!” Emily exclaimed, feeling a bit self-conscious as the other people in the cafe stared at her. “You’re the most ambitious person I know.”
“He said I should be focusing on my studies,” Katie sobbed, “instead of putting all this time into working for you and the Carter project.”
“What does he know?” Emily scoffed. “He’s either jealous or stupid.”
“You really think so?” Katie asked. “You’re not just saying that? I am going to take a reduced course load next semester because I want to put more hours into the work I’m doing with you.”
“Katie, I don’t want you to have an over-inflated ego,” Emily said, “but honestly, I think university doesn’t have a lot to teach you. The work you do is already amazing, and it’s great that you’re following your passion. You’ll finish your degree eventually, or even if you don’t, you’re going to excel in your career.”
“You’re just saying that because you want me to keep working for you,” Katie said with a tiny smile.
“Damn right, I want to keep my star employee.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” Emily said enthusiastically, “and if Freerange Rider proves the success I think it’s going to be, then your career in the fashion industry is made. You masterminded the whole thing, and you deserve the credit. I’m going to make sure the world knows that.”
“Thanks.” Katie wiped her tears away with a sheepish expression. “I didn’t mean to freak out.”
“It’s okay. And as for your relationships, you’ll find someone better,” Emily said with confidence. “Some of us take longer to get there than others, but you can trust me on this, you will get there.”
