Page 93 of On My Side
“Make dinner, I guess. Watch TV and go to bed.”
“Are you alone?”
I’ve always been alone, except for Piper and Aunt Olivia. But in this moment, five years down the road, Ren is cooking dinner with me. Kissing me good morning and goodnight. Snuggling me on the couch, his hand on my rounded belly. He gets out of bed when our toddler has a nightmare, carrying them back to bed. I can hear him, reading their favorite book to them, complete with the various characters’ voices.
And I’m grateful. At peace. Happy.
I open my eyes, and a tear escapes. “No,” I admit. “I’m not alone.”
Eva smiles kindly at me. “You’ve achievedsomuch in your life. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you have. You’ve raised a child you’re proud of, you run the inn you once wanted to give up, you worked your ass off to get your degree. If you can do that, I have complete faith you can get to where you want to be.”
I sniff and swipe at my nose with the back of my hand. “It sounds scary.”
“Scarier than being pregnant your senior year of high school? Or doing it all on your own?”
“Yes,” I answer immediately. Eva cocks an eyebrow and I sigh, resigned. “I guess not.”
“The Audrey I met fifteen years ago had a tiny little baby she felt disconnected from. A stubborn teenager who never thought she’d be okay again. Look at you now. You have a wonderful relationship with Piper. You’ve grown and healed and yes, goingout of your comfort zone and challenging your core beliefs is always going to be terrifying. But you’ve done it before, and I know you can do it again.”
My responding smile is shaky, but it’s there. I hope one day, I can have the kind of belief in myself my therapist does.
Chapter 30
Audrey
Playlist: Deeper Well | Kacey Musgraves
After an emotional therapy session, I try to focus on work, starting with my inbox.
“Holy shit,” I say, accidentally loud enough that both Hunter and Jo, who has begun to spend as much time loitering in my office as her girlfriend, glance at me.
“With a reaction like that, you have to tell us what garnered it,” Hunter says in a saccharine sweet voice, folding her hands under her chin and leaning on her arms.
“I got invited to a conference in the city?” I answer.
“Are you asking or telling us?” Jo asks, taking a sip from her water bottle.
“Both?
Hunter gets up and comes behind me, leaning on my desk chair as she reads the email I received.
From: Justine Frazier
To: Audrey Hinton
Subject: Prestige Lodging And Hospitality Conference
Dear Ms. Hinton,
We are pleased to invite you to the annual Prestige Lodging and Hospitality Conference. Once a year, we invite innkeepers from the east coast to meet with leaders in the hospitality industry, as well as networking with vendors and other folks in the hospitality industry. We also offer a yearly award with a monetary prize.
We send out representatives to stay at small inns on the east coast, and they nominate their favorites for the award and attendance at our event. We are pleased that the SandPiper Inn was found to be an outstanding experience.
The conference takes place January 13th-15th at the Windsor Tower Hotel in Manhattan. The price is $1,000, and includes access to events, room and board, and three meals per day. Alcohol is not included.
To RSVP, please go to the following website where we will collect your information and fees.
Sincerely,
