“Are we all set?” Alice looks at Malaika. “Have you seen how many people are out there?”
Calan nods. “We’re sold out. All members of the press and VIPs have been seated.” He looks down at his clipboard. “Except for one. Your guest, actually. Jessie Carr?”
Alice nods. “She’s running late, but she’ll be here soon.”
“We’re going to make you proud, boss,” Malaika says.
“Partner,” Alice corrects her. She elbows Calan playfully. “All thanks to this guy.”
Calan blushes. Gina beams. She’s proud of her son for having inspired Malaika’s first line. And for convincing Alice to come in as an investor. Not that Alice needed much convincing. When Alice heard about Malaika’s brief run-in with Giovanna Marquetto, Alice had promised to try to secure a sponsorship for Malaika through her connections. But once Gina proposed that Alice step in as CEO, Alice had an even better idea. Malaika doesn’t need Giovanna’s show, Alice had said. Alma Boots should sponsor an event for emerging designers—they’ll come in with the clothes and we’ll throw in the shoes. It’ll be good for Malaika and for the brand. It’s a win-win. It was both brilliant and generous.
And now here they are: Malaika’s first fashion show.
Gina couldn’t be more pleased. Malaika deserves this—and not just because she’s talented. Malaika has been a godsend to their family. Her friendship with Calan has filled him with a sense of confidence, of self-worth. Last month, on his fifteenth birthday, Calan had friends over for a pizza party. He even has a girlfriend now: Ashley Higgins, the girl who bid on him at last year’s Basket Boy auction. And Gina isn’t the least bit jealous. (OK, she’s a little jealous.)
“What’s your favorite, Mom?” Calan asks, putting his arm around her. Could he have grown even more over the past two months? Gina feels a tug at her heartstrings.
“I think the Malala meets Wonder Woman,” Gina says. The bracelets are fabulous, but the way the pashmina is being used as the lasso of truth is gold. Gina wants one for herself. She turns to Malaika. “Do you have a favorite?”
Malaika shakes her head. “They’re all my children.”
“That’s mine.” Caroline points at one of the models. She is wearing a low-cut, flowing, blue dress with a cleavage pin, accessorized with a thick headband with a giant bead in the middle.
“Jean Grey meets Pearl. S. Buck,” Calan offers, his voice lined with pride.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Malaika says, turning to Alice. “There’s something we want you to see. Wait here.” She shoots Calan a knowing look and in a flash they’re gone, lost in the throng of people backstage.
Caroline turns to Alice. “Do you know if she’s coming?”
“Don’t look at me.” Alice holds up her palms. “I don’t keep track of my employees’ personal lives.” It still surprises Gina, the fact that Eva continues to work at Alma Boots.
“I can’t believe you two aren’t dying to know,” Caroline says.
“We don’t even know if they’re together,” Gina points out.
“My vote is on them having broken up,” Alice says. “Eva’s too good for Charles.”
“Is it wrong of me to want her to come? This is just so… juicy!” Caroline squeals.
Gina shoots a discreet smile in Alice’s direction. They should be used to it by now, the way everyone in town seems to want the saga of Eva Stone to continue till this day, especially when word got out that she was pregnant with Charles’s babies. The rumor mill had gone wild, of course. People speculated that she had an affair with both Bobby and Charles. Or just Bobby. Or just Charles. It was exhausting. But only at first. Gina has learned to stop caring, maybe because she now sees the big picture.
Calan is happy in school. Zofia is doing much better—Gina makes it a point to check in on her at least once a month and has been thrilled to find out she took a job at a silent retreat. Alice has found her calling. Malaika is about to have her dreams come true. Even Tish is happy. She’s decided to stay on as ASC president, with Gina’s blessing. Why should she resign just because she’s no longer married to Charles? She’s earned the Dewar name.
Antoinette is the only Almanac outside their family who knows the whole truth. With Eva’s permission, Alice had revealed to her what happened between Bobby and Zofia. Gina had been relieved when Antoinette agreed to destroy the dozens of interviews she’d recorded since moving to Alma, and to leave Alma out of her book about small towns entirely. Gina knows Antoinette’s motivation is to protect Zofia—and not Bobby—but Gina is still grateful.
“We should go back,” Caroline says. “The show is about to start.”
“Come with us?” Gina asks Alice. “We saved you a seat.”
“I think I’ll stick around for the first half.” Alice scans the madness backstage. “Malaika wants to show me something, and I like the energy here.”
“You adrenaline junkie, you.” Gina elbows her playfully. “See you later then.”
Gina and Caroline find their way back to their seats. While they were backstage, Nick and Bobby had arrived and are now seated in their row, chatting with Doug.
Once they’re all seated, Nick leans over and squeezes Gina’s hand. He’s seated to her right.
“Bobby just told me about NYU,” Nick says.
Gina looks over at Bobby—seated to her left—who winks mischievously.
“Sue me, I’m bragging,” Bobby says with a grin. “I’m proud of my wife.”
Gina blushes. It’s nothing to be proud of, not really. She’s going back to school to finish her studies. Lots of people do it. It’s not an achievement, especially not this late in the game. She’s about to point this out when Caroline’s voice chimes in her mind, reminding her not to be modest. Gender training.
“Thank you,” Gina says. “I’m really happy.” It’s the truth. She is having trouble imagining her present-day self—a wife, a mother—roaming the halls of NYU amongst today’s youth, but she’s
