After several weeks of my faux pas being the topic of conversation around their retirement community, my parents’ neighbors got distracted by a saucier scandal involving the local alligator park owner feeding his gators steroids. Mom and Dad have forgiven me, even if my actions hurt them and nearly got them booted out of their bridge group. They’re focusing on the bigger picture now, which is that I am with the man I love and that I have finally exchanged their purple sheets for some nice beige ones. Also, despite their rocky first impression of Pete, they can’t help but be proud to brag to their friends that their daughter is dating the Spin-Chop-Dryer guy.
My friends are doing okay. They’ve accepted Pete into our group. Now that they know him, they see that he’s a great person, and a lot different from the character he plays on television. He’s been supplying everyone with tons of free gadgets, and I’m pretending I don’t know that Betsy and Rachel are both selling theirs on eBay since neither has found a job yet.
As for my own work status, I recently decided after several months of teaching water aerobics part time and living off Pete’s generosity that it was time for me to get serious again. I got back in touch with some contacts from my previous job and already have scheduled three meetings for design consultations. I’m officially launching my company Emma Van Elson Interiors this week. I got my business cards back from the printer today, and they’re getting a special finishing treatment right now in Pete’s latest product. It’s a laminator-type machine that magically smooshes the scent of bergamot and eucalyptus right into the paper. Between that clever gimmick, my semi-famousness, and my actual design talent, I feel like my company is going to be a big success. Believe it or not, I can hardly wait to jump back in to the working world.
Speaking of big, serious news for grownups, Pete and I are talking about getting married. By talking, I mean I think he’s going to propose soon. He’ll be asking me, not my mom and dad. Of course I will say yes.
Life can be good… or bad… when you follow your heart. If you’re lucky, it’s good. But when it’s good for you, the unfortunate side effect is that it sometimes means hurting people you care about. For some of us, that can be the most daunting part of the risk. Even so, it really is worth it. Take it from me. And if you don’t want to take it from me, take it from the wise Catalina Cartwright who says, “All is fair in love and war. Especially in love.” She’s right. Even if she is just reading a cue card.