46. Revelations
46
REVELATIONS
Mara
When I was back in my apartment twenty minutes later, I got a video call from Destiny.
“Hey, partner,” I said, recognizing the living room of her Boston apartment in the background. I’d expected her to have moved someplace fancier by now, what with selling Stel-Wood, but I guess there hadn’t been much time. She’d been pretty busy.
“It’s official. My neighbors think I’m crazy,” Destiny said. “I squealed with excitement when I saw you said ‘yes’ to my offer. I was downstairs, picking up my mail, and the woman who lives down the hall gave me an ‘oh, my.’”
“Don’t worry. I already knew you were crazy,” I teased. I adjusted my grip on my phone as I sat down on my sofa. Zephyr jumped up next to me. “This is going to be great.” I distractedly scratched him behind one ear, and he flipped onto his side for better belly-rub access.
“Aw. Is that Zephyr?” Destiny asked. “I’ve missed him. You, too. Since we’ll be partners again, I’ll get to spoil him.”
“I’m totally in awe of you. You got investors lined up so fast. Last time, that part took us months, and we weren’t even asking for all that much money.” Things were moving at lightning speed. I’d have to find a place to live in Boston. One not too far from Destiny, as long as she didn’t end up moving someplace out of my price range. Now that we’d be partners again, I’d have to make a ton of changes to my life. Could I handle that? Anxiety tightened my chest, so I exhaled slowly to calm myself.
I was excited, but the doubts were already creeping in. Could I really do this? Start fresh in Boston? And what about Ghost of a Chance? The store had been my lifeline after Chance’s death. It wasn’t just a business; it was my way of keeping him with me, of holding on to him, piece by piece. If I let go of that, would I be letting go of him too? The question twisted in my gut, but I pushed it down, not wanting to ruin this moment with Destiny.
“Our game is a huge success,” Destiny said with a self-satisfied smile. “Investors were lining up for this new one. I was able to negotiate great terms. The whole process was a million times easier since we’ve already proven we can deliver on our promises.”
I winced, feeling uncomfortable. “You’re being generous using the word ‘we.’ Over the past twelve months, I’ve only done some paid consulting for you. It’s nowhere near the amount of work I used to put in.”
Destiny rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. “I’ve been thinking about that too. You need to promise me you’re really committed to this for the long haul before we make an announcement.”
“Ouch. I deserve that.” I sat up straighter. “I’ve been thinking long and hard about this. I’m proud of Ghost of a Chance, and I’m glad I kept it open and put in the work, but I can’t see myself running it long-term. At heart, I’m a coder and a game developer, not a shopkeeper. I did what I had to do after Chance died to keep his dream alive, but it’s my turn now. I need to follow my heart. I have to do what I really love.”
As I said the words, I felt the truth of them sink in. Running Ghost had been about Chance, not me. I’d kept it going because it was the last piece of him I could still control. But my heart? My heart was in coding. In creating worlds. If I kept holding on to Ghost, I wasn’t really living my life—I was living Chance’s. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d done my part, but it was time to let go. Chance’s story didn’t belong in one little shop; it deserved the world. I wasn’t abandoning him. I was setting him free.
Destiny peered at me, then offered a tight smile. “You’ll stick with me? Promise?”
A sense of confidence filled and strengthened me. This is what I really wanted in life. A weight had lifted from my chest the moment I’d sent Destiny that email saying yes.
“I promise. I’ll need to make a lot of changes in my life to make this happen, but I’ll figure them out.” It’ll be hard balancing things with Ford and the store, but I can do this. It would be challenging to start a new business while Ford was filming Ghost , but we could do it. Absolutely. Commuting between here and Boston would be a pain, especially since we’d be working long hours. That meant we wouldn’t spend as much time together, but we’d both be following our dreams.
My heart raced as I thought about it all. Moving. Partnering with Destiny. Starting over. I’d finally said yes, but now the reality was sinking in. Could I really handle it all? What if Ghost didn’t take off like we hoped? What if I ended up right where I started, running the store, but without Ford or Destiny? The thought hit like a sucker punch. It wasn’t just my life on the line here—it was everything I’d built with Chance’s memory. And if I failed, I’d be letting them both down.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help make things easier for you,” Destiny said. “We still need to hash out the partnership details. I want us both to be happy.”
I nodded distractedly. Maybe Ford and I should discuss making some other changes in our lives. What would he say if I suggested we move in together? After all, we were almost living together now, since we alternated between spending the weekend at my apartment and his house, so it wouldn’t be that big of a change. Since my new company with Destiny would be based in Boston, I might as well rent out my place over the store. I could spend every weekend with him. Maybe I could even arrange to work from home sometimes—at Ford’s house.
I nodded distractedly. Maybe Ford and I should discuss making some other changes in our lives. Could we move in together? After all, we were almost living together now, since we alternated between spending the weekends at my apartment and his house, so it wouldn’t be that big of a change. Since my new company with Destiny would be based in Boston, I might as well rent out my place over the store. I could spend every weekend with him. Maybe this could work.
Slow down. I haven’t even told Ford about the partnership yet!
I’d tell him as soon as he arrived, which should be any minute now.
Zephyr flopped over on his back and wriggled, trying to entice me into scratching him again.
“I’m excited that I’m finally doing this,” I told Destiny. “I couldn’t be happier. I’ve missed you and Stel-Wood like crazy.” I gave Zephyr’s belly a vigorous rub.
“You and me, both. I’ve missed you, too. We make a great team.”
A sharp knock came at my apartment door and it opened an instant later. Ford came in holding a large canvas bag.
Zephyr gave a yap of delight, flopped around like a beached baby whale until he regained his feet, and then darted to the door to greet his new favorite person.
“It sounds like that boyfriend you told me about just arrived,” Destiny said with a laugh. “I’ll let you go. We can work out the details later.”
Ford pulled another of those special gourmet dog biscuits he always brought for Zephyr from his pocket and gave it to the little beggar. He disappeared behind the sofa with his prize.
“You’re spoiling him,” I told Ford. I glanced back at my phone screen. “Thanks, Destiny. I’ll call you in the morning.” I ended the call.
“That was Destiny?” he asked. He set a carryout container and a fork on the coffee table and then sat next to me.
“It was. A lot is happening on the video game front,” I said, but as I looked at him, I could see the exhaustion etched into his face. Ford was fighting his own battle, and maybe it wasn’t that different from mine. He was trying to hold onto Ghost , just like I was trying to hold onto my dreams with Destiny.
Ford gave a distracted nod.
I took a bite of the Ahi tuna. The stronger flavors of ginger and garlic were softened by notes of lime and something smokey. Was that sesame oil? Whatever it was, it was perfect. “You need to make this again. It’s a keeper.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He rested his head on the back of my sofa and closed his eyes. “It’s been a long, frustrating week. It was good to go to the cooking class and hang out with Max and the other guys, but I’m glad to be home. With you. I missed you.”
As I leaned in to give him a kiss on the forehead, my heart swelled with affection for him—and something much deeper. “I missed you too,” I said. But as I took in the dark circles under his eyes, concern replaced my excitement about Destiny’s offer. The poor guy looked exhausted. I decided to hold off on sharing my news for now. “What happened with the investor?”
Zephyr joined us. I could swear he picked up on Ford’s mood because he jumped onto his lap and rested his chin on Ford’s chest. Ford looked down at him and his grim features eased as he stroked Zephyr’s fur.
“He wouldn’t budge. He hates my decision to cast Chris Pitt, so he’s backing out.”
“Oh, no!” I set my fork back in the carryout box and shifted to face him. “That has to be frustrating. I’m so sorry. I was certain you’d win him over.”
“It gets worse. He convinced the other investors he brought along with him to back out too. They’re saying that having a father and son as producer and director is a bad idea, and pointing to my decision to use Chris as proof.”
A cold knot of dread settled in my stomach. What was he telling me? Was the movie deal falling apart? Was my bright, shiny new future about to shatter? “Does—does that mean you might not be able to make Ghost ?” My voice wavered.
Ford’s desolate eyes met mine. “At best, I’ll have to delay everything. These guys have lost confidence in Ross Film Productions, and they might be the tip of the iceberg. I’m worried that Dad won’t be able to bring in any new money.”
My stomach lurched. “How long of a delay are we talking about? Weeks? Months?”
Ford’s hand stopped moving on Zephyr’s back, and he let out a dejected sigh that sounded like the death rattle of his dreams. “I don’t know. Max and I are meeting tomorrow to come up with a plan.”
I sat there, stunned, barely able to process what he was telling me. “I never realized your plans for Ghost could evaporate like this. You won Sundance. I thought your next movie would have investors lining up.”
He stared at his hand resting on Zephyr’s back for a long time, and then finally started stroking the little dog again. “When I turned down McCormick’s movie, he mentioned rumors that Dad’s production company is having problems,” he finally said. “The only time I ever had problems with money was when I was just starting out and no one knew who I was.”
Tears filled my eyes. When I sniffed, Ford’s head whipped to face me, eyes wide. He immediately pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Of course, this would be a blow for you. Try not to worry, though. Max and I have our own connections. I’ll still make the movie. It just might take a little longer than I expected.”
I shook my head. “I know you will, but I had news to share with you, too—I planned to tell you as soon as you got here.” I brushed away my tears with the heel of my hand. “Destiny sent me a formal offer to partner with her, and I accepted. We planned to start a new company together.”
Ford pulled away to look me in the eyes, and Zephyr jumped off his lap to stand next to him on the sofa. “That’s fantastic news,” he said, grinning, but then his smile faltered. “Wait. You said planned. Past tense.”
I pushed myself to my feet, needing to put some distance between us. To move. To pace. “I can’t possibly do it now. I only decided to accept her offer because Chance’s graphic novels would get such a huge boost from the movie. People from all over the world would be introduced to them. But, if there’s no movie, then there’s no boost. No notoriety. No global attention to Chance’s work. I’ll have to keep running the store. Keep pushing to get Ghost into people’s hands and keep the store afloat.”
I pressed my hands to my face as I paced. “Destiny’s gonna be so pissed with me. Just ten minutes ago, I promised her I wouldn’t abandon her again.” I stopped suddenly and faced Ford as I dug my fingers into my hair. “If I back out now, she’ll never offer me a partnership again.”
I snatched the takeout container from the coffee table and fled to the kitchen. After sticking it in the fridge, I braced my hands against the sink edge and stared out the window into the vacant street below.
Ford joined me, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “You should still go through with it. Follow your dreams.”
I tightened my grip on the sink, my fingers slipping on the stainless steel. “That won’t work. We’ve been through this before. I have two dreams, and I won’t throw one away in order to partner with Destiny. I have to keep working to make Chance a success because no one else will. My other dream will just have to wait.” Simply saying the words made my heart break. I’d never get a chance like this again. Not with Destiny. Not if I backed out now.