24. Epilogue
Epilogue
One Year Later - Toronto
I’m excited that Lizbeth Dreyfus has join the WikiAcademia Board of Directors,” Mason said, extending a hand to the woman in the crowd. “This allows us to maintain our commitment to accessibility as we expand what we think that means.”
I clapped with the crowd around us. The WikiAcademia reception the year before had been fun, but this year felt like it was more important.
Not only was Mason at the helm, expanding the work the foundation was doing, but the response was positive.
There were new faces in the crowd. It didn’t hurt that this year’s conference was in North America, but more faculty were getting involved now that a program had been created that allowed them to claim various levels of expertise in EncycloWiki.
Cooper was still working for the organization, but on a second branch of their mission.
He was overseeing the program to extend their work into the K-12 school system.
Nadia split her time working with Cooper and working with professors.
I was thrilled to hear about the work that Cooper was doing.
His friend Lisa, who I saw often in Lacock, was working with him and had connected him to teachers in the Lacock public school system to trial the program with in the fall. It was a very exciting development.
I looked around as Mason continued to talk about the next phase of their work and recognized his team.
I was sad that Heather had stopped her work around EncycloWiki, but I wasn’t surprised.
She had been trying to advance her own career and failed.
She had gone back to teaching and started ignoring Lois’s advice about how to advance her career.
Lois’s absence wasn’t as surprising. She was still angry at Mason for resigning.
The Board of Trustees had been grateful for not having to make a final decision.
The Sociology department was also grateful, but only because he had agreed to teach some of his classes for another semester while they found someone to replace him for the spring semester.
It had taken me a month to move out of my cottage on Cape Cod the year before.
Mason had spent the time with me to give Lois some time to clear the air.
It hadn’t worked, but I knew it wouldn’t.
I planned my own next steps, collaborating with Carrie Woodhouse regularly to learn more about what was already in motion and the political climate in Lacock.
Lizbeth found me once Mason’s speech was over. “I understand you’ve discovered the joy of knitting,” she said with a wink, extending a small brown bag to me.
Inside was a skein of silk yarn from a company she had found in Manhattan. “Have you ever been inside Carrie’s shop?” I asked my friend. “I only started going to chat with her once I was in town. They’re an amazing group of people.”
Lizbeth snickered. “I’ve been in a few times. Next time I visit, we’ll coordinate a trip there to knit together.”
“What happens at the table, stays at the table,” I said and winked. I didn’t dare tell her how Lois, when she learned I was learning to knit at the store, started coming herself, sharing how it had been years since she had crocheted anything.
Lois was scared I would reveal how she had stolen my research and work to advance her own agenda.
I quickly realized I didn’t need to make a big deal out of it.
As I had hoped all those years ago, my own experience and degrees spoke for themselves.
My mere presence in Lacock was the only revenge I needed with Lois Fairfax.
I had everything I had wanted. Mason was my partner, and we were what the other needed.
We were building a home for ourselves that would meet my needs.
We were doing work we loved and finding ways to collaborate.
Mason sat down next to me and looked in the bag. “Did Penny tell you that the office we’re building for her will have a yarn display?”
Lizbeth raised an eyebrow. “That happened quickly. Even I don’t have that much yarn.”
I smirked. “Mason’s just jealous that he doesn’t have such a comforting hobby.”
“Or a hobby that allows you to plan ways to take over the world with Carrie?” Mason said as he laughed.
“What?!” I said with fake indignation. “Me take over the world? Citation needed, Mason Wright!”
Mason leaned in and kissed me. “It’s a good thing this is what I love about you because this is common knowledge. No citations are needed.”