Epilogue
Award Winner Supermodel
Fenella
Two years later…
I hold Laird’s hand, squeezing the palm that’s damp with sweat. A smile appears on my lips as I try to calm the nervousness he’s been carrying since we left the house. This is the first award ceremony for him. Dave too can’t sit still in his seat either.
I can’t deny I feel the same. My heart races even as the host throws jokes that make the whole audience laugh. Still, I try to stay calm because I don’t want to make Laird more anxious than he already is.
“The winner of the Best Indie Mobile Game of the Year is…” The music stops, the announcer pauses, tension builds.
“My Supermodel!”
“Oh, thank God.” I gasp behind my hands that cover my open mouth. “Congratulations, honey.” I shoot up and hug him beside me. I cup his face in my hands and kiss his lips, strong and quick.
He grins and whispers, “Thank you, baby.” He then hugs Dave.
“Congrats.” I shake hands with Dave, who’s also jumping up in excitement.
The two of them rush toward the stage. They look like a pair of celebrities. Laird and Dave are both in dark gray suits. Obviously, I picked all their outfits.
Laird beams as he holds the trophy in his hands. He studies it, kisses it, then passes it to Dave so he can take turns clutching the golden award.
“Hi, everybody. We never expected to win this award. Thank you so much for the support and love you’ve given to My Supermodel. And thanks to the most beautiful supermodel ever to exist in the world, my wife, Fenella.” The room erupts in applause.
“Aww, honey…” I whisper to myself; palms pressed to my mouth.
He goes on to thank everyone who supported them—investors, studios, family, friends. When they finish their acceptance speech, they disappear behind the stage.
After a while, they come back to their seats beside me. Laird hugs me and kisses my cheeks and lips. He keeps whispering thank you over and over. He kneels down to my protruding belly and kisses it.
His hands rub my belly as he whispers to our baby, “Thank you, baby. I love you. This is for you. Come out and get it.” He grins while showing the trophy in front of my stomach. I laugh at his words for a moment. He pulls me into his arms again.
* * *
“How are you, Fenella?” the host asks.
“Great, thank you.” My eyes sparkle as I give her a wide smile.
“How’s the baby coming? Have you had a baby shower and the gender reveal yet?”
“The baby’s fine and healthy. The baby shower will be in the eighth month, together with the gender reveal. I was just about to invite you,” I say with a giggle.
“Oh, I would love to come!”
Our light conversation in the podcast studio flows warm and easy. We laugh a lot and talk about everything from fashion to entertainment.
“Tell me how it feels to be the inspiration for the best indie mobile game of the year. Seven awards at once. You broke a record. How did it all start?” the host asks, breathless in astonishment at Laird’s achievement.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe it. Laird and I visited the Rackers Bite office, which was basically the family room of a tiny house. At first, I just wanted to get to know the small business he was building. Then Dave walked in after buying cigarettes and asked about my job.”
“Came back from buying cigarettes?”
“Yes. He parked his roaring motorcycle. Brrrm. Then he walked in through the back kitchen door and saw me. He goes, ‘Hey, what’s up, dude.’” We burst into laughter at how absurd the moment was.
“After that, he asked about my job, what I did, and a bunch of things about the fashion world. Then he went into this trance. Something he calls an inspired moment.” We giggle again, along with the crew behind the camera, including Jessy, who’s laughing hard.
“Right after that game became a hit among kids, teens, and women, you built your own modeling agency. Isn’t that like achieving the ultimate goal in the game but in real life? A supermodel and a successful business owner.” The host leans in, curious.
“Uh, actually, it was just a coincidence everything happened around the same time. The game was already in development for more than two years. My agency only went full-time a year ago. Though, honestly, the supermodel title is all thanks to that game.” I chuckle with a bright smile.
“How could it not? You became an inspiration for women from all walks of life to dare to dream through that game.” The host gives a soft round of applause.
“Thank you.” I smile as my cheeks warm up.
“Was it hard to build your agency from scratch? Was it as smooth as in the game?”
“Oh, gosh, no, it was pretty rough in the early years. In the game, you have a checklist, missions, things to complete. In reality, I had no idea what I was doing. It was a total mess.” We all laugh as I throw my hands beside my head.
“I heard about the case that’s still dragging your old agency. Did that make things harder?”
“Oh, yes, for sure. I built my agency to help friends who lost their jobs because of that case.” I sigh softly, remembering the gloomy faces when Gene’s office shut down.
“I felt like I didn’t have enough capacity to be a CEO. And with the case trashing my name, it was brutally hard to build Everdream Management. I wouldn’t be here without my husband and my BFF slash agent slash our COO, Jessy Ronald.”
“Is he here? That him?” The host points toward Jessy, who’s giggling behind the cameraman.
“Yes. Come up here, Jessy. You deserve some spotlight.” I wave him over as the host also urges the crew to nudge him forward. In swift motion, they attach mic to his shirt. He sits beside me and grips my hand. God, his hand is freezing.
“Oh, I’m an introvert. This is wrecking my nerves.” Jessy fans his face with wide eyes, showing panic for the show.
We burst into laughter again. The conversation turns even more lively with Jessy’s quips that brighten the whole room. After an hour of chatting, we finally reach the end of the show.
“What are your plans after this, Fenella?” the host asks.
“My first priority right now is giving birth to my child and showering him or her with all the love they deserve. The way my mother fought for me, I’ll fight for them.”
“Must be exciting to have a small family with your husband, right?”
“Yes, absolutely.” I nod with excitement.
“Will the company be run by Jessy while you’re on maternity leave?”
“Um, not entirely. That’s the challenge of being a CEO. You can’t fully let go whenever you want. Jessy will take over most of the operations during my leave, while I still handle all the tough decisions to keep it all running smoothly.”
“But Jessy will help take care of the baby while you work, right?”
“Of course. I’ll be the best nanny in the world for my godchild.” Jessy jumps in with a proud grin. We all laugh again at his enthusiasm.