Chapter Twenty-One #2
“Love. I love you so much,” I counter. “But I appreciate
you, too. It’s a package deal.”
“I can live with that.” With a boyish grin, he gives me a
quick kiss on the tip of my nose.
Spring arrives, and with it a palpable restlessness.
Christian is a little on edge. A bit unsettled. I know it’s
not physical because he’s back to moving around with ease. I’ve been to every
doctor’s appointment and have sat in on some of his physical therapy
appointments. I know he’s healed. Not one hundred percent, but pretty darn
close. Still, I know something’s on his mind.
It hits me as I’m bustling around our hotel room in Orlando,
preparing for another three-day convention. For the first time in close to his
entire life, it’s springtime, and Christian doesn’t have anywhere he has
to be.
Every other spring, his life would already be spoken for. Flights.
Physicals. Practices. Games that don’t technically count but somehow feel like
they carry the weight of the world anyway. There was always a fast, demanding,
and unyielding rhythm.
But that isn’t the case anymore.
Right now, he’s standing on the balcony of our hotel room, a
mug in his hand, staring out over a skyline that’s familiar but doesn’t belong
to any team. He’s quiet. Not heavy quiet. Just…unsettled. Like a man who
suddenly stepped off a treadmill he’s been running on his entire life, and his
body hasn’t figured out how to stop moving.
I step outside and lean against the railing beside him. “You
okay?”
He huffs a small laugh—not mocking, just honest. “I don’t
know. My brain keeps telling me I’m late for something. Or like I’m forgetting
something huge. I keep waiting for someone to call and tell me to get on a
plane.”
“Well…we were on a plane just yesterday,” I tease.
“You know what I mean. You and I have traveled together so
often, and it’s a completely different experience from traveling with a team.
There’s an…energy that’s not there anymore.”
In my mind, it’s a good thing because our version is so much
more relaxed, but I have to take into account how new this is to him.
“Okay, but,” I say, gently bumping his shoulder, “you get to
watch me sign posters, take silly pictures with fans dressed as space rebels,
and listen to people tell you how much they love Ashla and The Echo Wars.”
He smiles, and it reaches his eyes. There’s a softness
there—and maybe a hint of gratitude.
“That does help,” he admits. “Being busy. Being part of
something. I enjoy seeing you do this. I enjoy being beside you for it.” He
glances down at his hands; flexes them like they’re still supposed to be
wrapped around a bat. “It’s just…weird. Good weird. Scary weird. But weird.”
I slip my hand into his, threading my fingers through his,
giving them a reassuring squeeze. “This is your first spring where you’re not
at spring training. It’s going to feel weird. Baseball was your whole life for
so long. It doesn’t just…stop being a part of your life. It’s who you are.”
He turns his head and studies me for a moment, then leans in
and presses a slow kiss to my temple.
“I’m glad I’m here with you,” he whispers. “Even if I don’t
totally know who I am in this season yet.”
I squeeze his hand. “That’s okay. You don’t have to figure
it out right away. There’s no rush. We’ll figure it out. Together.”
Below us, convention banners flap in the morning wind,
promising crowds and laughter and chaos. I’m sure it’s both familiar and
different to him.
But his shoulder is warm against mine. His breath steady.
Maybe that’s our new rhythm.
It soon becomes our new normal, and eventually, I notice
that he’s more relaxed. Happier. At peace.
And his peace is contagious because I’m feeling it, too,
even though my life is moving at a pace that’s fun, challenging, and fantastic.
The fan response to The Echo Wars keeps growing, and being Ashla Voss
is a full-time job. It’s so rewarding.
Over the next few months, Christian and I travel all over
the country, plus make stops in London, Germany, and Japan. I’m getting a lot
of good press, and it’s both exciting and exhausting. The fans’ energy really
keeps me going, but being able to experience it all with my husband is the
biggest blessing.
We decide to take a few weeks off in August, where we’re not
traveling anywhere. All we want is a staycation to sleep in our own bed, eat at
our favorite local restaurants, and hang out with friends. That was my wish,
and Christian has made it come true. Everyone who knows us knows how badly we
need this time to rest and regroup.
So, imagine my surprise when the phone rings at 8:45 on
Wednesday morning. Before I can even answer it, there is an almost continuous
chime of notifications.
“What the…?” I sit up in bed and glance over at Christian,
whose phone is chiming with notifications, as well.
“That can’t be good,” he murmurs as he rolls over and picks
up his phone. I immediately think of his father. He had the kidney transplant
and has been relatively healthy, but anything can happen.
But when I reach for my phone, I see it’s my new publicist,
Nora, calling.
“Hey, Nora,” I say around a yawn.
“Ella! Did you see the announcement?”
“Um…what?” I’m still half-asleep.
“The Emmy nominations were announced this morning!” she says
excitedly. “Click on the link I just sent you.”
I knew the announcements were happening today, but I didn’t
really think anything of it. The Echo Wars haven’t been nominated
before, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“Oh, my goodness, I can’t wait,” she huffs lightly. “Ella,
you were nominated!”
“What?!” I say it so loudly that my poor husband
nearly falls out of bed. I frantically reach for him, our hands immediately
linking. “I was nominated? Seriously?”
“Yes! For Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in an
animated character role. Oh, sweetie. This is huge. Congratulations!”
I’m stunned. And completely speechless.
“Ella? Ella, are you still there? You know we’re going to
line up some interviews for you, so let me work on that. I’ll email you the
details in a bit, okay?”
“Uh…sure. Yes. Thank you. Bye.” I hang up and realize maybe
I shouldn’t have. But when I turn to Christian, his grin is the absolute
brightest. “Did you hear?”
“That was my mom on the phone,” he says. “And then there
were about a dozen texts from my siblings. Everyone says congratulations.” He
hauls me into his arms. We fall back against the pillows, and he kisses me
senseless. We break apart, breathless and giddy. “So? How does it feel to be
nominated for an Emmy?”
“I don’t think I’ve processed it yet,” I say as he loosens
his embrace. Beside me, my phone is still blowing up with texts I’m sure are
from friends and family. I hate ignoring them.
“How about I make us some coffee, and you deal with your
adoring public?” I know he’s teasing, and it makes me laugh. He gets up and
bows like he’s my butler or something, and it’s so darn cute.
Boxers and all.
Rolling over, I see texts from Jen, Penny, Freya, Whitney,
Will, my sisters, my parents, Christian’s family, my co-stars, and even Tracy.
Go figure.
I don’t even know who to respond to first, but when my phone
rings, and I see it’s my mom, I’m relieved.
“Good morning,” I say as soon as I answer.
“Good morning, sunshine. Congratulations! Your father and I
saw the announcement. Were you watching? Did you know you were going to be
nominated? Are you celebrating?”
“Oh, my goodness, Mom. That’s a lot of questions.” I laugh
softly and prop the pillows up behind me so I can get more comfortable. “I hate
to say it, but…we weren’t watching. I honestly didn’t think we’d get a
nomination since we haven’t in the past. Nora called. She woke me up and told
me. Now, I hate that I missed it.”
“Well, I’m surprised your father and I didn’t wake you up
with our screams from all the way in Florida. We yelled so loud we must have
scared the neighbors. You can see it online,” she assures me. “Don’t worry. But
I swear, your father and I both screamed when they read your name, and we saw
your picture on the screen. It was very exciting.”
That just makes me groan.
“I can’t believe I slept through it.”
“Go online and watch it. It will still be exciting.”
“I guess.”
“So? What are you going to do to celebrate?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. Christian’s making me coffee,
so…that’s a start, right?” I joke. “I’m still waking up. But Nora is working on
setting up some interviews, and I have no idea when those will start. I’m
guessing maybe today?”
“That makes sense. Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m sure you
have tons of people to call and talk to. We love you, and we’re so proud of
you. Give Christian our love.”
“I will, thanks. I love you, Mom. Love you, Dad.”
After that, I’m replying to texts until my fingers are numb.
Christian serves me my coffee in bed before grabbing my laptop. Then we sit and
watch the replay of the announcement.
And it is most definitely exciting.
“Look at your name up there,” he says, his voice full of
pride. “That’s my girl. I’m so proud of you. And it’s about time Hollywood
acknowledged your talent.”
“Christian…”
“What? I’m serious. I know you didn’t write The Echo
Wars, but your acting—your voice—it has brought Ashla Voss to life. And
she is like…she’s the true heart and star of the series. You are the
true heart and star of the series.”
I don’t know why, but his words, his praise, make me
emotional. “Thank you,” I whisper with a trembling voice. “In a million years…I
never thought…I never expected this role to turn into the breakout it has
become, but I am beyond thankful for it. I thought that after I turned down the
movie, my career would coast. That playing Ashla would be fun and fulfilling,
but I never expected her to bring me this level of recognition.”
“No one deserves it more than you,” he says, his forehead
gently resting against mine. “We need to celebrate.” Sitting back, he’s
suddenly like a kid on Christmas morning. “What would you like to do today?
Name it, and I’ll make it happen.”
“Oh, um…I don’t know. I’m waiting to hear from Nora with a
press schedule, so…”