Chapter 41
Kirsten
I hear the front door swing open, lay my palms flat on the counter, and wait for Maple to appear.
She has been either moody or absent since Dylan left, and I have zero patience left.
Everyone has off days, sure, but I need her to refocus now on what we’re building together.
Especially with Garrett getting on his high horse about the twins, and then threatening to stop Maple too.
And now he’s talking about us moving away.
Honestly, it’s so tiring being the only one who knows what’s best for this family.
I managed to film enough covert content on Tuesday to pull together a reel of Maple with Dylan that was just about suggestive enough to keep followers’ tongues wagging.
But there’s been a content drought since, and we’re starting to lose followers.
It’s so frustrating. This collaboration with Dylan is Maple’s best chance at making it into the super league and she’s throwing it away.
Well, I’m not letting it happen. Especially with a new modeling contract in the balance.
‘Oh, hey,’ Maple says with as much energy as a corpse.
‘Hi, my gorgeous Maple honey,’ I respond, injecting enough sparkle for both of us. ‘You went out early. What have you been up to?’
‘Um, I was at Martha’s.’
‘No you weren’t. I looked on Find My iPhone. You were up the street somewhere.’
Her eyes narrow. ‘Why are you tracking me? I’m nearly fifteen!’
I could remind her that it’s my job to keep her safe, and that there are real dangers out there. But that’s not the message I want to be conveying this morning. ‘I’m sorry, honey, you’re right. But listen, I’ve got some exciting news.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Maple pulls open the fridge door and grabs a slice of cheese.
She peels away the plastic cover and folds it into her mouth – like it’s a stick of sugar-free gum, and not a slab of saturated fat.
I breathe out, tell myself that it’s only one slice.
And if the worst happens, there’s always Wegovy.
‘An international modeling agency has been in touch,’ I say. ‘They’ve seen your Azione work, and they want to sign you. Isn’t that amazing?’
Finally, she looks semi-interested. ‘Like a proper one?’
‘Yes!’ I walk closer, stroke her hair. She leans back against the countertop. ‘They’re based in New York,’ I say. ‘Which is obviously quite a trek for us, but Blake, who runs it, is going to be in Vegas next week. She asked if you’d meet her there.’
‘Meet her in Vegas?’
‘Exactly. And she’s got front-row tickets to Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand on Tuesday evening and wants to take you as her guest. Isn’t that so cool?’
‘It is cool, I suppose,’ Maple says, her forehead creasing. ‘But I don’t really want to go back to Vegas right now. Can we not just have a meeting on Zoom or something?’
‘No, Maple, we can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well …’ I stutter to a stop. Because I’m not totally sure why not.
Blake has Maple’s photos, and I offered to send her more.
And modeling is all about photos, isn’t it?
But you don’t offer a child amazing tickets to a Vegas show for no reason, and the last thing we want to do is disappoint her, especially with Garrett making things so difficult.
I already feel like I’m hanging off a precipice and it’s Blake who’s holding the rope.
‘Modeling isn’t just about how you look, is it?’ I continue, finding my groove. ‘They’ll want to know you’re a hard worker, disciplined, ambitious. And that you eat and drink healthily,’ I add pointedly as she opens the fridge door again.
She sighs, closes the fridge, and turns back to me. ‘What’s the agency called? I’ll check them out, then decide if I want to go.’
I feel a sudden flushing in my cheeks. I don’t know the agency name.
Why didn’t I ask Blake that? ‘I can’t remember it right now,’ I say, flicking the question away.
I’m not letting an inadvertent oversight get in the way of Maple’s future.
‘I’ll check the email and let you know. But you don’t want to miss this opportunity; they don’t come around often. ’
Maple straightens up, and I suddenly realize that she’s as tall as me.
It’s unnerving, this aesthetic of equality.
‘Like I said, I’ll check them out,’ she mutters.
Then she grabs another slice of cheese before I can stop her, and walks out of the kitchen.
I blow out a long, loud sigh, which helps more than I’d expect, and pick up my phone.
I message Blake first – Could you remind me of your agency name please?
– then do my usual checks across our various social channels.
There’s a new reel on Maple’s TikTok and Instagram.
I narrow my eyes, tap the screen to play the video.
And it’s Maple telling the world she’s starting a new YouTube channel with Dylan.
What the hell is this? I manage Maple’s YouTube content, not Maple. I lean back against the counter, play the reel again. How dare she do this without checking with me first?
Except.
Maple Maple looking gorgeous and also a tiny bit in love.
I feel a smile edge its way onto my face.
I thought Maple’s recent reluctance to film was about laziness, or hormones, or just being a stubborn teenager.
But is it actually about ambition? And wanting more control over her career direction?
I feel an unfamiliar sense of admiration as I leave the kitchen, climb the stairs, and knock on Maple’s door, impatient to find out more about this new channel. Because maybe we’re finally becoming equals in more ways than our height.