Page 78 of Road Trip to Forever
“That’s me,” Lola whispers excitedly. “Holyshit,Patrick.”
“Stand in front of it. I want to get your picture to send to the group.”
“Oh, they don’t care about a banner. It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal? This is your big break, Lola, and our friends instructed me to document our trip extensively. Emma told me they were buying Wi-Fi at their villa in Santorini just so they could download the photos I would be sending. Get your ass over there, please, so I can show you off.”
Lola blushes and lets out a huff. She hands me the folder with the welcome information and her purse, draping the strap over my shoulder. “Fine,” she says. “But only because you said please.”
I snap a couple shots of her grinning. One of her pointing to her name and acting silly. I catch one of her mid-laugh, nose scrunched and head thrown back after I tell her the copy of the program I want to print out is going to be even bigger than this. Twice the size, I declare, and she rolls her eyes, a sparkle behind the blue. She pulls me to her side and I take a picture of us, cheeks smushed together and all our teeth on display.
I attach them to a message in our group chat.
All good here in Florida. First up, Lola’s name on a banner. Next, her name in lights.
My phone pings right away, Jo, Rebecca, and Jack chiming in and answering in quick bursts.
Holy crap!!!!! I’m so proud.
Lo, you look so happy. Remember us when you’re famous!!!
Cool.
Lola’s blush deepens as she reads over my shoulder. “Jack has the right idea. It’s a banner, Patrick,” she says. She dips her chin to hide the tears springing in her eyes, but I catch her before she turns away.
“No.” I cup her chin with my hand. “No way. It’s hours and hours of hard work. Of trying and failing and trying again. That banner? That banner is what you’ve dreamed about since before I met you: creating designs that look high-fashion, but come at a price anyone can afford. Wouldn’t that little girl beproudof how far she’s come?”
That starts the waterfall of tears that roll down her cheeks and fall to the floor. Her shoulders shake and she buries her face in my shirt. “Sometimes,” she says, voice muffled, “I think I’m living in a dream. A dream I hope I never wake up from, because how is this all real? How areyoureal? Even with help from all the galaxies, all the planets and stars in the sky, bits and pieces of every realm and every timeline where you exist, the universe couldn’t have made you more perfect if it tried. You are my favorite soul.”
That’s what love is.
Striving to be the best you can be for the person who makes you feel complete.
“There’s no me without you. You’re my favorite soul too, Lola,” I say. I use my thumb to wipe away a tear, to clear the smeared mascara from under her eyes. “In all of those timelines, I hope I have you by my side,”
“Every single one,” she says. She pulls back and stares at me. “And if I wasn’t, I would find you.”
“That’s my girl,” I murmur and trace the line of her jaw. Her fingers twist in my shirt, and her eyes drop to my mouth. It’s the same look she had on her face this morning in the tent, and I know exactly what she wants to ask. “Do you—”
“Is that Lola Jones?”
We spin and find a gorgeous woman walking toward us. Dark skin, cropped hair, shiny bangles adorning her arms. She looks official, with a walkie talkie and set of keys dangling from her neck.
“Vivian Lee?” Lola asks. She lets go of my shirt and steps back.
“That’s me.” The woman stretches out her hand, and Lola shakes it with enthusiasm. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. When I saw they checked you in, I thought I’d try to hunt you down.”
“You’ve been wanting to meetme?” I hear the incredulity in Lola’s voice, and I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Me, specifically?”
Vivian laughs. “Yes. Since the moment I saw your application and spent two hours one night watching your sewing series, Learn with Lola. It’s fantastic.”
“Wow. It’s such an honor to meet you. You’ve been my role model and inspiration since I was a young girl. Thank you so much for the kind words.”
“They’re all true. I’ve been dying to ask what sparked your idea to start creating videos.”
“My friend told me she loved my clothes but didn’t know where to start to make her own. I figured I could film a couple of designs so people could learn the basic foundations of sewing and stitching. Sewing isn’t a secret, and making clothing isn’t a competition. Accessibility is important to me, and doing step-by-step videos so anyone, regardless of their skill set, could learn how to create their own pieces seemed like a good place to start. I didn’t think they would gain any traction, but after two videos went viral, that kind of changed.”
“I love that mindset.” Vivian nods in agreement. “There’s a place for everyone in this industry if they want it.” Her eyes dart to me and she smiles. “I’m so sorry. I’m being rude. I’m Vivian.”
