Page 76 of The E.M.M.A. Effect
Karl chimes in, his earlier frustration softening. “We’ve all been there, doubting ourselves. But you’ve always pushed us to be better. Maybe it’s time you extended that same faith to yourself.”
Their words wash over me, a balm to my frayed nerves. I feel something tight in my chest begin to loosen.
“I... thank you,” I manage, blinking back tears. “You’re right. I’ve been so caught up in my own insecurities that I lost sight of what we’re really doing here. I promise, from now on, total transparency. I’m committed to trusting our work, even when—especially when—it challenges my own perceptions of myself and others.”
I look around at my team, gratitude replacing the fear in my gut. “I’m open to any questions or concerns you still have. How can we move forward from here, together? And more important, beat the Chads?”
The tension begins to dissipate. Hana stands up, walking over to give my shoulder a squeeze. “First things first,” she says with a grin,“I think we need box seats for all Regals home games. You know, for the sake of the project integrity. And to see the Chads cry.”
A laugh bubbles up from my chest, surprising me with its lightness. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe again. We’ve got a long way to go, but with these guys by my side, I know we’ll figure it out.
We spend the next hour discussing the implications, the necessary adjustments to our data, the steps we’ll need to take to ensure the integrity of our work going forward. It’s grueling, but as we wrap up, I feel a weight lifting from my shoulders.
We get ready to resume the normal workday, as Amir raises a hand.
“Do you have a question for the class?” I say in a teasing tone.
“For what it’s worth, boss,” he says, a small smile on his face, “I don’t think any of us are surprised about you and Gale. That time when he came by here, the way he looked at you... well, let’s just say E.M.M.A. isn’t the only one who can see a perfect match.”
“Dude, I didn’t expectyouto be the sappy one.” Hana snorts. “But it’s true. We all were messaging about it.”
I frown. “There was nothing in the team group chat.”
“That’s because we made a separate one to gossip about the situation,” Karl says.
“A group chat?” I’m flabbergasted.
“We are Team Hale,” Amir says.
Karl shakes his head. “Weren’t we going with Garriet?”
“These are horrific and are forever forbidden.” I groan and walk away as they are still debating couple names. I have more truths to tell.
I find Brooke in her living room an hour later, sitting on the floor folding tiny onesies, looking like she’s just gone ten rounds with a kraken. Her hair is in a messy bun, dark circles under hereyes, and Baby Benji is strapped into a bouncer at her side, examining his hands.
“Hey,” I say softly, hovering in the doorway. “Got some time to talk?”
Brooke looks up, a weary smile crossing her face. “For you? Always. Come on in, pull up a cushion covered in spit-up.”
“Nah, I can help fold too.” I laugh, settling onto the floor beside her. Benji gurgles at me, his chubby hands reaching out. I let him grab my finger, marveling at his tiny grip.
“First off. How areyouholding up?” I ask, grabbing a pair of footie pajamas from her laundry basket.
Brooke adjusts Benji on her lap, suppressing a yawn. “Sleep? What’s that again? I’m running on coffee and sheer willpower at this point. And yeah, I don’t want to think about the last time I really washed my hair.”
She glances down at Benji, who’s now contentedly gumming his knuckles. “Honestly, most days are a blur of diapers, feeds, and praying for a solid three-hour stretch of sleep. It’s relentless. Exhausting. But then this little gremlin does something new, like giggle at his own fart, and... I don’t know. It doesn’t make it easy, but it makes it feel worthwhile, you know?”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat. This is my best friend, the woman who’s been by my side through thick and thin. And I’ve been keeping secrets from her.
“Brooke, I—”
“Harriet, I—”
We both speak at the same time, then stop, laughing awkwardly.
“You go first,” Brooke says, bouncing Benji as he starts to fuss.
I take a deep breath. “Brooke, I have to tell you something. It’s my—my feelings for Gale. I’ve been a terrible friend, keeping secrets and—”
