What advice do you have for other women to feel good about themselves?
What's your greatest wish for your baby?
Now that it's all been put together, the final version of our project brings tears to my eyes—of pride and an overwhelming sense of excitement.
"Thank you for working on this with me, Hazel. It's absolutely lovely."
"And with any luck, this should make a big difference."
"Well, it's a good start, anyway."
Hazel clicks through the pages one last time. The last page features a shot of the entire group, everyone dressed in white except me. I’m sitting in the centre of the group in a black turtleneck and jeans (my expert photographer outfit). We had such a lovely time together that we wanted one group shot just for us to keep, but when Hazel came across it, she insisted we add it to the feature. My hair and makeup were barely done, but I'm still happy with how the photo looks because it's a group of women who are all saying ‘we’re good enough the way we are, and we don’t have to hide our imperfections or try to be someone else.’ (Plus, I’m wearing adorable brown leather shooties Arthur got me, so...)
Hazel closes the file and sends it to the printer, then we both sigh with relief.
"All right, Tess. You're supposed to be at home resting right now."
"Yes, I could use a bit of a nap actually. This was so fun though."
"It wasn't just fun, it’simportant. I don’t know how to thank you enough for letting me be part of this. With this edition and a bit of luck, our little paper is going to survive another year."
"I hope so. There's nothing I'd like more."
I struggle a bit as I get out of my chair and then waddle over to pick up my long wool coat. Xavier, who has been waiting in the hall, stands and helps me put it on. Hazel and I give each other a big hug and we both agree to try and find future projects to work on together.
Smiling the entire way home, a sense of calm comes over me for the first time in a very long time. Maybe this is my new life—becoming a fabulous champion for women everywhere. I could be the royal who smashes unrealistic expectations and brings the world back to a simpler time when women would feel good about themselves as they were. Hmm...I wonder if there actually was a time like that?
