“I know we weren’t as close back then, and I was out of the country doing my own thing, but you could never be a burden,” Jesse says.
“And not going it alone means having an emotional support system, but it also means having a professional support system you can trust. No more soulless vultures,” Mabel adds.
Ever sighs. “Definitely. Everyone from management to PR was referred to me by the label. They were all in bed together. I got thrown into the deep end and had no idea what I was doing. Ihad to trust someone or I would’ve drowned.” He pauses. “Hell, I drowned anyway.”
“So, put together a team of life preservers, not sharks,” Mabel offers.
“You need a manager pronto,” I say. “Your identity is out. The breakup announcement of Treachery’s Riot has been made. Your life is about to get very complicated, whether you want it to or not.” When I see the fear creep into his eyes, it kills me. “I’m so sorry, but it’s true.”
“This might sound crazy, Ever, but I know someone who would be perfect for the job,” Lola says.
“Who?” Ever asks.
Lola smirks. “You’re rubbing her feet right now.”
“Lo—” When I start to object, she cuts me off immediately.
“Shut it. You’re shit at talking about yourself, so let Lola take the wheel.” She looks from me to Ever. "Soph took me in when I was pregnant, and our dad kicked me out. She dropped out of college and went to work so I could finish high school. She worked two jobs to pay the rent on our apartment, buy food, and help me with medical bills. Since the day Benji was born, she’s co-parented. She worked sixty hours a week at her last job, and over eight years, learned everything there was to know about the insurance industry. She could’ve done her boss’s jobandher boss’s boss’s job. Not only is she the smartest person I know, but she’s organized, and she’s meticulous, and she’s creative, and she’s tenacious, and she’s never met a problem she couldn’t come up with a solution to. If she doesn’t know how to do something, she doesn’t let it stop her; she just figures it out. And she puts her whole heart into it. The woman has literally put her life on hold for me.” She swallows hard, and even though my vision isn’t 20/20 due to the alcohol, I can tell she’s on the verge of tears.
“Lo, I haven’t put my life on hold. There’s nowhere I’d have rather been than here with you and Benji.”
She smiles and the tears slide down her cheeks. “Soph, we love you so much, but it’s time for you to chase your dreams. You can do anything. You weren’t built to be a cog in the corporate machine, grinding away for people who don’t appreciate you. It’s time for you to stop doing basic bitch stuff and get out in the world and start doing unicorn stuff.”
When I don’t say anything because she’s right—that’s exactly what I want—she continues, “You’re the happiest I’ve ever seen you these past few weeks. Taking photos, being out on the road with these two, traveling, meeting new people, doing things you’ve never done, it’s been?—”
“Scary,” I offer.
She sniffs back snot, and Mabel hands her a napkin. Wiping her nose, she whispers, “And that’s so damn beautiful.” Pausing, she blows her nose. “You’re discovering the person I always knew was inside. Why do you think I’ve always looked up to you? You’re a badass, Soph. Go out into the world and show them who the fuck Sophie Wren is. It’s time to dominate.”
Jesse stands and claps. “Hell yeah.”
“Dominate? You make me sound like a super villain.”
Jesse drops back down in his seat and laughs. “You’ve got range, girl. You just can’t see it like we can.”
Ever laughs quietly next to me. I look from Jesse to Ever. And then I scan the rest of the faces in the room ending on Benji. He shrugs. “It’s a compliment, Aunt Soph. You’re fierce. Like, what would you say if I came home and said someone was bullying me at school? Would you tell me to handle it on my own?” I shake my head, and before I can say anything, he says in his best impression of me, “We ride at dawn, Benji.”
Lola sticks two fingers in her mouth and whistles.
My face is heating up under the attention.
Mabel stands and says, “They’re right, Sophie. It’s time to raise some hell, honey,” before yawning wide and stretching. “You’ll have to excuse me, but it’s past my bedtime.” Opening the back door, she adds, “Big hearts in this room, I’m proud of all of you. Ever and Sophie and Jesse, you need to team up. The rest will sort itself. You’ve got us. We’ll protect your peace when it gets hard or when some sonofabitch tries to steal it. I know a little jiu-jitsu. It’s been a while, but my chokehold was vicious back in the day. Love you all. Good night.”
We all call back and watch her walk to her tiny home through the window.
“I wish she was my grandma,” Jesse says.
“Same,” is the collective response.
Ever’s hand rests on my stomach, palm up, asking for mine. I slip my fingers between his. “What do you want, Soph? Or more importantly, what do you need next out of life? Are you open to change, or do you want to go back to a corporate job?”
These questions would’ve been hard to answer a month ago, but in so many ways I feel like a different person now. Sophie 2.0. “The security of a corporate desk job is tempting, but I don’t think I can go back. I want to be my own boss and dictate my worth. I want to travel. I want to surround myself with good people. I’m definitely happiest when I’m helping others.”
“What about your photography?” Lola asks.
“I think it’s always going to be my hobby, and I wouldn’t mind doing shoots every once in a while, but I don’t think it should be my career,” I tell her. “I enjoyed doing it while we were out on the road, but I got more satisfaction dealing with venue staff, or logistical issues, or growing social media presence, or selling merch, or interacting with the crowds. It was all about looking at the big picture and trying to anticipate next steps and analyze growth potential. It’s like the skills I’ve learned over the years were finally being put to use in the real world, and it feltso damn good to be trusted and valued for what I brought to the table.” I pause and look at Ever.
He squeezes my hand to reassure me. “Always trusted. Always valued. From day one when we started talking online.”
