“Go all in. No compromises.”
DIARY ROOM:
Miles: I didn’t mean to put my uncle in that position. It’s just that I want to explore opportunities to see what I’m passionate about. I love finishing work, it reminds me of my grandma and how talented she is at telling a story through color and design. But my grandpa’s passion was in the creation of a tangible thing.
Producer: What do you think your uncle is passionate about?
Miles: I think we all know the answer to that.
28
“I’m going to tell him that it’s not what I want anymore,” Poppy said, standing in front of Jack’s office building with Kiki and Opal.
Jack had called her yesterday to offer her her own television show. But she’d had enough reality television to last her a lifetime.
“You’ve still got your chicken wings on, I see,” Kiki said.
“First off, I’m not being a chicken, my heart is literally shredded. I can’t even think about taking on my own network show. Which is why I never want to do one of these things again. If I can’t control the narrative, and I can’t control who I’m working with, I’ll never know how it’s going to end.”
“Oh, sweetie, you can’t bring everything back to your childhood.”
“This isn’t about my childhood. I tried something else, and once again, I couldn’t control the narrative and look at me now.” She pointed to her face to highlight her puffy eyes and red nose. “I can’t go back to being that brokenhearted little girl. I can’t do this to myself again. My heart barely made it through the first time. I’m not sure it’s going to makeit through this time. So I’m going to go back to flipping houses.”
“Don’t let me ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for,” Opal said, taking her hand. “I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
“I know, Auntie, you just can’t help yourself, but I love you. Even though I’m really, really mad at you right now, I still love you.”
“And I love you, which is why I don’t want you to give up on your dream.”
“My dream is to restore houses and tell people’s stories,” Poppy said.
“That was your dream,” Opal told her. “But you’re meant to tell your stories to a wider audience. Don’t let what I did stop you. Don’t let your emotions confuse you into underselling your dream.”
“Honestly, Auntie, I don’t know what my dream is anymore. I thought I’d found it, but once again I was left with a broken heart.”
“The best way for your heart to heal is to expand your dreams,” Opal said.
“Fight for what you want,” Kiki said. “Be a queen, not a princess.”
Poppy’s eyes began to burn. “I’m tired of fighting. I think it’s time to just accept the life I have and be happy with it.”
Opal took Poppy’s hand between her frail ones. “Before you make your decision, just hear them out. Go in there with an open mind and heart. I promise you that it will never steer you wrong.”
Poppy didn’t know about that. She’d gone with her heart and had it run over by a Mack truck. She wasn’t all that willing to go there again just yet. But she’d take the meeting because Jack had been so adamant that she hear him out. He’d also said he wanted to apologize in person.
She didn’t want his apology. She wanted to turn the clockback and do things differently. And that meant being true to herself and trusting her intuition. She should have told Decker the moment she suspected something was up. That was on her. But walking away?
She didn’t think she’d ever get over that.
“I’ll try,” she said and gave Opal a kiss on the cheek, then strode through the door and started the walk down the long hallway to Jack’s office. Just to think that a few months ago she’d walked this same hallway and thought her dreams had finally come true. And there she was now afraid to dream for fear of disappointment.
She knocked at the door.
“Come in,” a male voice said.
Poppy opened the door and her heart sank to her toes. Because there, sitting in Jack’s chair, wearing a suit and tie and looking like the cover forGQwas Decker. The moment she set eyes on him her heart pounded frantically, and her chest constricted. It had only been a week, but it felt like an eternity since she’d seen him.
Looking at him, all dressed up with a nervous smile on his face, made her wish for things that weren’t good for her. Like running into his arms and telling him she loved him. But she wouldn’t do that because she’d learned her lesson. Once a walker, always a walker.
