We’d also like you to know that the mayor’s office reached out to us this morning. Mayor Natalie Kennedy has expressed interest in personally thanking you for your quick action. There’s no obligation—just a brief acknowledgment, if you’re comfortable.
I froze.
Natasha’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The mayor?”
“Yes,” I said faintly. “Apparently.”
I swallowed. “They say people are already looking for me because the internet figured out I’m here. He says it might be better to tell my story myself instead of letting strangers do it for me.”
Beth frowned. “That’s unsettling.”
“It is,” I agreed. “But I get it.”
I hadn’t planned on being seen. I hadn’t planned on attention or gratitude or cameras. I’d just acted. Instinct. Urgency. A moment that didn’t ask permission.
Now, it was asking everything else.
Natasha reached over and squeezed my hand. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“I know.” I took a breath. “But maybe it’s okay to say yes. To remind people that ordinary people can step in.”
Beth tilted her head. “Since when are you ordinary?”
I smiled weakly. “You know what I mean.”
The reporter messaged again, gentle this time.
No pressure at all. We simply wanted to reach out before rumors fill the gaps. The mayor’s office felt the same way—this would be informal and brief.
I stared at the pool, at the way the sunlight fractured across the water. At the ease of this morning. At the version of myself that had stepped forward without thinking.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “I’ll talk to them.”
Beth’s mouth dropped open. “You’re serious?”
“I am.”
Natasha nodded. “I think you’ll handle it beautifully.”
I typed back.
I’m in town through the week. I’m willing to speak briefly, as long as it stays focused on awareness.
The reply came almost instantly.
Thank you, Sophie. I’ll coordinate details and keep it minimal. And for what it’s worth—you did an incredible thing.
I set the phone down, my pulse humming.
“Well,” Beth said. “That escalated.”
“Just a little,” I agreed.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered what Wyatt would think. Whether he’d already seen the videos. Whether this would complicate something that felt so simple just hours ago.
But for now, I let the warmth of Charleston sink in. The laughter of my friends. The promise of music and dancing later.
Whatever this was becoming, I could face it.
