“I suppose that’s a fair point.” Julia forced a smile that took in Nigel too. “Congratulations to you both. I’m so happy for you. I hope you’ll invite me to your premieres.”
“Of course,” said Nigel. “In fact, I insist that you come.”
“I was actually thinking about writing a guest-starring role for you midseason,” said Ellen.
“Oh? That would be fun.” Momentarily intrigued, Julia nonetheless felt the frisson of anticipation quickly dissipate. “Well, maybe I can look forward to reuniting with you on a set somewhere in New York, sometime next year.” She attempted a carefree laugh. “It won’t be the same around here without you two, but when we begin shooting season seven, you should visit us on location in Kansas for old times’ sake. I know how much you two love the frigid air and knee-deep snow.”
Nigel and Ellen exchanged a wary look that made Julia’s heart sink further. Honestly, how much lower could it go? “Maybe... maybe you should talk with Noah and Chance,” said Ellen.
Julia scanned the room and spotted the two young men out on the balcony, chatting animatedly with a lovely, dark-haired young woman who had joined the cast late in season five, appearing only in the final episode. Julia had met her briefly at the table read, but they had not shared any scenes together and Julia couldn’t remember her name. Pamela? Paula? Something like that. Julia scarcely knew her but, mindful of everything the Cross-Country Quilters had taught her about inclusivity, she had made sure to add the newcomer to the group email inviting everyone to tonight’s party. They would have plenty of time to get to know each other while filming season six.
At the moment, though, the young woman was gazing so admiringly at Noah that Julia was reluctant to interrupt. “No, let’s just cut to the chase,” she said, turning back to Ellen and Nigel. “Spill it.”
“Noah intends to go to university,” said Nigel, “and Chance—”
“What?” Julia exclaimed. A few guests turned curious glances their way before resuming their own conversations. “Why would Noah want to do a silly thing like that? What can he learn in a classroom that he can’t learn on the set?”
“A great many things,” said Nigel patiently. “Perhaps he doesn’t plan to study theater.”
“That would be a massive waste of his talent.”
“You majored in theater in college,” Ellen pointed out.
“Yes, but that was to get the training so I could get the career. Noah already has the career.”
“Maybe he wants something more, or just something else.” Ellen paused to murmur her thanks to a passing server as he refreshed her coffee. When he approached Julia, she smiled tightly and shook her head. Only after he had moved off did Ellen add, “As for Chance, he’s in negotiations to star in a new live-action fantasy series, something about brothers who hunt supernatural creatures.”
Julia felt lightheaded. A series might survive the loss of the head writer and a single lead actor, but the departure of the showrunner and three stars in a single season usually heralded the beginning of the end. Without Ellen, Nigel, Noah, and Chance,A Patchwork Lifewouldn’t be the same show. It would surely suffer the same fate asHappy Daysafter Richie Cunningham left, orAll in the Familywithout Mike and Gloria.
But why hadn’t Julia heard anything from the rest of the cast, those who would be left behind to carry on? Where were the anxious emails from the actors in supporting roles, worried about the future of their show? For that matter, where were the phone calls from their ambitious agents hoping to get their clients promoted to a lead?
Why was everyone else okay with this? Either they too hadn’t read the email attachment or—
“Who else—” Julia cleared her throat and tried again. “Who else is planning to leave?”
“Everyone else,” said Ellen, as gently as anyone could. “We’re all making plans, moving on. I’m so sorry. I thought you knew.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have known. I should have been checking my email more vigilantly.” Julia shook her head slowly. None of this felt real. “I don’t understand why you—why anyone—would want to leave a successful show so abruptly, at the height of its popularity.”
“It’s hardly abrupt, darling,” said Nigel, pulling her into a comforting hug. “We still have season six to film. We’ll be together for months yet.”
Julia clung to him, overwhelmed. She might have sobbed into his shoulder except she didn’t want to ruin his very fine shirt with tears and makeup. Instead, she pulled away and managed a tremulous smile. “I know I’m being ridiculous,” she said, giving her head a little shake. “I’m just not ready to say goodbye.”
“We don’t have to, yet,” said Nigel. “The series finale is almost two years away.”
“And it’s not like we’ll never see one another again,” said Ellen, a furrow deepening between her eyebrows. She knew Julia too well to be fooled by a little self-deprecating humor. She would understand that Julia’s heart was aching even if she pretended otherwise.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Though Julia had been dealt a staggering blow, she was too accomplished a performer to let anyone other than Nigel and Ellen see it. She chatted and smiled, laughed on cue, and whispered a different, enticing, behind-the-scenes detail to each member of the press. If she didn’t appear perfectly at ease, her unexplained distress would become the evening’s story and tomorrow’s headlines. She couldn’t allow anything to steal the spotlight fromA Patchwork Life.
Only once did her mask of composure nearly slip and shatter. She had gone out to the balcony for a respite in the fresh air only to find Noah alone, possibly for the first time all evening. He was slouching a bit, his forearms on the railing as he gazed out at the distant ocean,his handsome features in the characteristic brood that made the girls swoon, and probably a good many of the boys too.
“So, I hear college is in your future?” Julia greeted him, eyebrows raised, pleasant smile firmly in place, voice scrubbed of any hint of accusation.
“Yeah, that’s the plan.” Straightening, Noah ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and threw her a wry grin. “I figured it’s now or never.”
“Never sounds good,” said Julia brightly, planting an elbow on the railing as she smiled up at him. It seemed not so long ago that he barely came up to her shoulder, and now look at him. Where had the time gone? “Seriously, though, why college? And why now?”
“College was always my plan, and I don’t want to put it off much longer. If I start school next fall, I’ll be twenty-one, three years older than your average freshmen. I’ve had on-set tutors since fourth grade, so I never had a normal school experience. I don’t want to miss out on college too.”
