‘That’s good, right?’ said Matt slowly.
Darcie folded her arms. ‘Yes. It is good.’ She looked beyond the church at the Tudor-framed building, which was shrouded in scaffolding while repairs were being carried out. ‘It’s perfect. So perfect, I don’t know why I ever worried they’d miss me.’
Matt gave a chuckle, which had Darcie snapping her head around to look at him. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘You are.’
‘I don’t see why.’ It was in fact a lie. She knew exactly what Matt was finding amusing and she hated herself for showing too much. She let out a sigh. ‘Ignore me. I’m just being a princess.’
Matt shuffled his chair closer to her and leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees and his hands together while his fingertip brushed her knee.
‘You’re not being a princess,’ he said softly. ‘You’re just having a moment of realisation.’
Darcie let out a sigh. ‘What makes you such an expert?’
‘We all have moments like that.’ He sat back and absent-mindedly toyed with the teaspoon. ‘I had one when I realised I didn’t want to become CEO of my father’s company. I spent weeks agonising over it, how I was going to tell him, what he’d say, all the usual.’
‘And what did he say?’
‘Well, I went to see him with a speech I had rehearsed so many times, to make sure I was getting my point across without being disrespectful, so that I’d make it as easy as possible. I had lined up all the arguments he’d make and how I would respond to them. I had it all straight in my head. Every scenario covered, except for one.’
‘Was he really angry?’
‘Nope. The opposite. I went through everything and I ended along the lines of “I’m really sorry but it’s just not for me but I can stay on until you find a replacement,”’ replied Matt. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. ‘I didn’t want to leave him in the lurch so I told him all this and he simply said, “I appreciate you telling me. I wondered how long it would be before we had this conversation. So I’m prepared for it and you can leave at the end of the week. I have your replacement already lined up.”’
Darcie’s eyes widened. ‘Wow. He didn’t even try to talk you out of it?’
‘No. I mean, we have spoken about it since, briefly, and my mom has spoken with me at greater length, and basically Dad didn’t want anyone there who didn’t want to be there. If my heart wasn’t in it, he didn’t want me taking over as CEO one day. He wanted someone as passionate as he was.’
‘And you didn’t realise that until then?’
‘No. I thought he’d put up a fight, but it turned out I wasn’t indispensable. It didn’t mean he didn’t love me, or thought any less of me, but it did show me that the show goes on, no matter what. No one is indispensable.’
‘And that goes for me too,’ said Darcie, looking down. ‘Part of me is relieved but part of me is sad. Maybe a little confused.’
‘It’s natural. You have given yourself that narrative for so many years, even if it wasn’t true, or at least not totally true, you’ve kinda believed your own hype.’
Darcie didn’t answer straight away as she tried to get her head around what Matt was saying. ‘I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I always thought I played an important role, a vital one that no one else could fulfil, but I think I’ve got that wrong.’
‘Oh, your role is important and it is vital but none of those things are exclusive to you.’
Darcie sat back in her chair and looked up at the clear blue sky. ‘I feel like I’ve just been to therapy.’
Matt rubbed her calf. ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. You can’t just adjust your mindset over one coffee. It takes time.’
Darcie leaned forward, her hands cupping Matt’s face. She kissed him on the mouth. ‘Thank you for being so wise and so kind.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘I’m looking forward to discovering more of your skills,’ she said, kissing him again.
Matt laughed. ‘I’m more than happy to share them with you.’
‘What are your thoughts on afternoon naps?’
‘Naps? Or nap-naps?’ He emphasised the last two words.
It was Darcie’s turn to laugh. ‘Both. I really could do with a snooze right now.’
