"Perfection. And I know you do," Lily said softly. "But you can't fix everything. Sometimes you just have to let things be messy and trust that it'll work out. Sometimes you have to let okay be good enough. And sometimes you have to be kind to yourself."
They sat there for a long moment, Annabelle crying quietly while Lily held her hand. Outside, she could hear children laughing in the playground, the normal sounds of a school day carrying on.
Eventually, Lily stood and pulled Annabelle to her feet.
"Come on," she said. "You're going home. You're going to eat something, and then you're going to rest. The fundraiser will happen whether you obsess over these lists or not."
Annabelle sighed, but nodded. The fundraiser was tomorrow, in truth, there was little left to do that would make any difference at this point.
THE LITTLE VILLAGE shop was quiet for a Thursday evening. Annabelle grabbed a basket and tried to focus on the simple task of buying dinner. Pasta. Sauce. Bread. Things that required minimal effort.
She was staring blankly at the pasta selection when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
Annabelle turned to find two teenage girls she'd never seen before, one with a phone clutched in her hands, eyes wide with excitement.
"Are you Annabelle Swift?"
"I… yes?"
"Oh my God." The girl turned to her friend. "I told you it was her!"
"Can we get a picture?" the friend asked, already pulling out her phone. "You're Raven's girlfriend, right?"
Annabelle's brain stuttered. "I'm… we're…"
Girlfriend. Were they? They hadn't discussed labels. Hadn't talked about what any of this meant. They'd kissed, they'd slept together, they'd spent quiet evenings curled up on the sofa. But girlfriend?
"Please?" the first girl asked. "It would mean so much."
"Of course," Annabelle heard herself say, because she'd been raised to be polite and accommodating, even when her brain wasspinning. Even when she really didn’t want to have her photo taken by strangers.
She smiled for the photo, murmured something about hoping they enjoyed the fundraiser tomorrow, and watched them hurry off, already posting the picture.
Raven's girlfriend.
Was she?
She finished her shopping in a daze, barely registering what she was putting in the basket. It was only when she got to the car park that she noticed them.
Two men sitting in a dark sedan. Cameras with long lenses resting on the dashboard. Watching.
Paparazzi.
Her stomach sank.
She'd seen them around the village over the past few days, lurking at the edges, trying to catch glimpses of Raven. But this felt different. More invasive. Like they were closing in.
They'll get bored, she told herself firmly, loading groceries into her car. They'll leave soon. Once the fundraiser's over and there's no story, they'll move on.
But even as she thought it, she wasn't sure she believed it.
RAVEN ARRIVED AT seven with Chinese takeaway, which was a good thing because Annabelle’s groceries were still sitting packed on the kitchen table, and a cautious expression.
"Lily called," she said when Annabelle opened the door. "Said you had a rough day."
"Lily's a tattletale," Annabelle said, but she stepped aside to let Raven in.
