Page 5 of I Still Love You (Citation Needed)

Carrie turned to me and winked. “It’s still in the early phases, and the city leaders aren’t all on the same page about it, but a lot of us are doing the work to get Lacock ready for when it does happen.”

My curiosity was piqued, and I made a mental note to ask both Grace and Lizbeth about what was going on here. Getting a theme park, no matter what size, could change even the largest city in ways residents couldn’t imagine. I was thrilled that it might result in making the city more accessible for people with various needs. The Northanger family had been an unexpected supporter of my work. I recalled they had settled here in some way in the Colonial era. Mason had been obsessed with a farm they owned just outside of town.

“This area is where researchers often work, but we’ve adjusted it to make sure participants can work on different projects,” Carrie said, continuing the tour, and led me into another room.

At the center were a number of open tables where people were working on laptops. They were most likely editing text. Around the room, the pods had different equipment. Some had scanners and others had light boxes for photography. The theme of the edit-a-thon was about the fiber industry and there were artifacts already out as the archive staff helped people find what they needed.

“We just bought a set up for podcasts and videography. I hope someone will utilize it today,” Carrie said as we made our way around the floor.

“This is fantastic, but isn’t there going to be food?” I asked, my own experience planning this event creating a mental check list that I wanted to check off.

Carrie chuckled. “Lizbeth is upstairs in our event space waiting for it to arrive. I think most people will end up there through the day for workshops and editing tutorials.”

We took the elevator up to the floor and exited into a large open space full of tables, including one of snacks from earlier in the day.

“Lots of people want to have their weddings, bat mitzvahs, and other events here so the space is very flexible,” Carrie said as we walked to the table where Lizbeth sat with her laptop out.

I saw what Carrie meant. There were movable glass walls through the space. One room had already moved the walls around, and I saw a few people doing a presentation on basic editing techniques.

“Lunch will be here soon and people can eat up here,” Carrie said and pointed to an empty table next to the one filled with snacks.

I made my way over to Lizbeth, who smiled as she looked up. “Did you know the Northanger Family owns a farm outside of town?” she asked.

Carrie nodded. “It’s haunted.”

“It has its own entry on EncycloWiki,” Lizbeth added and turned her laptop for me to see.

I giggled since I had been thinking of this during Carrie’s tour. Mason had created the entry before we met and had kept it accurate. I looked up to see him walking around, busy making sure everyone had what they needed to work. A wave of mixed emotions passed over me and I felt something catch in my chest. I left some things with Lizbeth and excused myself. I found a bathroom and shut myself inside just as a tear fell. I hadn’t realized it had been forming in the corner of my eye.

I was sad and angry to see the man Mason had become. Sure, I hadn’t seen much of his current life, but he was so changed that I could tell he wasn’t in a good place. He had picked this life over one with me and seemed to be miserable because of it. He had made the wrong choice and now he had to live with the ramifications of that choice. If that meant he would be denied tenure, then so be it. I could easily fix it for him. I could get him hundreds of job offers from countless universities and organizations that I was connected to now. I wouldn’t though, I reminded myself as I calmed down. This was what he deserved for the mistake he made.

I noticed that Mason was staring at me from across the room when I returned. I had been used to this when we had been together. This was how he was so good at identifying people’s needs. He watched everything, noting reactions and emotions. Our eyes met and a wave of sadness passed through me. I hated that it felt good to have him watching me again. Moments before, I had been committed to my righteous anger and refusal to give him any kindness. It had been so long since I knew I could trust someone to have my back. That anger rose again as I chastised myself for caving. He didn’t pick me, I had to remind myself. He picked everyone else.

Chapter Five

As popular as EncycloWiki was for users, the world of running it was small. After a decade of work at different levels, I knew most of the people at this conference. While I had gone unnoticed during the morning when everyone was focused on work, by lunch my presence at the event had created a buzz about my new job. There was a round of applause when I wheeled into the lunchroom. I smiled and shook hands as people congratulated me.

Mason had stationed himself in a back corner of the room. He was alone at a table but was surrounded by piles of paper and books. This was probably where he would work for the day and be easy to find if there was an emergency. I caught his eye for a moment before his body stiffened and he looked back at his laptop. There was no way he could have missed that I was important without having stayed in academia. The work I did made a difference in the world and in people’s lives. I wondered if he could say the same. Sure, he impacted his students, but that was a local impact. What kind of wide range did he have?

Once upon a time, I would have needed his help to navigate this room and getting what I needed. Today, the space had been laid out with my accessibility needs in mind. I wasn’t the only one with a mobility aid, but I knew how much I had fought years ago to get this little adjustment made. There had been long-winded explanations about how fewer tables could be fit in the room if they made these adjustments for me. Once upon a time, I had worked with someone in the university’s registrar’s office to present data about how they were losing money by not being able to use all the classrooms. That day it had been Lois Fairfax herself who had said the cost was too high and the return on investment too low. Now all those adjustments had been made to make everyone feel included. I wondered it Lois, the very woman who had been the loudest voice of dissent, had fought against changes here. She seemed very involved in her local community.

“Ms. Smith,” a voice said behind me. “I’d be happy to help carry your food to your table.”

I turned to see one of the volunteers holding out a plate for me. I could easily reach the food, but carrying a full plate could be precarious. I took the plate from the young man and loaded up what I wanted. He took it from me and followed me to my table. Lizbeth waved me down from her spot in the middle of the room. She wasn’t alone. The acting WikiAcademia director, Cooper, was sitting with her. Cooper and I had been friends for a few years. We had met working on EncycloWiki years ago. When WikiAcademia had been formed, I had helped him get the job.

Once upon a time, Mason and I had dreamed of starting a group like WikiAcademia. That dream died with our relationship, but it hadn’t stopped me from helping others create it. I had been an early member of their board of directors but had stepped down about a year ago. I suspected I was going to be invited back on the board thanks to my new job. Their executive director had retired a few months ago, and they were currently searching for his replacement.

“I thought you weren’t coming this year,” Cooper said as I got settled at the table. “Weren’t you going to focus on WorldWikiMania planning and make that your first event as executive director?”

Cooper was one of the few people I had told about my new job.

I shrugged. “Things changed.”

I didn’t have a chance to explain more when two women came over to the table, one I had known since I was a student at Lacock State. Denise, who I had seen at dinner the night before, was a librarian who had helped me with multiple projects and research not just for myself, but for the students I taught. Being an adjunct faculty member while I pursued my PhD had given me some much-needed income. I had introduced her to the world of editing EncycloWiki and I was sure she was the reason Lacock State was hosting the conference this year. Even after I left Lacock State, we had kept in touch, but not much.

Her dark brown skin always made her stand out, but now her tight black curls were bright purple. I hugged her before turning to the other woman with her. This younger woman had pale white skin and bleach blond hair. Where Denise was large and understated, this younger woman was curvy and assertive. She practically shoved her hand in my direction.

“This is Heather,” Denise said, introducing the younger woman as they sat down. “She’s a new faculty member at the university.”