Love Like Yours

“Oh. My. Goodness,” Bryn said. “You are literally a superstar now.”

Keira rolled her eyes. “Hardly. A few people recognize me, that’s all.” She thought about her scheduled TV appearance the next morning. After that, a whole load more people would recognize her. If she’d had as much recognition from just the black-and-white image on the cover, it was only going to get worse once she appeared in full color on people’s breakfast TV.

“You look worried,” Bryn said, taking her arm. They started strolling along the aisles.

“It’s just that a lot is changing with work,” Keira said. “My career isn’t going where I thought it would.”

“Because you get to be on TV?” Bryn asked incredulously.

“I never said it was bad,” Keira corrected. “Just different. I mean, I’m quiet and bookish. You’re the loud, confident one. If either of us should be on TV, it should be you.”

Bryn made a pfft noise. “You’re ridiculous. Just go with the flow, sis. Enjoy the journey.”

They turned into the living room section, where the aisles were filled with couches.

“I’m trying,” Keira told her. “You know how stressed I get. How tightly wound I can be. Relaxing doesn’t come easy to me.”

“You’d relax more easily if you bought this delightful two-seater,” Bryn said, gesturing to a bright red velvet couch.

Keira laughed. “Absolutely not!”

Bryn just sighed. “You don’t understand my vision,” she said theatrically.

She looped arms with Keira again and they strolled onward.

“Do you really believe that stuff you wrote?” Bryn asked Keira as they went. “Your theory about love and not having strings attached? Being independent?”

Keira wondered if she was asking in relation to her recent engagement. Just as Keira had worked out that love didn’t have to mean the entangling of two lives into a single entity, Bryn had flipped her own style on its head in order to settle down.

“You used to think it,” Keira reminded her.

Bryn shrugged. “I know. But it’s a lonely way to be. I always envied what you had with Zach.”

This was news to Keira.

“You did?” she asked. “But you teased me relentlessly. Said I was old before my time.”

“I thought I had all the answers,” Bryn explained. “But really I was just scared of commitment. As much as I hate to admit it, our mom is right, about how her divorce put me off marriage. I didn’t want to rely on anyone because I saw what happened to her. But now I can see how great it is having a guy around, having someone to come home to, to rely on. This whole Scandinavian trend you’ve started seems so lonely to me. Too casual. Like, where’s the security?”

Keira was surprised to hear so much musing coming from Bryn. Her sister was more of a doer than a thinker, and it shocked her to hear how deeply she’d thought this through.

They made it to the lighting section. Bryn held her hand up to a crystal chandelier, the light making her ring sparkle.

“I want you to have this feeling too,” Bryn said to Keira. “I’m so happy.”

Keira’s initial thought was, Who is this woman? Her sister had changed so much in such a short space of time, it was enough to give her a headache. But overall, she was just glad to see her content.

“I’m happy for you,” Keira told her. “We just have different journeys. If I’d settled with Zach, I would never have had what I did with Shane. Without Shane, there’d have been no Cristiano, no Milo. All those relationships were important to me. I’d hate to have missed out on any of them.”

Even as she said it, she couldn’t help thinking of the ring Cristiano had pulled out when he’d proposed. A wave of loneliness crashed over her. She could have so easily settled with him. She could have chosen him then and there. But then what? She would never have met Milo, never have written the article on Scandinavia that was about to change her life. Everything happened for a reason. She was a firm believer of that. If any of the men she’d been with so far was one she should be with, the universe would give her some kind of sign.

“Okay, sis, I’ve got it!” Bryn exclaimed, breaking her from her reverie.

Keira looked up to see her sister standing by a beautiful writing bureau and stool. There was a banker’s lamp on it, and a little shelf attached for books. It even had a shallow drawer for pens. For once, Bryn had chosen right.

“That’s perfect,” Keira gushed.

She ran over to her sister and touched her fingertips to the gorgeous table.

“See?” Bryn said. “I told you. I have a vision. You just have to trust me.”

Keira laughed. “Fine. I give myself over to the Bryn process fully. Do your worst!”

Chapter seven

Two hours later, and two thousand dollars poorer, Keira arrived back home. Unleashing Bryn in a furniture store had perhaps not been the most sensible idea, but she’d been too tired to fight it and in the end, there was some relief that came with giving up control. The real downside of the shopping trip was that Keira would have to wait for most of the larger items to be delivered, which meant she still had no couch, no bed, and no writing desk. All they’d been able to take home with them were some lamps, bedding sets, and a DIY tool kit complete with hammer and screwdrivers that Bryn insisted she own now that she was independent.

As Keira emptied the contents of her bags onto the counter, she realized that her DIY set could be put to immediate use. She still had the painting Milo had gifted her for Christmas in her case. She hurried to it now and pulled out on the clothes resting on top. As she did, she noticed the little black box, recalling the beautiful necklace Milo had bought her for the specific purpose of not forgetting about him. She hadn’t worn it since returning to New York City, and mused on the reason why. She couldn’t put her finger on it. For some reason, it just didn’t feel right to her, to have this memento of a prior relationship hanging around her neck.

She shook the thoughts and continued searching for the painting. She had the perfect place to hang it; just above where her new writing desk would go once it was delivered.

Once she’d found it, she hurried back into the living area and fetched her new tool kit. It was the first time she’d actually done any DIY, and though nerve-wracking, it felt really good to wield a hammer. Bashing a nail into the wall was also very cathartic. She could certainly get used to this independence thing!

With the nail in place, Keira hung the painting and stepped back to admire it. It was such an inspiring image, reminding her of the wonderful Christmas she’d had in Sweden. At once, she wished she could be back there, back where things were calm and relaxed. Back to a time before all the craziness had begun.

Just to the right of the painting was the large window with its view over New York City. It couldn’t have been a greater contrast; the serenity of Sweden with the business of New York. And the incongruity of how lonely the picture looked when her time in Sweden had been anything but, yet how full New York City appeared from her window when she was completely alone within it.

She felt a strong urge to call Milo then, but remembered that she had homework; prepping for tomorrow morning’s television appearance. It was going to be a very early start – she was needed in makeup at six a.m. – so there’d be no time to practice Rick’s advice in the morning. Though her segment was prerecorded, it still had to be done in time for the early slot on the show.

She headed into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror on the cabinet. Rick had advised her to practice her “natural” smile, which was as paradoxical as it was impossible. Every time she attempted to smile it looked forced, bordering on manic. He would not be pleased with her at all.

Then she said some of her pre-prepared lines. Even though she’d written them herself, they sounded fake in her voice. Too rehearsed. Too unnatural.

She sighed. This was the problem that no one had envisioned. Keira was only good with words when she wrote them down, not when she produced them from her mouth! She was going to make a fool of herself tomorrow, she could just tell.

She heard her phone ping in the other room. Relieved to get a break from the strained practice, she headed out into the living room and retrieved her phone from her purse. She was expecting Bryn or Mallory. But the name on her screen took her by complete surprise. Cristiano.

Heart hammering, Keira opened the message.

I read your article. It’s great. Don’t forget me when you’re famous. I’m always thinking of you.

Keira blinked, stunned. She had no idea what to reply, if, indeed, she should reply anything. Things with Cristiano had soured. She hadn’t expected to hear from him ever again. And for him to write to her in relation to an article she’d written about her rebound from him made it even stranger. Cristiano’s jealous streak had been a real issue in their short-lived relationship. Maybe he was trying to prove that he was above it.

Whatever his reasoning, Keira wasn’t yet ready to handle it, or process it. There was too much going on for her to even devote an ounce of energy to Cristiano. She put her phone away and went back into the bathroom to resume her strained smiling practice.

*

Keira arrived at the office the next morning before the sun had even risen. She felt awful. Sleeping on just a mattress was doing her no good at all, and waking up at five a.m. had felt like hell. Her coffee stall guy hadn’t even opened yet, so she’d not even had a chance for a caffeine fix.