Page 32 of Best Kept Vows (Savannah’s Best #6)

Ophelia

O ur first couple of counseling sessions rattled me.

I spilled my heart out, and then wondered if I’d ruined any chance of Sebastian and me getting back together. I understood the need to be honest in a marriage, but there was such a thing as too much honesty, wasn’t there?

I cringed as I remembered the things I’d said, how bluntly I’d told Sebastian I felt like I was last on his list of priorities. But what impacted me the most was how sad he looked, how devastated he was when he realized that I’d been hiding my pain.

My marriage was a mess, and my new professional life wasn’t faring much better.

I was approaching the start of my third month of internship with Luna, and I was struggling with the workload, not because I minded working hard, that wasn’t the problem, it was having to learn everything before I could do the work.

I was sure that it took me two to three times longer to get things done than other people because I’d never had a job before—everything was new, and everything had a learning curve.

As I sat in a conference room surrounded by women who knew what they were doing, I felt like a fraud.

They spoke in quick, confident tones, uttering design terms and budget figures like it was second nature to them.

Meanwhile, I gripped my notebook like a lifeline, my pen hovering over the page as I tried to make sense of the rapid-fire conversation.

I had no business being here. So what if I have an MBA? I have zero experience at real work .

This wasn’t PTA planning. This wasn’t a school fundraiser. This wasn’t deciding what to cook for dinner while Sebastian texted that he’d be home late.

This was real work, and I was terrified of saying the wrong thing, screwing it up, and having Luna finally say that I just wasn’t cut out for work after being a homemaker for twenty-plus years.

Luna flipped to the next slide of the proposal on the conference room screen. “Lia, we need to refine the community outreach section. Do you have any thoughts?”

I looked up, swallowing hard. Everyone was waiting. I could fake it. Smile, nod, and say something safe.

Come on, Lia, you’ve been playing it safe all your life, and where has that gotten you ?

I cleared my throat. “I—um…”

Get it together, Lia .

I straightened in my chair, gripping my pen tighter.

“I was thinking we could highlight the design’s long-term impact on the community.

Not just the hospital’s carbon footprint but how the design encourages wellness for both patients and staff.

We should frame it as a story—how the space itself helps with healing, how it minimizes stress, and how it improves efficiency for doctors and nurses.

That way, it’s not just about sustainability—it’s about the people it serves. ”

Silence.

My stomach twisted. Had I just rambled my way into making no sense at all?

Then Aurora grinned. “Sounds good. It’s more than just hospital green initiatives; it’s how the design serves the community. That’s an angle Tommy Minton will eat up.”

I exhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath.

Luna nodded. “Let’s build on it, Lia. Maybe you can have a proposal to present by the end of next week?”

“Yes.”

And just like that, they moved on, as if I belonged here, as if what I had said mattered. But before I could get all excited about having a seat at the table, a new rush of panic slid in. Now, I had to put together a proposal by the end of the next freaking week . How on earth would I do that?

I studied previous proposals stored on the company server, then turned to the Internet, examining social outreach strategies used by hospitals .

It was seven in the evening, and I was still at work, feeling like a total loser.

I was sure if someone asked Aurora or Nova to put such a proposal together, they’d have it ready in a matter of hours. I was going to have to work harder and longer to produce something that would be substandard.

If they fired me, I’d be so embarrassed.

Everyone would know.

Savannah was such a small town. Dolly and Coco would celebrate.

Sebastian? I had no clue. He was the man who had said I shouldn’t work, but now he said he was proud of me.

My shoulders slumped as I stared at the coffee machine as if it were preparing to give me some kind of divine revelation. Today had gone decently, but what about tomorrow? And the next day? And the next?

After the rush of the first days of learning, I was afraid every day that this job and company I’d come to love would be taken away from me.

It was one thing to write a business proposal for a class and quite another in real life.

Luna would realize I was faking it like no one’s business, and Nina…

damn, but she’d had faith in me, and I would be letting her down.

Ada would be so disappointed with me and?—

“You’re here late.” Luna leaned against the doorway into the cafeteria, a coffee cup in hand.

Chin up, Lia!

“Oh, just working on that community outreach proposal,” I said as airily as I could, like I knew what the hell I was doing.

She took a slow sip of coffee. “You know, when I first started working here, I was scared every freaking day that Nina would fire me.”

I felt like I’d just been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

“I see that same fear in your eyes.”

I blinked, caught off guard. Then I let out a real laugh. “Because I am afraid that you’ll fire me.”

Luna shrugged. “It’s normal to feel like that. Everyone does. Nina probably wonders if the board is going to fire her for screwing up. We all have insecurities.”

I watched my cup fill with coffee. “You all are…well, so accomplished. I’m older than most of you, and I feel like an imbecile.”

“What’s age got to do with anything?” Luna came into the kitchen and sat on top of a table, her tight jean-clad legs swinging. She wore biker boots and a black sleeveless T-shirt. For meetings, she put on a leather jacket since our conference rooms were cold.

I took my cup and rested my ass against the counter, facing Luna. “I just feel like I should know more.”

“You have more experience raising kids, running a home, dealing with crazy in-laws, and all of that. I don’t have kids, have a housekeeper because I can’t run a home, and since I’m not married, I don’t have crazy in-laws.

” Luna smiled then. “Just because we can talk bullshit about building codes doesn’t make it superior to picking up your kids from soccer practice and making sure they finish their homework. ”

I bit my lip, glancing around to make sure we were alone before I said what had been eating at me all day. “Somehow, driving a child doesn’t require the experience or skill set needed to run a project to build the most state-of-the-art hospital in Savannah.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Never took you for an intellectual snob.”

I gaped at her, and then, when I saw her smile, I rolled my eyes.

“I am not an intellectual snob. What I am is practical. I spent twenty-two years raising kids, planning school fundraisers, making dinner, and being someone’s wife.

Now I’m here, surrounded by young, smart, driven women.

And I feel like…like I’m still learning how to walk while you’re out there running marathons. ”

Luna set her coffee down and looked at me like I had just said the dumbest thing in the world.

“Let’s not forget you also went back to school and earned an MBA. Do you have any idea how many people walk into jobs like this, thinking they have all the answers but are not actually listening?”

I frowned. “I?—”

“You listen. You think before you speak. And when you do speak, it adds value. That’s why we hired you, and no one cares if you’re forty-four or twenty-four.”

“You really feel that way, or it is…you know, the DEI line? ”

“Have you had any indication that I don’t say whatever the hell I feel like, regardless of any three-lettered word acronym you bring up?”

I let out a shaky laugh.

Luna’s features softened with tenderness. “Look, I get it. I was the youngest architect on projects once, and I felt like I had to prove myself every damn day. But what you need to remember is that you’re not here by accident. You earned this. And you’re doing better than you think.”

I listened to what she said, but it was hard to internalize it. I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Thanks, Luna.”

That night, when I got into bed, I responded to Sebastian’s text about how my day went with some candor.

Me: Feeling like I’m going to mess up my job, and they’ll fire me.

My phone rang immediately, and I answered.

“What’s going on?” Sebastian asked.

I told him about the community outreach proposal, how I didn’t know how to approach it, and how I felt at my age working with young and accomplished people.

“I agree with Luna. We all feel like that. When I first started the consulting company, I worried I’d get fired by every client I worked with.”

“You did?” This surprised me. Sebastian was always confident and so sure of himself.

“Yeah, baby, I did. And you know how it’s going with Boone Metals.”

“I’m sorry you have to sell.”

“I’m not. Can’t wait to get rid of it, though that’s going to take time. Six months to a year.” I heard him sigh. “You know, I can help you with your proposal.”

“You can?” I squeaked.

“Yes.”

He’d shown zero interest when I was going to business school, even though I’d tried.

“I’m struggling with finance. Can you walk me through an annual report?” I asked Sebastian during dinner. I hoped this would bring us together and give us common ground.

“Baby, I’m exhausted. I don’t have the bandwidth.”

He had rebuffed my efforts time and again until I’d finally stopped asking.

“You have the bandwidth for it?” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.

“Yeah, baby, I do,” he replied softly.

I felt petty, and I hated that feeling.

This wasn’t who I was—or at least, not who I believed myself to be.

I wasn’t the kind of person who held onto past hurts just to throw them back like weapons.

I used to think I was someone who forgave easily, who let things go.

But now I was remembering the things that Sebastian had done, which made me feel like I had no agency, and it made me angry.

“I know I fucked up in the past. I don’t intend to fuck up anymore.”

I closed my eyes, feeling conflicted emotions swarm through me. Part of me wanted to just be with Sebastian, but another part wanted to keep this life, one where I was Lia, not his wife or their mother .

“Maybe…ah…after counseling on Friday?” he suggested.

“If it’s going to be as intense as last time, then?—”

“Let’s play it by ear. We can also work on the proposal on Saturday after you have lunch with Dad.”

He was trying, and it wasn’t like I didn’t want to spend time with him; I did. I missed him, but I’d also gotten used to missing him, and now that he was back, it was jarring.

“That sounds good,” I breathed. “Ah…maybe you want to come for lunch with your father and me?”

“I’d be honored, baby.”