Page 90 of Into The Rabbit Hole

“Sweet girl, look at you.” Regina rose from her chair and flew around to give Chloe a hug, and of course she did that whole touch-the-belly thing everyone felt they had to when they saw a pregnant lady. For her it was fine, she was allowedto.

“I’m okay. Still wanting ice cream all the time, but other than that I’m good. How’s Brian, and everyone?” Regina and Brian were due to be married in the spring. The wedding was in Italy. By then, Chloe would have given birth and could travel. She was looking forward to it. It would be the first holiday she’d have with Wade and their littlebaby.

Their first familyholiday.

“He’s fine, they’re all fine.” Regina smiled wide. After the whole crazy summer they had, Chloe noticed the new woman that Regina was. Now when she smiled, her whole persona lit up with this infectious warmth that everyone couldfeel.

The first time she saw it was after Regina first went to Italy and came back to visit. She’d left Chloe and Lisa in charge ofRunwaywhile she was away and tended to come back once a month to see how they allwere.

“Everyone’s enjoying being entertained by Wes and his magical creations. I can’t replace him here.” Regina laughed. Wes had been offered a job with Marvel Studios and would start in the summer, just after Regina and Brian’s wedding. He was offered the job on Christmas Eve and Chloe swore the poor guycried.

It was the very best Christmas present for him and she was so proud. He was fantastic with all he did atRunway, but he’d always talked about doing movies. The fact that Marvel had offered him a job was beyond amazing, with his superheroobsession.

“I can just imagine.” Chloe laughed. She then looked at the box on the desk and motioned towards it. “What’s this? Are you packing stuffaway?”

There kind of wasn’t anything to pack. Everything here was already neat and in itsplace.

“In a way. Come on, sit down.” Regina inclined her head andsmiled.

They moved over to the chaise lounge and sat down. This was their favorite spot and offered the perfect position to smell the freshly made bread from the bakery across the street. “How are things here? Is it all still manageable? I don’t want you to overworkyourself.”

“They’re good. The buzz is still here from FashionWeek.”

In a few weeks’ time, it would be a year since that day when Chloe applied for the creative director position. A year since Wade returned from his five-year absence and everything changed forher.

They’d been through so much since. A lot of bad, but more good. She was happy she was at that stage where she could enjoy all the good she had in her life, and the achievements. She loved Wade to no end, she loved her friends and family, but then there was her jobhere.

She loved that, too, andRunwaywas a part of her. It felt like a living entity that went hand in hand with her creative abilities and desire to express herideas.

“Good, I have a present for you.” Regina’s bright green eyes sparkled and her ponytail shifted to the side as she moved. She’d allowed her white blonde hair to grow longer, and it suited her a lot. It made her seem a good ten years or so younger, and whenever she and Taylor were together they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. Regina had always had a youthful appearance, anyway, but the hair just enhanced thatnow.

“Regina, we have so much that you’ve given us.” Chloegiggled.

“This is more of a present foryou.”

“Me?” Chloe pointed to herself and Reginanodded.

Chloe watched her keenly as she got up and moved towards her handbag. She took out a small but long box, the kind that those fancy pens came in, and brought it over toher.

“It’s a pen isn’t it? Because I’m always losing mine.” Chloelaughed.

“Although that is true, it’s not a pen.” Regina handed it to her and sat backdown.

Chloe opened the box. There was a key with a little pink ribbon tied through the loop and a piece of paper that had been wrapped around to look like a tube. The paper looked likeparchment.

“I love it. Thanks so much.” She had no idea what this was, or meant, but she’d go back to the Closet and figure it out. The key clearly opened a door somewhere, or maybe it was a fashion heirloom. The pink ribbon was silky and shiny, so perhaps it was, indeed, a fashionthing.

Regina started to laugh. “You are so funny, sweet girl. Read thepaper.”

Chloe chuckled, rested the box on her lap, under her bump, and unfolded thepaper.

Congratulations, Chloe Vanderville, you are now the new owner ofRunwayMagazine.

Chloe stared at the paper for a few good seconds, reading the words over and over again, trying to understandit.

She looked at it and knew what it said, but it wouldn’t sink in. Her brain couldn’t process this atall.

Shewas the new owner ofRunway. Her?Chloe.