9. A Big Hit

Saturday afternoon, Sage was getting ready for Heather's wedding and once she was done looked at the clock and saw she had about twenty minutes before she had to leave.

It was the best time to call her mother. It'd give her a limit on how long they'd stay on the phone. She could maybe get information on Knox and pass some on at the same time.

She picked her phone up and hit the button. Her mother answered on the third ring. "I'm not bothering you am I?" she asked.

"No," her mother said. "I'm in between appointments."

"I thought you didn't work much on Saturdays anymore," she said.

Her mother had decided to cut back her hours at her hair salon so her parents could enjoy more time together.

"I don't," her mother said, "but decided to do one to two Saturdays a month. I take another day off during the week."

"As long as you aren't working too much," she said.

"You don't need to parent me," her mother said. "What's going on with you? Isn't it Heather's wedding today? I thought you'd be gone."

"I'm leaving soon. I'm all ready and thought I'd give you a call."

Her mother would remember about the wedding not just from her mentioning it but Trace would be there too.

"Is there something going on that you need me to know about?" her mother asked. "You don't normally call me on the weekend when you're doing things."

She wasn't surprised that her mother had figured it out.

"Actually," she said, "I'm dating someone. Been on a few dates now. Violet knows and she was going to tell Trace. I figured you'd rather hear it from me."

"That's good to hear," her mother said. "I'm glad you are trying again. I know how hard the whole thing with Henry was for you."

She let out a sigh. "It is what it is. I can't go back and change anything as much as I wish I could. I just didn't think my career would have taken such a big hit in the process."

"Your career didn't take a hit," her mother said. "You worked your butt off there for years and got nothing out of it but shit work and you know it. Kate said it all the time even when you wouldn't tell us."

She did hate that. She loved Kate, but Kate looked after her like an older sister. Gave her advice and told her to stand up for herself.

She'd tried, but it always came back that she got the job because of Kate. That maybe she didn't deserve to be any more than she was.

Just because she had a marketing degree, she didn't have one in fashion and that had been shoved in her face more times than she cared.

They didn't think she fit into that world. She wanted to ask if it was because she wasn't snobby enough but never did.

Kate came from the same background as her and never had that problem.

No, that was wrong. Kate had been a model and she knew fashion. She looked the part.

Sage tried to look the part. She thought she did a good job of it too. It's not like Kate didn't always take her shopping and give her advice.

Sage was just more casual with her fashion.

She supposed Kate could get away with some of the things she did and said because of who she was, but Sage always knew there were a lot of people who didn't think Kate should have had her job either.

It was the world she worked in and didn't realize it was so cutthroat until she experienced it.

"I did work my butt off," she said. "And now I have put it behind me."

"You gave up your dream," her mother said. "I hate that for you. I remember the little girl who tried to design dresses and got frustrated."

"It wasn't meant. I can't draw well. I can't sew. It was a love I had, but even then it was a basic love. Then I changed it to how I wanted the world to see what I could be selling."

"And now you're doing it," her mother said. "In a different industry. Sort of."

"Sort of is right," she said. "It's still fashion but not the same. I fit in here better."

"I'm glad to hear that," her mother said. "And we got off track. This guy you're dating. Who is he? How did you meet? What's his name? Give me all the details that you can in the time you've got remaining."

That's more like it. "His name is Knox Bradford. Mom, we went to middle school together."

"You're kidding me," her mother said. "Wait. I remember him. He had a crush on you or something, right? Small skinny kid with thick glasses?"

She burst out laughing. "Oh yeah. That was him. It's not now."

She told her mother how she and Knox reconnected.

"That's funny and wonderful at the same time. It's kind of sweet that you asked him out this time."

"Do you remember what Brit had said and how upset I was over it?"

"I do now," her mother said. "It took a big person to do that even back then. I know a lot of adults who wouldn't do it."

"I know. I apologized again. He's this nice guy. He's hot. I thought if my eighth-grader self knew what I know now, I would have dropped all my friends and told them they were idiots."

Her mother laughed. "But he moved away," her mother pointed out.

"Do you know why? I mean, he said his mother left his father." She wasn't going to add the part about Knox's younger brother just yet. She wanted to know what her mother might know.

Her mother sighed. "I do remember a few things now. The area isn't that big and there were rumors."

"Tell me," she said. "I know it has nothing to do with Knox. But he said a few things."

"I remember his mother was rumored to have had more than one affair on his father. I believe there is another son younger than Knox."

"Blaze," she said. "It's Knox's half-brother."

"Yes," her mother said. "So he told you what I'd heard. That Blaze has another father even though she was married. The guy she was having an affair with."

"Knox said Blaze was born with red hair. Sorry, but I find the name funny. But that is when Knox's father started to question things and his mother left. She took Knox with her."

"That's what I heard too. I never found out what happened to Knox's father. Is he still in the area?"

"No. He got a teaching job at Yale. He ended up with a summer home in Groton and then he died suddenly five years ago. I think Knox and his father didn't have a good relationship for years, but I haven't gotten much out of him on why. I think those are just the kinds of conversations that will come out organically."

"You don't want to ask too much because then he might ask about your past?" her mother asked. "Does he know why you're in Mystic now?"

"He knows enough. I told him that things sort of imploded at my last job and it was hard to go in each day. I didn't tell him why. Just that this position opened and I thought why not? That what I always imagined I'd be doing with my career wasn't happening."

"And now it is," her mother said. "Just remember that."

"Can I ask your opinion on something?"

"You can," her mother said.

She explained to her mother about what she wanted to ask Kate. That Poppy had told her Lily and Rose were on board but only if Sage wanted to do it. And as long as it didn't cause a rift between Kate and Sage's relationship.

"Is it horrible of me to ask her that?"

"No," her mother said. "It's exactly as you said. If none of Kate's grandfather's history panned out, you would have still thought to do this. Not as a favor but as a business move. Kate can say no and she might. She doesn't have a lot of say in runways either. There are a lot of elements to all of this and you know it."

"I do. I don't want to put her in a bind either," she said.

"I don't think you are."

"Mom," she said. "I also don't want her to feel she has to do it because of guilt for something her family did."

"Kate won't feel that way," her mother said. "She takes her job just as seriously as you do yours. Just like you won't be upset if she says no, she won't be afraid to say it. If you don't believe me, then ask Trace."

"I planned on it but wanted your take. She always thought of you as a mother too."

"She did and she does. And if you asked Nonna you'd get the same answer. Go with your gut and see where it leads you. Seems to be leading you to the right place lately."

"Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that."

She hung up after that, grabbed her purse and left for the wedding.

Sage watched one of her coworkers walk down the aisle and marry a man that she'd had a second chance with too and thought to herself that it was amazing how the world worked.

Two hours later, she was at Mona's for the reception. Dinner had been served and everyone was just chatting.

She was at the table with Violet and Trace and a few others from the flower shop. Jasmine, Ivy, and Dahlia were at a table next to them with their significant others.

"Are you going to tell me more about Knox?" Trace asked her suddenly.

She looked at Violet and grinned. "It took you long enough to ask," she said. "I filled Mom in on it before I came here."

"Good," Trace said. "Then if I slip it won't be the end of the world. You know I will."

She laughed. "What is it you want to know? I told Violet a lot."

"I didn't tell him too much," Violet said. "Just that you were dating someone that you used to go to school with and ran into him again."

She talked a bit about it with Trace. Not as much as she had her mother. Violet would say more. Her mother would too.

There were things she wouldn't say here in front of others that were private.

"I'd like to meet the guy," Trace said. "You know, being your older brother and all."

"I figured you say that. I had dinner with him last night. I planned on seeing him tomorrow, but I'm sure you're busy."

"I've got a deadline to meet, but maybe next week we can figure something out?" Trace asked.

"I'll ask him tomorrow and let you know. Can I ask you something? Your opinion on something?"

"Of course," her big brother said. "Want me to let Knox know not to mess with you? That our family is Mancini strong with Nonna leading the way?"

She burst out laughing. "Violet told you that she told me?"

"She did," Trace said. "I'm glad you know. I've got no problem letting any man in your life know that."

Her brother was serious as he'd made that comment and Trace wasn't normally that serious about much.

"Thanks but no thanks," she said. "I'm good. It's about Kate. Do you think she'd be insulted if I asked her to maybe wear some of the Blossoms products? Or if any of the designers she knows would be willing to have custom-made pieces to use on a runway?"

"I don't think she would be insulted at all," Trace said. "Doesn't mean she'll say yes, but you won't know unless you ask."

"That is what Mom said. I just don't like people doing things for me as favors."

"Don't think of it that way," Trace said. "You've got a problem with that. You always did."

"Because Kate did get me that internship and we know how well it all worked out."

"You're letting some petty women who said shit get in your head. Don't let that happen," Trace said. "You used to be a lot more confident."

"I'm trying to be that way again," she said, letting out a sigh.

"Then start with Kate."

"I guess I will," she said. "Do you know where she is? I used to know her schedule more."

"I haven't talked to her in a few days," Trace said. "Just a few texts, but that doesn't mean I know where she is. Send her a text and find out."

"I'll do that this weekend," she said.

There were times Kate was out of the country and time zones played a factor.

She loved Kate like a sister and always would, but Kate had her own demons that she dealt with in life too.

Guess everyone did and Sage had to get over it and find her confidence like her brother had just said.