15. Reconnection Things

"Kate," Sage said on Tuesday night. "I'm glad to have caught you."

"I'm sorry," Kate said. "I've been running around and busy. You know what it's like."

"I do," she said.

Last Friday she'd gone out with a few girls from work. Something that had been planned before she was dating Knox.

There was talk about her relationship and it was so much fun to have that connection even though she was the new one of the group.

It was Sage, Daisy, Ivy, Violet, and Heather. Everyone without a child or not pregnant. Dahlia was supposed to join them but was feeling under the weather.

Since she was the only single one there, it was nice to fit in more, but the topics were more about Heather's honeymoon and Daisy and Ivy's wedding plans. There were some questions on her relationship with Knox, but it was new yet, and there was not much to say.

Then Saturday, she and Knox went to dinner, caught a show, then ended up in her bed that night. Sunday morning, she'd made him breakfast and then lunch before he left to go home and get some things done for work, he'd said, before he relaxed to watch football.

"I'm seeing someone," Kate said suddenly.

"You are?" she said. "Does Trace know? He never said a word."

"No," Kate said. "I didn't tell him. It's new. That honeymoon phase. A few weeks, but it's wonderful to have that feeling again. The crush that turns into something more. Where everything is rainbows and unicorns. Storm clouds will come at some point and the unicorns end up shitting, but I'm going to enjoy this while I can."

Sage burst out laughing at that description.

"Sounds like my life, but since you just shared yours I'll share mine. I'm seeing someone too."

"Yay us," Kate said. "I'll go first. Her name is Francine and she's from Edinburg."

"Scotland?" she asked.

"Yes. She's got the most adorable accent."

"Where did you meet?" she asked.

"She's here for a few months for work. She works for a modeling agency that has an office in Manhattan. I was at a party and we met."

Sounded like the way Kate met up with most women. "So it's a short-term thing?"

"Most likely. We aren't looking for more. Why go in with all these expectations? It never works out. And if it does or can, then we'll figure it out. But she's here until the first of the year. Could be longer."

"Perfect for you," she said. "Gives you time to have fun and show her the town."

"I won't be traveling again until December and it's only a week. Then I've got a three-week period where I'll be traveling the UK at shows and talking to designers."

"Which you love doing," she said.

"Tell me about your man," Kate said. "Or are you coming over to my side after Henry?"

Kate always joked about that. "With the drama you tell me about with your women, no, thank you. I'll stick with men. His name is Knox Bradford and I knew him in middle school."

"What?" Kate asked. "Seriously? Are you going to tell me this is one of those reconnection things on social media?"

Kate hated that as much as she did.

Sure, Sage's job was being on social media all the time. She was always posting and had a great following and interacted with her followers multiple times a day. It was part of her job too.

But she kept most of her personal life out of it. She always did.

"Never," she said. "I met him here when he knocked on my door."

She told Kate how it all happened and what had been going on since.

"Oh my," Kate said. "That is like a romance story come true."

"I guess so," she said. "He's a great guy. I mean, he was a nice kid and I'm not surprised at what a great man he turned out to be."

Listening to Knox talk about his mother on Saturday. How he handled the call and then calling his half-brother.

He had no obligation to do any of that. And though she was sure five thousand wasn't a big deal to Knox, she had no idea of his financial status or his business.

Sure, he had a house worth over a million that had been left to him. She was guessing the value, as she hadn't seen it, but she knew the location and home values in that area.

But that was wealth in assets, not cash.

And it wasn't her business either and she wouldn't ask anything personal like that.

"Listen to you all but singing his praises. Good for you. More so after Henry. What a dick he was. I was right there with Nonna wanting to kick his ass. If I could have found him, I would have driven Nonna there."

Sage started to laugh. Kate was really a part of the family, spending most of her holidays with them and had for years. Though Kate's parents were alive, it was a strained relationship.

Which made her think of what Knox had with his mother and what he tried to get back with his father that didn't seem to have happened.

Knox didn't talk too much about his relationship with his father other than they were getting there at the time of his father's death.

She couldn't imagine having a void like that. One that might never get filled.

"You don't even own a car," she said.

"I would have rented one," Kate said. "Or just driven Nonna's car for her. You know she hates to leave Staten Island."

"She does," she said. "Things are going well with Knox. Been a few weeks, but I hope it works out."

"Does he know about Henry?"

"Some," she said. "I'm not sure I want to say more. He knows I ended up here because things at work were getting rough. He knows I worked with my ex and that he didn't stand behind me and that Trace and the rest of the family were upset over it. I haven't explained it all yet. It's hard to talk about one thing without talking about the other."

"It is," Kate said. "But you could be honest and let him know anyway. What's the big deal? You didn't do anything wrong. We'd all back you that you didn't know what was going on. I don't think anyone knew. Hell, I'm not sure Henry knew what he was doing and was making moves by the seat of his pants. I mean at least we found out why he left as fast as he did."

"It doesn't make me feel any better," she said.

"No," Kate said. "I get it. If it was me, I would have gone knocking on his door and telling the other woman what was going on. Giving her a heads up."

She sighed. "It crossed my mind, but I think it would have made matters worse. I know how I felt being the other woman. If I was pregnant on top of it. No. This wasn't one of those women stand together things. I don't know her. She didn't know me. I didn't need that in my life anymore."

"You're right," Kate said. "Sometimes drama fuels me, but that isn't you."

"It's not. Knox just knows that Violet reached out to me when this position opened. That I'd talked to Lily before and applied and it all worked out."

"It normally does," Kate said. "At least for most things in life."

The sadness crept back into Kate's voice with that last comment.

She knew Kate was still struggling at times since she found out her grandfather was the one who hit and left Holly Bloom on the side of the road one late night when Holly was out walking alone.

Kate's grandparents had been in Mystic on vacation and her grandmother was having stroke-like symptoms. Her grandfather rushed to get her home and thought he'd hit an animal.

When Kate discovered the truth, her parents all but disowned her for the shame and attention brought to the family for not letting the past stay where it belonged.

Kate would always do what was right and sacrificed an already strained relationship knowing she had the Mancinis in her corner.

"Hey," she said. "Remember. It had nothing to do with you. You brought closure to them that they needed."

"I know," Kate said. "It's still hard to believe it looking back. I know my grandfather worried he'd go to jail and couldn't leave my grandmother without support when they finally realized it wasn't an animal later on."

"You were a kid."

"I was eighteen. The same age as Lily. And enough about that," Kate said. "I'm grateful they don't hate me."

"They don't and they wouldn't." Which made this request harder. She didn't want Kate to feel guilty but had faith that Kate would be honest too.

"I know," Kate said. "So did you want to tell me about your boyfriend or something else?"

"Something else," she said. "I've been dragging my feet on this. I'm still unsure, but it's a work thing. And I know I shouldn't feel this way."

"Just spit it out," Kate said, laughing. "I'm sure I can guess."

"Fine," she said. "The Holly Bloom Foundation campaign starts today. I was wondering if I sent you some pieces if you'd be okay wearing them around."

"I'd love to," Kate said. "I can give them a good boost on social media. It's not a problem. Not sure why you were dragging your feet to ask me this."

"I don't want you to feel as if you have to do it," she said.

"I don't," Kate said. "You know that. I love their products and have been wearing them since Trace sent me that care package when he was staying there writing his book."

After Kate's grandmother had died, Trace had a care package sent to cheer his best friend up.

"I know you do," she said. "But that is different than lotions and soaps."

"I can do a few shout-outs on everything. Send me what you want for the foundation. It's a good cause, as we both know, and it boosts my image too to help for different platforms."

"Thanks so much, Kate. This means a great deal to me and them."

"Don't thank me. Just get me the stuff and I'll start doing it when I get it. It won't be a one and done either. I'll drop their name every time I can."

She wanted to bring up the idea she had about purses or other accessories for fashion shows, but if Kate wasn't traveling for a few months, that was a ways out.

Or not really if they were getting things now. Most of the runway items would be set, so no clue if they were thinking of accessories.

International exposure could be huge for Blossoms too. That was one market she was hoping to be able to tap into.

One step at a time at this point.

"I'll get it all shipped out first thing in the morning. I'll send it overnight and you'll have it the next day."

"I can't wait," Kate said. "And don't do that again. Don't be afraid to ask me anything. You know me well enough I can say no. And I know you well enough that you won't be upset if I did."

"That's right," she said. "I need that reminder too. Sometimes it's hard. I just feel like there is so much of my career that came from the hands of others."

"Don't go there," Kate said. "First off, that is the nature of the business. It's who you know, not what you know. I can't stress that enough."

She sighed. "Agreed."

"I got you an internship. Lots of people get their friends and family members internships. Very rarely is one given to a stranger."

"Good point," she said.

"You earned the job. I didn't pull any strings there."

"I know that," she said. "But I always felt it was because of you."

"You can feel any way you want, but it wasn't. The bullshit with Henry, yeah. I wanted to break into HR and get his forwarding address."

She started to laugh. "I could see you doing that," she said.

"I was close to laying the charm on thick with one of the girls. But you know, they don't swing my way so it'd be too obvious."

Her eyes were watering she was laughing so hard. "It's over with," she said. "I hope to never hear from him again."

"We could find him on social media," Kate said. "He's been silent for a while and blocked most people I'm thinking. Doesn't mean I can't snoop."

"You know as well as I do that my father found him. I told him to let it go."

"Frank loves me," Kate said. "Your dad would do it if I asked."

"He probably would, but don't. I've found something so much better and need to put Henry behind me."

"Got you to admit it," Kate said.

She could see Kate in her mind pointing her finger with her long legs in a squat. "You did."

"Do I get to meet Knox at Thanksgiving? You are coming home, right? Or is it going to be at Violet's and we all have to drive there?"

"I have no idea. I'm not hosting or cooking. I go where I'm told."

"The same. I'll see you either way. It was good talking now. Don't be a stranger, but Francine will be here in five minutes and I've got better plans for the night."

"Have fun," she said and hung up the phone feeling so much better than she had twenty minutes ago.

Sage didn't know why she struggled so much with self-confidence as an adult when she had so much of it as a kid.