Chapter 8

The first thing Emily noticed about Metro City was how different it felt from Ranch City. It was louder, busier, and much larger. Tall buildings filled the skyline, cars moved constantly along the roads, and people seemed to have somewhere to be at every hour of the day.

Emily watched everything through the car window as the driver drove them toward the apartment she had arranged for them. She didn't know how long she would stay there. Maybe a few months, maybe longer. For now, it was enough.

She had already decided that she would take her time before buying another property. There was no point rushing into another major decision when she was still figuring out what she wanted her life in Metro City to look like.

When they finally arrived, Kathy helped her bring their bags inside. The apartment wasn't luxurious, but it was comfortable. It had two bedrooms, a spacious living room, a small kitchen, and large windows overlooking part of the city. Emily walked from one room to another, taking everything in.

“I think I like it.” Emily said with a smile.

Kathy placed one of the bags on the floor. “It isn't bad. It looks pretty comfortable.”

Emily walked toward the window and looked outside. She had spent too many years allowing other people to make decisions for her. Where she lived, what she did, what was expected of her.

She didn't want that anymore. This time, she wanted to build her life deliberately. Her phone rang. Emily glanced at the screen before answering. It was the realtor she had contacted earlier.

They spoke for several minutes about the properties she wanted to sell in Ranch City. Emily gave him permission to begin the process and told him she wanted everything handled properly rather than rushed.

After ending the call, she placed her phone on the table. “That's one thing handled.”

Kathy looked at her. “What about the rest?”

Emily smiled. “The rest is what I'm here to figure out.”

Later that evening, after they had eaten, Emily opened one of the boxes she had brought with her. Inside it were several notebooks. She smiled when she saw them. They were old. Some of the pages were worn, and a few of the covers had stains from years ago, but Emily remembered every one of them.

She carried the notebooks to the dining table and opened the first. Jewelry designs filled the pages. There were necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings. Some designs were simple and elegant. Others were more unusual, built around shapes and combinations she had never seen produced commercially.

Emily had been sketching jewelry for years. It had always been something she enjoyed privately, something she could lose herself in when everything else became too complicated. But she had never seriously considered turning it into a business, until now.

She flipped through another notebook. She stopped at a particular design. It was a necklace built around a delicate arrangement of stones that appeared almost suspended from one another. Emily studied the sketch.

“I still like this.”

Kathy, who was arranging clothes in the bedroom, looked toward her.

“Like what?”

“My designs.”

Kathy walked over and looked at the notebook.

“You've been drawing these for years.”

“I know.”

“So what are you going to do with them?”

Emily looked down at the pages. “Build something.”

Kathy smiled. “Now that's a good idea.”

Emily closed the notebook and picked up her laptop. She began researching companies in Metro City that worked with independent jewelry designers. There were dozens. Some were too large and only accepted established designers. Others wanted designers to surrender complete control of their work. A few were little more than manufacturers offering mass production.

Emily kept searching. Eventually, she found a company that caught her attention. It wasn't the biggest luxury company in Metro City, but it had a solid reputation. It worked with emerging designers and helped turn original concepts into commercial collections. Emily read through its website carefully. They offered design development, manufacturing support, access to suppliers, marketing assistance, and distribution.

That was exactly the kind of opportunity she needed. She didn't have enough capital to build a major jewelry company entirely on her own, a jewelry company that involved gold, silver, diamond and other precious gems. But she had ideas, and she was willing to work.

Emily found the company's contact information and drafted an email. She introduced herself and explained that she had a collection of original jewelry concepts she wanted to develop. She didn't mention the Carter family. She didn't mention the Sterling family. She didn't mention her divorce. She wanted them to judge her work and nothing else. After reading the email twice, she pressed send. 

Kathy appeared behind her. “Who did you just email?”

“A company.”

“For what?”

“Jewelry.”

Kathy raised an eyebrow. “So you're really doing this?”

“I think so.”

“You've been talking about your designs for years.”

Emily smiled. “Maybe it's time I stopped talking about them and acted on them.”

Kathy sat beside her. “I like that.”

Emily closed the laptop. “I'm not expecting everything to happen immediately. I just want to start somewhere.”

Kathy hesitated before adding, “Just remember to take care of yourself while you're doing all this.”

Emily glanced at her. “I will.”

“I mean it. Don't get so carried away with work that you forget to rest.”

“I won't.”

Kathy gave her a knowing look. Emily laughed.

“Fine. I'll listen to you.”

Kathy smiled and felt warmed inside. Her greatest pleasure was taking care of the young Madam and her unborn children.

That night, Emily went through her designs again. She selected several of her strongest concepts and placed them into a separate folder. She wanted to refine them before showing anyone. If the company agreed to meet with her, she wanted to be prepared.

She wasn't interested in walking into a room with vague ideas and hoping someone would take her seriously. She wanted to know exactly what she was offering. By midnight, she had narrowed her collection down to twelve designs. Emily leaned back in her chair and looked at them. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was working toward something that belonged entirely to her.

Her phone suddenly buzzed. Emily picked it up. There was a new email. She opened it. The company replied. They had reviewed her inquiry and were interested in seeing her designs. They wanted to schedule a meeting with her. Emily stared at the message for a moment before smiling. It was only a meeting. Nothing had been promised, but it was a beginning. Emily was ready to see where it could take her.