1
Emma
* * *
Wrapping my hands around my latte, I let the heat move through my palms. Then I take a sip, appreciating how the hot drink warms my body. Bootleg Coffee always has the best espresso, and I occasionally hide out here while pounding away at some of my assignments. The little café is within a few blocks of my school, the School of Visual Arts in New York City, so it’s the perfect hangout.
But my favorite thing about Bootleg is that it’s locally owned. They get decent business, but since they’re a smaller shop, it doesn’t have that cookie-cutter feel that some of the big franchises do. Instead, it’s small, cozy, and charmingly unique. There are jewel-toned pendant lamps and beautiful strands of fairy lights strategically strung about the room. Plus, instead of hard chairs or benches, they have an eclectic array of comfortable cloth loungers that lend an artsy vibe to the place.
But I’m here with my friend and her baby, and Henry is the cutest thing.
“It’s crazy how adorable he is,” I coo, watching as Katy wipes the drool from her baby’s chin. The child has the sassiest dimples, wavy blonde hair, and bright blue eyes just like his dad. It’s interesting because my buddy used to be a wild child who slept with guys right and left, but she calmed down after she started dating her husband. Brad’s good for Katy (even if he’s two decades older), and it’s the perfect happily ever after.
“Henry is cute, isn’t he?” my pal asks while beaming at her son. “If you’d asked me last year if I thought I’d be a mom by now I would have called you crazy because we were just freshmen! But being Henry’s mom is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
I nod.
“I’m really happy for you. Motherhood suits you, and I swear you haven’t stopped glowing since the moment you found out you were pregnant. But it’s insane, right? You used to be quite the social butterfly, Katy, and no offense, but you were sleeping around a lot. Do you miss the lifestyle?”
Katy smiles and shrugs.
“Sometimes, but honestly, Henry is worth more than a hundred of those lame-o dudes put together. Plus, my husband is soooo yummy and gorgeous. I can’t believe I ever dated other men, to be honest.”
I nod. Brad Landon is a prime hunk of male animal, and Katy’s fortunate to have such a kind, generous and handsome husband. But my friend merely winks and turns to me while burping her baby.
“But how about you, girlfriend? Are things still good at school? I miss SVA sometimes. When I’m changing nappies, cleaning up spit, and doing mountains of laundry, I tend to reminisce a lot about school.”
“That’s normal and SVA is fine,” I smile, “but I miss having you there with me! I mean, the shenanigans we got up to were so crazy and fun. Meanwhile, my new suite mate is so blah.”
Katy scrunches her nose. “That bad?”
I shrug and smile. “Not really, I guess. I just wanted to complain. To be honest, I’m not even at our dorm that much because I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio or the library. Really, school is fine as far as things go. I guess I’ve just been in a funk about getting an art degree lately.”
Katy frowns. “What? Why? I thought you loved art, Ems!”
I sigh. “I do. Honestly, any time I get to be creative makes me happy. I’ve just been struggling thinking about what I’m going to do after school. Let’s be honest, Kat: there aren’t exactly a ton of real-world careers available for someone with a degree in fine arts, and I’m not like you. I haven’t met a hot guy who’s going to turn me into a happy stay-at-home mom. Now, I’m freaked out I’m going to graduate and then end up … what? Waitressing? Delivering packages for Amazon? Oh god, the thought kills me.”
Katy frowns a bit.
“You haven’t seen any internships that interest you?”
I sigh, running my finger around the rim of my coffee cup. “No there are tons, but let’s be honest, there are also three hundred applicants for every slot. I was looking into a job as a prop stylist for the Met Opera, but I they never got back to me. Then I submitted to the Nederhouser Theater, the Linus Theater and the Volaine, but I’m not expecting to hear back from them either.”
Katy nods somberly.
“Yeah, I hear you. I guess I left SVA so early that I never even got to the job part.”
I laugh, shaking my head at her. “But things worked out great for you! You’re now married to a man you adore, and you have a beautiful baby boy to boot.”
Katy blushes and smiles while jiggling Henry, but then her eyes go wide and her smile becomes mischievous. “Well, you could follow in my shoes. I could set you up with an internship with my dad. I mean, I know it’s not exactly art-related, but it looks good on your resume and pays a small salary.”