“You are. How about you? The cards with the photos we took seem to be selling spectacularly.” Snow had received a transfer to her account already and was shocked by the amount—but pleased nonetheless.
“Yes, they’ve been doing wonderfully! Your ideas and shots truly are inspired.”
“It was your idea,” Snow reminded her.
“In theory, but you brought it to life.”
“I had a great time doing it. Sometimes, people want super boring shots, and I do it if that’s what the client wants, but it’s great when I can do something I feel truly passionate about.”
“I can see your passion in your work.”
“What about you? Do you enjoy your work?”
Amanda nodded. “I love it. I love most aspects of running a business, actually. The creative part is fun, but I also love advertising and dealing with customers. It gets my blood flowing, makes me feel alive.”
“I wish I loved the business aspect. I actually hate that part of my job,” Snow admitted. “Talking to clients is fine, but trying to advertise and sell myself is just the worst. That’s part of the reason I joined the agency.”
“Often the most talented people are the ones who hate the business aspect the most. I’m just lucky that I have a bit of talent in both areas.”
“You have more than a bit. Look how well you’ve done for yourself!”
“In business, maybe, but not in my personal life. I’m fifty-two and what do I have to show for it?”
“Your personal life isn’t a competition. As long as you’re living your life as you wish—as long as you’re happy—I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“I’m not happy as I am, though. I miss Nicole—no, not Nicole exactly; I miss having someone.”
“Do you think you’d get back together with her if you could?”
“No. Definitely not. Splitting up was a good decision. We were both just causing each other pain. I guess I’m just not used to being alone. I mean, I’m fine alone. Happy enough I guess, just sometimes it is lonely.”
“I’ve never really been with anyone the way you have, at least not for as long. I’ve dated a little, but nothing ever seemed to work out.”
“Is that how you had Bluebell? With someone you dated?”
“No, I only date women, it has always been women for me. I’m a lesbian. I knew I wanted to be a mom though. I used a donor to get pregnant and I was very lucky to get Bluebell. Do you date men too, or just women?”
“I guess I’m technically bisexual, or queer, or pansexual, something like that. I had a couple of relationships with men in my twenties, a long time ago, when I was figuring myself out, but I definitely prefer women. Particularly since Nicole- we had an incredible sexual connection. I’m not sure I can see myself dating men again now.”
Snow wondered if she did it for Amanda the way Nicole did, but she was too shy to ask. “Did your parents accept you, growing up?”
Amanda’s parents would be older than Snow’s mom, which meant that they might have more difficulty accepting an LGBT daughter than Daisy had.
“My dad did, but my mom never did. They actually split up over it. I used to feel really guilty about that, but I’ve learned over the years that if they couldn’t even agree on something so basic, they were never going to make it anyway.”
“Probably not. I’m very lucky that my mom has always been pretty open minded.”
“What about your dad?”
“He’s never really been in the picture. He took off when my mom told him she was pregnant. I think he assumed she would get an abortion. I sometimes wish I had a chance to get to know him, but I guess it’s probably for the best. He didn’t sound like someone worth knowing, from what my mom described to me.”
“I wish I never knew my mom,” Amanda muttered. “She broke my heart when she refused to accept Nicole and me. It would have been easier never to have had her in my life.”
“That’s really hard.”
Amanda sighed. “It was a long time ago. It’s ancient history now.”
Snow changed the subject to a lighter topic. “I know all about your business. What do you do for fun?”