Charming Mr Stewart

4. Decisions, Decisions

Elle watched as the last of Connie's and Cal's café customers left. It was already dark outside and barely any traffic whizzed by. She turned to Gregory, the real estate agent, only to find him utterly distracted by Chloe.

"What do you think, Chlo?"

Chloe shrugged. "Up to you."

Elle eyed the big empty shop with hands on her hips. "I'm not completely sure, but I have to do something, and I may as well go back to photography."

Gregory grinned in their direction. "Connie says you're a professional photographer. We haven't had a pro here for a while."

Chloe smiled at the man and pulled her cousin to the side. "I think it'd be great, to be honest. Beats hiring a school nerd with a camera." She laughed. "At least your face isn't covered in pimples!"

"The rent might be steep for a while, but I think I could do it," Elle whispered.

Chloe took Elle's face in her hand and squeezed her cheeks till her lips pouted. "It's like riding a bike, Elle. Once you know it, you know it. And you're someone who knows it, you know what I mean?"

Elle chuckled, pushing Chloe off. "I'd give them a run for their money."

"Bet your ass you will."

"Do you think it will take me away from Maya?"

"The child lives with you, for God's sake. Stop making excuses and just say yes to the poor man!" Chloe eyed Gregory, who looked a little flushed. "Or he's going to have a coronary right here from all the suspense, and neither of us knows CPR."

"I do."

Chloe looked shocked. "You do?"

"Blake made me." She shrugged, eyeing the yellowing newspaper plastered on the window.

"Any thoughts, ladies?" Gregory asked, eagerly eyeing the two.

Elle turned to him and smiled, thanking him for his time. "I'll have a think about it, Greg. May I call you Greg?" Gregory nodded, speechless, as he shook Chloe's slender hand and completely forgot to extend the same courtesy to Elle, who walked out of the shop.

"I thought you wanted to say yes," Chloe prodded as they walked back to their car park across the street.

"Yes, but I don't want to seem desperate," she said, grinning. "I'll call him up tomorrow. Make it look like it was a tough decision to make."

"If you're going to open up a studio, you're going to have to build a client base." Chloe nodded, linking her arm through Elle's as they walked on the footpath.

Chloe slid into the driver's seat and pulled the car out onto the street, shaking her head. "Thank God your passion's calling you again."

"What do you mean?"

Chloe pulled up at a traffic light and turned to Elle with a somber face. "Ever since Blake's death, you've avoided photography like a plague, Ellie. You've been a photographer since you were six when you got that Polaroid camera from your mum. It's who you are, Elle." Chloe eased the car a little closer to the line, anticipating the light to turn green. "It was almost like you forgot to breathe there for a while in your odd little prison. We were all worried about you. First, you gave up work, then the family, and then the one thing Blake would have given anything to see you do. The one thing I would love to see you do."

"And what is that?"

"Live your life!"

"I am living my life. This is my life!" Elle snapped. "I didn't ask to be a widow. I didn't ask for Blake's death, but it happened. So, I'm living the best I can."