I smiled at the gorgeous girl in front of me. She might have fake lashes and a spray tan, but there was no hiding the quivering lips and the constant glances at her overbearing mother. I stepped out from behind my tripod to instruct her a little more clearly. I knew that I would have her feeling her best in no time.

"I know it's awkward and a little unnatural, but I want you to jut you chin out, move your head forward like you're a turtle," I explained, mimicking the motion myself. "Then, you're just gonna tuck your chin down ever so slightly and boom, no double chin, just a chiseled jaw line."

The girl did as I asked, laughing a little as she moved. Her mother huffed and folded her slender arms over her chest, like she was offended I had even hinted that her daughter was less than perfect. I ignored the irritated presence and kept my focus on the girl. I guided her through various poses, complimenting her whenever I got the chance and laughing with her whenever I pushed her too far and made her wobble in her heels. I couldn't remember the last time I had this much fun on a pageant shoot.

I knew that my good mood had come from Hudson. Even two days later, I was still feeling the high. Sure, there was plenty that still needed to be said, but his actions spoke for the time being. He wanted to be with me. He wanted to break his own rules, move beyond his own boundaries for the sake of trying. And I appreciated that so much more than I thought, even if I was a little nervous to meet up tomorrow and discuss everything.

I should have had warning bells going off the in the back of my mind. I should have been worried that things wouldn't work out and that I could be hurt all over again. Entering a relationship often wasn't the hard part, it was everything that came after. I could struggle with having a boyfriend who traveled so often, I could hate working with snowboarders and dating snowboarders. There could be issues that forced Rush to let me go as their primary photographer for the boys.

Somehow, those things didn't bother me.

After Connor, I had shoved myself away from the world. I had done everything I could to protect myself and what little I had left in this world for me. That hadn't worked. Going on a date with a guy I met online hadn't worked either. But at least I had tried. Maybe Hudson and I would clash. Maybe we would go down in flames.

But, I would still be growing. Even if he backed out now, I would have grown. I would have stood up to Dane. I would have grown my professional portfolio. I would have my apartment in my own name. Connor was in the rearview mirror and I was learning to live for myself.

My little smile grew some more as I walked my model through the last of her shoot.

"She doesn't look good like that, at that angle," the mother suddenly protested.

"She looks perfect," I assured, forcing my grin to grow even more, though I wanted to glare and cursed at her.

It didn't matter. My talent faltered. All of the ease and confidence I had built up over the course of the hour fell to nothing. The teen's shoulders caved inward, like she was trying to hide her torso and she anxiously crossed and uncrossed her slender legs, defaulting to a position she used as a safety blanket.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" the mother hissed. "You need to accentuate the good, and hide the bad! Having her arched like that is going to bring attention to her gut!"

The girl had no gut to speak of. If anything, she was spindly. But the pageant world was changing. It was facing severe backlash for things like bodyshaming and I would not support it either, even if the foul words came from someone signing my cheques. Beauty came in every size and shade.

"She knows exactly what she is doing," someone defended from behind me, before I could even open my mouth to argue.

I didn't have to turn around to know that Jen was sauntering up behind me, looking gorgeous in whatever outfit she had thrown on, her arms folded neatly and her face impassive. The pageant queen would have transformed into a fierce warrior, defending me like any good sibling would have.

"Penelope is the reason that I was even able to compete because I botched my audition so badly. She's worked with clients all across the country, in all conditions, I think she can handle some in-studio photos with such a stunning model," Jen continued and I watched the angry mother start to dissolve. Sometimes, there were amazing perks with having a sister who was something of a celebrity. "If she says the photos are good, they are. You need to trust the process and you need to let your daughter speak for herself."

"I'm her mother," the woman protested.

"You are not the competitor nor are you the photographer," Jen pushed.

Unfortunately, Jen's speech hurt the current situation more than it helped it. True, the teen might've ended up walking away with a boost, but there was no denying that the mother was fuming and Jen was standing behind me, ready to verbally attack at the first sign of distress. I teetered on the edge of a blow out, trying not to upset either of the parties.

Thankfully, the shoot wrapped up without any other instances of sass.

"You don't need to be my personal pitbull all the time," I sighed when the mother-daughter duo finally departed and I was able to start tearing my equipment down. If I was being honest, I wasn't particularly delighted to see Jen. I just wanted to go home and take care of my aching back.

"I didn't like the way the mom was talking to her own child. I was lucky because our mom never gave a shit, she just thought it was something fun for me to do. Besides, you do a great job and people need to know that."

I gave her a half-hearted smile as I tucked my camera into my bag. "My work speaks for itself."

She didn't say anything for a while and I continued to pack as she watched me.

"How are you doing?" she pushed after a moment.

"Fine." I was mostly just curious as to why she had shown up out of the blue at my photo session, but she would come around in her own time. I just hoped she would hurry up so I could have a few minutes to myself before I started my editing process.

"You aren't angry?"

That made me pause. I straightened up, moving away from my flashes and timers. "Should I be mad?"

"I'm assuming you didn't watch the most recent interview that Rush released."

The corner of my mouth twitched up, the worry sliding away. "Jen, they can hire other photographers and videographers. It's not an exclusive contract."

She fell silent then. I watched her grab her own wrist and bite her lower lip. After years in the pageant world, tell tale signs like this didn't just slip out unless something was bad. Really bad. I was tense all over again.

"What is it Jen? Are my boys okay?" God forbid anything had happened to any of them. True, I had romantic feelings for only one of them. However, I had bonded with all of them, one way or another. The thought of Graydon being hurt twisted my gut just as harshly as the idea of Tyson being driven down the mountain in an ambulance.

"I should have let Richard handle this. He would have known what to say," Jen muttered to herself.

"For the love of God, just tell me!"

"It's all just speculation, there is no confirmation of anything, but I couldn't imagine that it could be applied to anyone else."

"Jen!"

"Tyson just said some things in the interview that might be referencing you, that's all."

"That's all? God, I thought one of them had gone off a cliff or got caught in an avalanche or something. Don't scare me like that," I scolded, placing my hand over my heart.

"Come on, let's get you packed up and we can watch the video at my house. I feel like you're going to need wine. Lots of wine. And maybe a licensed therapist."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

What is your favorite scent?