Chapter 83 - THE ONLY THING NORMAL
SIENNA.
Surprisingly, the fallout from the tabloid photos was not nearly as catastrophic as I had expected. When people recognized me, they only seemed slightly uncomfortable. On the bright side, my social media profile saw a significant uptick in engagement, and as Aiden had predicted, this led to some publicity online of my restoration office. But with all the wedding stuff and hanging out with Aiden, I didn’t have time to go back to my old place and get everything ready to ship.
“It’s funny,” Aiden remarked one evening as we were going through my mother’s guest list, “how something as invasive as those photos can have some positive sides. Have you seen the comments on your latest post? People are really loving your work.”
“I know,” I replied. “It’s a strange mix of emotions. Part of me is still annoyed about the invasion of my privacy, but I can’t deny the boost in visibility it’s given to my work.”
“Maybe it’s a sign,” Aiden suggested, “that you should focus more on your work full-time. You’ve got the talent and now the audience.”
The idea was tempting. Maybe Aiden was right. Maybe it was time to think bigger.
It was crazy trying to plan the wedding. Between choosing the perfect venue, tasting cakes, and coordinating with our families, there was hardly a moment to breathe. I found myself wishing I had more hours in the day to balance everything.
“Do you think we can really pull this off?” I asked Aiden.
“You’ve got this,” he reassured me, “And if things get too overwhelming, we can always simplify.”
His words were comforting. They reminded me that the wedding, though important to my mother, was just the beginning of our journey together.
In the middle of everything, I realized I hadn’t seen my old place in weeks. It was strange to think about all my belongings still there, waiting for me to come back. The place held so many memories, both good and bad.
“I really need to go back and wrap things up,” I said to Aiden. “I can’t leave everything in oblivion forever.”
“Of course you can. Just don’t involve me, I have a ton of things to do,”
I despised how he managed things. But, oh my God, this was my first taste of publicity. Even though it came from some pretty unconventional circumstances, I was so thrilled that I didn’t even know what to say.
Planning a wedding turned out to be a massive time-sink. There was dress shopping, gift buying, picking out decorations, deciding on drinks and catering, choosing colors and flowers, designing table settings, and managing the bridesmaids. Plus, Aiden and I were having our fun every night and most of the days too. Getting married felt like a full-time job, which really helped keep my worries at bay.
In a few days, the embarrassment from those intimate photos disappeared. Out-of-towners would come up to me, asking for pictures. It was kind of surreal. They never asked when Aiden was around, though. He had this way of making people nervous, like they knew better than to get too close.
Despite the initial chaos, there were moments that felt grounding. Like when me and my mom spent hours looking through old photos to create a slideshow for the reception. Or when we had a small argument over cake flavors but ended up laughing it off and deciding to have multiple flavors just to please everyone.
We took a break from the wedding madness with a mini getaway to the mountains. It was refreshing to disconnect from the planning and just be together. The fresh air, beautiful views, and quiet time were exactly what we needed.
Back in the city, things quickly picked up pace again. My social media continued to buzz with activity, and I was getting more recognition for my work. It was a strange but welcome shift. People were genuinely interested in my work, and I was having more clients than ever before.
The wedding was almost here, and even though it was a bit stressful at times, I was totally ready to dive into this new chapter, with all its craziness and thrill.
In the end, it wasn’t just about the wedding or the sudden fame. It was about me and my sister and her future I was trying to build for her.
By the end of the week, my perspective had brightened up quite a bit, though I was still eagerly waiting for the new tabloids to hit the stands so my face would finally be off the front cover.
As my period approached and the first signs of irritability and cramps kicked in, Lauren and I headed to the nearest pharmacy to grab some pain meds. While we walked, we joked about how we could get her featured in the tabloids too, hoping it might give her own image and business a boost. She deserved more recognition.
“Seriously,” I said, “If only there was a way to get your beautiful work the attention it deserves without all the scandal.”
Lauren laughed.
“Maybe I need to get caught in some compromising position, too.”
We both laughed at the absurdity of it all. Despite everything, it was nice to have a friend who understood the weirdness of the situation.
“How about we do an open studio event?” I suggested. “Invite people to come and see your work in progress. It could be a great way to connect with potential buyers for your photography. "
“That’s a great idea!” Lauren said. “And maybe we can showcase some of your work, too.”
I smiled. It was awesome to have friends who cheered each other on. We discussed potential dates and logistics, feeling more and more excited about the idea.
When we got to the pharmacy, I grabbed some painkillers, and we browsed through the aisles, picking up a few other essentials. It was refreshing to take a break and focus on something ordinary. Later, we popped into a cafe for a coffee break. The place was cozy, and it felt like a little haven from the craziness of the past weeks.
I must admit it was the only thing normal these days.