“I spent four years in university, two more working as nothing more than a drafting assistant to the worst artist in the world, and I have nothing to show for it!” I shouted, pacing my parent's living room, “They fucking let me go when I went over everyone to complain to the CEO that they’re stealing covers from self-published authors. They didn’t fucking care!”

“Jesus,” my father Koa came from his office as I stood there with my chest heaving, “You’re screaming at 8 in the morning, Ash. Calm down.”

“I am beyond calm! I have lost all inspiration. I’ve lost my job, my apartment, everything because I don’t have that stupid position anymore, and I can’t find a job if I can’t draw!”

“Take a lap,” my other father, Rio, sighed from the kitchen as I had been yelling at him this entire time, “Get out of here for a while and take a run on the beach. Ya need to clear your mind, babe.”

“I’m pissed off,” I screeched, tears stinging my eyes, “How the fuck is going for a run on a beach I see every day going to calm me down? Hm! Tell me, Dad!”

“I’m just givin’ ya a suggestion, Asher. Don’t bite my head off. I want to help ya, baby, but ya’ve reached a point that I can’t. Don’t ya have anyone ya can call? A friend from university.”

“The one friend I made disappeared from my life when I graduated,” I whispered and walked out of the house with nothing more than my phone and shoes, my hair a mess on top of my head in a bun.

I found myself on the beach, tucked into the cliffs where my parents had been married, and sat down in the sand, watching the waves roll in as I thought of my life over the last two years.

After graduating university with a bachelor's in graphic design and a minor in marketing, I moved back to Christchurch as I had promised my parents and found a position at a publishing company. It was nice at first, I was able to get my own apartment and learned to live alone, something I was proud of, but hated, and often came to eat with my parents as I was lonely. Things slowly deteriorated at work when I discovered that my manager, the person I had been editing cover art for, was stealing it from independent artists and self-published novelists. I tried going through the proper channels, but everyone brushed me off. I was finally fired after going to the company's owner, and he accused me of attempting to undermine my superiors. This accusation left me in violation of my contract, and I was terminated. Due to this, I was now in a position to lose my apartment and refused to take any money from my parents or Bailey.

Bailey had managed to defend his dissertation and was now a wild animal veterinarian at Orana Wildlife Park. This was lovely as my father Rio had once been a zookeeper there, taking care of Kiwi birds, and now we had a new generation working there. Bailey had met an incredible woman named Kylie at the park where she worked as a safety officer to separate the general public from the animals. They had been dating for a year now, we had met her a few times, and I found her to be the best future sister-in-law I could have asked for. Kylie was beautiful, her hair a fluffy strawberry blonde, eyes deep sapphire blue, and she was as tall as me, about five foot seven per my cousins back in the United States.

Felix had disappeared from my world just after I graduated. This broke my heart for a while, as we had spent almost every day for two months together. I knew that part of this came back to whatever secrets he was hiding from me, but I missed his friendship, his lazy smile when I would find him asleep on the couch in the garden shed, and cleaning paint from his face as Felix constantly touched his cheeks and nose when he painted. I thought we were close, but as soon as we stopped seeing each other, he stopped texting me back. My calls went unanswered, but I knew he was reading my messages, as it showed me he had. Felix simply chose not to reply to me.

“Asher,” Rio found me on the beach, carrying a thermos and two mugs, his blonde waves braided down his back, and I nodded, grateful he would always chase me down, “Baby… I think what ya could use is a change. Somewhere new. We’ll help ya if ya want.”

“I just… want to be happy. I worked so hard at that job. I gave it my everything, and I found out that it meant nothing. That I was helping to steal from the very people I used to be. It makes me feel dirty, Dad.”

“Oh… Ash, that was never your fault. Ya were only doing what ya were told by your management. It’s not too late for ya to start your own freelance company. I bet ya’d make beautiful wedding invitations or menus. Book covers. Ya could start a website that’s entirely focused on your art. Meet with clients and see if your ability matches their needs. The same as Koa. I know ya have a minor in marketing. But Matua is a good place to start to get your name out there. If ya would be interested in that.”

“You… think I could do that? I’m not really comfortable having in-person meetings with people…”

“No, ya could do all of it online. Have contracts created, send ‘em a few options, and let ‘em pick. Figure out when they want ‘em by. It don’t even have to just be weddings. Could be invites for anything. We find a printer for cardstock. I already have a first client for ya, if ya want it.”

“Who?” I laughed, taking a sip of the coffee he brought out to me.

“Your big brother. He’s gonna ask Kylie to marry him. I bet he’d love it if his brother helped him make the save-the-date cards, invites, name cards, all of that. Bailey would pay ya for it too.”

“I… I can do that. Maybe Dad will let me be included in a wedding package. Oh geez, we’re becoming a family-focused only on helping others with their love lives, aren’t we?”

“Well, is that so bad?” Rio laughed, playing with my hair as we watched the sun dip below the horizon.

“No. I suppose not. Thanks, Dad. Can I stay with you and Matua for now? My lease is up and I can’t afford to renew it.”

“Absolutely. Come on. I made ya food.”

“Thank you.”

The next year passed in a blur. Koa helped me create my own business, getting the licenses and everything that I needed that I ran out of my childhood bedroom. I became familiar with a few wedding planners in Christchurch, and they always reached out to me to design any and all invites, name cards, and anything else graphically for a wedding, including signs for seating or to tell people where the wedding was happening. I also had a contract with the schools in the area to make their flyers, new signs, and logos, something I loved doing as it was far simpler than dealing with couples. Bailey had truly used me for his wedding, and while it was set for a year from now, as Kylie’s brother was on a tour with the New Zealand Army, it was nice to have the time to get things perfect for the two of them.

“Thank you for calling Bespoke Event Design. My name is Asher Bennett. How can I help you?” I smiled as I answered a call on my business phone.

“Hi, yes. My name is Joshua Brenner. I’m set to marry my fiancé in about a year, and he wanted me to see how much it would be for about 150 custom-designed invitations?”

“Well, it depends honestly,” I pulled my tablet over, making sure I had the pen in hand, “Do you want a pearlescent paper so it’s shiny, double thick, or triple thick?”

“Double, I believe.”

“Alright,” I marked that down with a smile, “Next is the shape. Squared, arched, or rounded edges?”

“Arched,” he sighed softly.

“Okay. Now, do you want colored cardstock or ivory? How much design?”

“Uh. Ivory. Boho style? If possible.”

“So simpler design with leaves and sparkles. Maybe some flowers. Do you have a preference for colors?”

“As long as nothing is yellow, no.”

“Got it. With the design, the shipping cost, and all of that, it comes out to about 310 dollars as I print and ship them myself. The back of the card would feature a photo of the two of you, and any extra necessary details regarding the wedding, parking, anything like that.”

“That sounds great, actually! Thank you,” he laughed, “Do I need a contract or anything?”

“Yeah, if you give me your email, I can send the contract over. It basically states that if I don’t deliver what we agreed to, you do not have to pay. I do require a nonrefundable deposit of 25 percent of the cost to secure a spot on my work calendar and then the final payment is due a week before I send the invitations out. Let’s see… I should be able to complete and mail them out in two months. I’ll send five different examples once I have your names, details for the wedding, and the photo I need. Then you pick the best, and I’ll get that printed and mailed to whatever address you want to give me.”

“Okay. Here’s my email,” he read it out quickly, and I wrote it in my notes, trying to stifle a yawn, “Once I have the contract, I’ll sign it and send all of that information over.”

“It’s also listed on a separate sheet I mail with the contract, just in case anything falls through the cracks or is forgotten. I also do place cards for seating and anything else needed to guide a wedding party, if you like the invitations. Feel free to email me if you wish to use my services again, and have a wonderful day.”

“Thank you. You as well.”

We ended the call, and I switched the phone into voicemail mode as that was the last call I was taking for the day. Yawning softly, I took a quick shower and joined my parents for dinner before retreating to my room to finish the last designs for a baby shower I was doing the invitations for as I needed to email the samples to the mother by morning. Joshua emailed me an hour after that with the signed contract in one email, and the information I needed to do his invitations in the other. I quickly scanned it before freezing, dropping my tablet pen onto the floor.

“Felix?” I whispered, staring at the photo attached and double-checking the names, “Oh. He’s getting married… his fiancé looks… huh,” I snorted, realizing that Felix’s fiancé could have been a long-lost sibling of Bailey and me, “Well… good for him, I guess.”

Shaking off that Felix was now getting married, I finished the work I needed before climbing into bed, my eyes damp. I had never forgotten Felix, hoping he was doing well in life, but the impression he made on me three years ago was enough to linger even now.

“Dammit,” groaning, I stared out of my window, “Where are you, Felix?”