Chapter 36
The Reality TV Awards in London was not something Rhian had ever envisaged being a part of her career, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. Fabulously dressed people, enviable hairstyles, a plethora of fake breasts, and lots of air kissing had so far been abundant, but beyond that, all she could truly say was that the virgin mojito was better than the shrimp canapés. In truth, the conversation she needed to have with Rachel later was playing on her mind.
The auditorium was huge and seats were filling all around them. Jayden’s hand at the small of her back gently guided her down the wide steps towards a waving, smiling Rachel.
Behind them, Fen eased her way down the steps with her crutches, Mark walking beside her with a drink in one hand, the other ready to help Fen if she needed it. Not that she ever did. Her back was improving day by day, and it was only a matter of time before she would be able to ditch the crutches and start giving them all hell again.
Kimi and Oskar followed, enjoying one of the perks of winning The Amazing Climb and attending the award ceremony with them. They would also get to meet with the team that would lead them out to Antarctica and their summit bid on Mount Vinson.
Rachel hugged her when they were finally face-to-face and shook Jayden’s hand before ushering them to seats.
“Can you believe this?” she said, excitement colouring her voice. “The finale only aired two weeks ago, and we’re here!”
Rhian smiled. Rachel’s enthusiasm was infectious. “I know.” She threaded her fingers through Jayden’s and squeezed gently.
“It’s been a hell of a ride, right?”
Jayden chuckled. “That’s for damn sure.”
Rachel glanced at their joined hands. “Rhi, we need to talk after this. Don’t leave before we talk, okay? It’s important.”
Rhian nodded and waited until Fen and the others were sitting before following her along the row to her seat. She had no intention of leaving early. Little did Rachel know that Rhian had her own important discussion to have with Rachel. The one where she told her that she wasn’t coming back to live in England and that she was in love with Jayden and moving to El Chaltén to live with her, thanks for everything, and see you later. She was pretty sure Rachel knew it was coming. Still, she was her mum, the woman who more or less raised her, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.
The organisers of the event had managed to snag Davina McCall to host the show, a major coup, as the former Big Brother host was always a showstopper. The jokes started, the champagne flowed, and the awards were handed out: Best Female Reality TV Star, Best Male Star, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Format, and then Best Cinematography: The Amazing Climb.
Simon and Angela bounded up to the stage to collect the award, near speechless as they bumbled through a quick note of thanks to everyone involved for making it such a fabulous show. Rhian, Jayden, Rachel, and the sponsors were on their feet clapping and cheering. Sure, the stunning landscape of Patagonia gave them a vast playground for magnificent cinematography, but they still had to capture it on film. And do it justice.
The presentations continued for the best in editing, in judging panels, the best lifestyle show, and more until they got to the Best Competition Show award: The Amazing Climb. Rachel and the CEO of Patagonia walked to the stage to give a rather dry thank-you speech to the contestants, the people who worked behind the scenes, and to all the fans who supported the show.
Still, Rhian had tears in her eyes when Rachel returned to her seat and hugged her tight. This was the culmination of so many months of hard work. And for Rachel, years of hard work to get herself into the position she was in. She was so damn proud of Rachel.
Davina carried on with the show regardless of their emotional hug, finally calling out the winner of the best host award: “Jayden Harris.”
Rhian’s mouth popped open, and she twisted in her seat to wrap her arms around Jayden’s neck. Jayden looked equally stunned, her arms around Rhian’s back as she slowly stood amidst the applause and made her way to the stage. She accepted the twelve-inch-high golden trophy and set it down on the podium as she turned to address the audience.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she started.
Laughter tickled the room.
“No, seriously. Six months ago, when this project was suggested to me, I had to be press-ganged into it. I think blackmail is the most accurate description of the conversation, though we’ve taken to calling it gentle persuasion of late.” She chuckled and found Rhian’s eyes in the sea of faces watching her and blew a kiss up to her lover. “You see, a couple of years ago, I was in Nepal when the earthquake struck Mount Everest. I witnessed devastation, death, and destruction as you could never imagine. And when I got off the plane back in London, I vowed I’d never step foot on a mountain again. I’d seen their power, looked into the heart of Mother Nature, and I knew fear. I’d been humbled, bled of the confidence, or maybe the arrogance, you need to put yourself out there time after time and say, ‘Not today. You’re not gonna get me today.’ So I ran away. I sought refuge anywhere else but the mountains.” She quirked her lips into a self-deprecating smile. “I guess you know by now that I never found it, right?”
Chuckles filled the auditorium
“So there I was, six months ago, sitting in a hospital room at my sister’s bedside. Fen.” She waved her hand to Fen, and Fen waved back. Mark put his fingers between his lips and whistled loudly. “Thanks, Mark,” Jayden acknowledged. “Anyway, she’s the one who should be up here, but she took a dive into a crevasse. Broke some bones, and, well, we didn’t know if her back was broken. We were totally on edge—completely at a loss about what was happening, how we were even going to tell Fen what had happened, what was going to happen—and in strolls this woman, Rhian. This woman who just turned everything upside down. She insisted I go back out there. And in doing so, she gave me a path back to the things I was missing. You see, when you know that peace that you can only find out there, it’s like a drug. It calls you always, pulling you back for more. Just one more fix, one more dance with Mother Nature. And all I needed was an excuse to fall off the wagon.”
Tears rolled down Rhian’s face even as she smiled. Rachel wrapped her hand around Rhian’s and passed her a tissue.
“Blow your nose, kiddo. Or she might decide not to come back.”
“Thanks,” Rhian whispered and dabbed at her cheeks with it. Rachel’s hand still clung to her own as Jayden continued with her speech.
“But Rhian has given me so much more than that. Not only a path back to the mountains I missed so much, but a path back to me, to my heart. And, most importantly, to hers.”
Rhian stared at Jayden on the giant screen and saw her throat work to swallow back the emotion.
“So while I thank everyone involved in this production—the contestants, producers, director, and even my clumsy-arsed sister—for making this show the amazing success it has been, I dedicate this to Rhian Phillips, because she’s the greatest award, and reward, I could ever receive.” She held the trophy up to acknowledge the applause of the crowd and stepped back from the podium.
Rhian wiped her face and slowly got to her feet. The rest of the crowd was already standing as they cheered and clapped, and Rhian needed to see Jayden’s face again. Music was piped over the stereo system as credits to the organisers filled the huge screen at the back of the stage. Jayden walked back down the aisle, people shaking her hand and congratulating her as she went.
When she finally stopped in front of Rhian, she smiled shyly and whispered, “Hi.”
Rhian threw her arms around Jayden’s shoulders and kissed her soundly before tucking her face into her neck.
“Does that mean you didn’t like my little speech?” She wrapped her arms around Rhian’s back. Rhian could feel the smile in her words and the pull of her muscles against the side of her head.
“It was terrible,” she grumbled into her. “Worst speech ever.”
“Oh really? I see. Well, Miss Phillips, I’ll try to do better in future.”
Rhian pulled back to look into her eyes. “You do that.”
“Okay, you two, break it up,” Rachel said from behind her. Jayden’s hand moved from her back, then her body shook as Rachel shook her hand. “Congratulations. I know there’s a party after this, but could we have a few minutes before you head over there? Both of you.”
Jayden looked down at Rhian, who nodded before she said, “Sure. Outside?”
Rachel led the way, the CEO from Patagonia behind them.
“What a night,” the man said when they got outside. “Sorry, Scott Willis.” He shook hands with them both. “Would you believe it—Best Cinematography, Best Host, and Best Competition Show?”
“It certainly makes this the perfect time to announce that the series will continue, doesn’t it?” Rachel said. It was phrased as a question, but it didn’t need an answer.
“Continue? You’re going to do another one?” Rhian asked.
Rachel nodded. “You’ll be staying in Patagonia with Jayden to work with her and oversee it all, recruit contestants, etc. Just like this last time. Obviously, we’ll need bigger and more exciting challenges, but this time around, you two have a long break to come up with those things, right?”
Rhian nodded as she grasped what Rachel was saying and stared in mute shock. Rachel took her hand and pulled her away for a moment.
“You love her.”
Rhian nodded again, still unable to find words.
“And you were going to tell me you were quitting to go over there and be with her.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now you don’t have to.” She winked, and the grin spread across her face. “Of course, I’ll be coming out to see the setup and to see if we need to make any changes or additions in a month or so, so make sure the spare room is made up for me, okay? I need to make sure she deserves you.”
Rhian wrapped her arms around Rachel’s neck. “I love you.”
“I know, kiddo. Now don’t get tear stains on my dress. This thing cost a fortune.”
“Yes, Mother.” Rhian chuckled.
“And don’t you forget it.” Rachel looked seriously into Rhian’s eyes, and for the first time that she could ever remember, Rhian saw vulnerability there. She was truly worried she was going to lose Rhian over this.
“How could I?” Rhian asked. “You’re the mum I remember, the mum who was there for me, the one who’s loved me no matter what since I was a kid. You may not have given birth to me, Rach, but you might as well have. I told you before that the only reason I never called you Mum was because I thought you’d kill me.”
“And I didn’t want to try and take the place of your real mum.”
“Don’t you get it? You are my real mum. When I came out, it was to you. And it’s you that I’ve always counted on. As my mum. Not as a stepmum, my mum.”
“You make me so proud.”
Rhian beamed. “And that’s all I ever wanted to do.”
Rachel squeezed her hard again, then pulled her away, reaching into the small bag at her arm. “Here, this is for you.” She held out a long thin box.
Rhian took it from her hand tentatively and pried open the lid. A braided length of white gold rested on the black velvet cushion, glinting in the light. Rhian gasped and stroked a finger down the length of it. “You didn’t need to do this, Rachel.”
“Not me.”
Rhian looked away from the chain, frowning at her. “Who?”
“Your dad.”
Rhian snapped the lid closed and held it out to Rachel.
Rachel held up her hands, refusing to take it. “I’m not taking it back.”
“He can’t buy me.”
Rachel shook her head. “He isn’t trying to. He wanted to be here tonight. He wanted to support us both. But he knew you’d go bananas if he turned up with me.”
“Damn straight. He’s got no—”
“He’s your father, and he loves you too. He wanted you to know how proud he is of you.” She pointed to the box in Rhian’s hand. “That was the only way he could think of to show you how much you mean to him without being here in person.”
Rhian waved the box, trying to force it into Rachel’s hand. “I can’t take this from him.”
“Then sell it, throw it in the bin, give it to someone else if you don’t want it. But I won’t take it back to him.”
“Take it.”
Rachel shook her head. “Taking this doesn’t mean you forgive him, Rhi.”
“But he’ll think it will, so no.”
“No, he won’t. He’ll hope that maybe one day you can, but he knows with absolute certainty that there is a long, long way to go.” She wrapped her hand around Rhian’s and the box. “He’s proud of you, kiddo, and he loves you. This is his statement to you. Not yours to him.” She squeezed her fingers gently. “Just think about it, okay?”
Rhian stared at the box. Could it be as simple as that? Did she want it to be? She couldn’t stop her mind wandering back to his e-mail. The message that still sat in her inbox. Read, but not responded to. The one she failed to forget, despite trying to on a daily basis. He hadn’t tried to contact her again. He hadn’t turned up tonight as Rachel said he wanted to. She could imagine that to be true. It was a great night for Rachel; of course he’d want to be a part of that. But he’d stayed away. To make it better for her. Was he really sorry? Could she really trust that?
Rachel pulled her into another hug and whispered into her ear, “Stop thinking about it. Put it in your bag, and worry about it tomorrow.” She kissed her cheek and pushed her towards Jayden. “Now get going. You two have a party to go to and then a lot of packing up to do, right?”
Rhian nodded and dabbed under her eyes before she slipped the box into her own bag. She saw but decided to ignore the slightly smug grin that twisted Rachel’s lips, even as tears glistened in her eyes. “Will you help me? Tomorrow?”
“Just you try and stop me.” She sniffed. “Besides, I’ve still got so much to tell you—about the next series and the full details of your new job—and I need to get to know Jayden. And, good grief, there’s a lot to sort out.”
“I know.” She grasped Rachel’s hand, then took Jayden’s in the other as Jayden stepped up to them, a question in her lovely blue eyes. Rhian kissed Jayden’s cheek and smiled at Rachel again. Fen and Mark walked out the doors, waving as they approached the trio. What a circle of love and trust and friendship they’d worked so hard to create these past several months. “I know,” she repeated. “There is a lot to sort out.” A lot that was part of an exciting new future doing something she loved, with the woman she loved at her side.
“Don’t worry,” she told Rachel, pulling Jayden closer to her. “I’m confident we can sort everything out together.”