Page 111 of Frosted Fakes

"I can see that." Gabby looked at Julia, then back at Elliott, and something shifted in her expression. "You remind me of someone."

"Let me guess. Young you, before you had everything handed to you?"

Gabby's lips twitched. "Careful. I'm still deciding whether to help you or have you thrown out."

"Fair enough."

Another pause. Gabby looked at Julia with an expression that was complicated and layered and not entirely unkind. "You really want to be a nurse?"

"More than anything." Julia's voice was small but steady.

"And you…" Gabby turned back to Elliott "…you're willing to put yourself out there, ask for help, admit you need people, all for her?"

"Already did, didn't I?"

Gabby made a sound that might have been a laugh, if Gabby Richardson were the type to laugh at anything. "I’ve seen the damn cookbook. And I’d like to tell you it’s as uninspired as most of the rubbish I get sent. Unfortunately for us both, it is quite brilliant. I suppose I might be able to make some introductions." She shot Julia a look. "And you. We're going to have a long conversation about communication and family expectations and…" she waved a hand "…all of this. But later. I have an audience waiting."

She swept past them both, pausing just long enough to add, "For what it's worth, I respect honesty. Even when it's inconvenient." Her gaze lingered on Julia. "Maybe especially then."

Then she was gone, disappearing back toward the set.

Elliott turned to Julia.

Julia turned to Elliott.

"You came," Julia whispered.

"I came." Elliott's hands were shaking. She shoved them in her pockets, then took them out again. "I watched you on Jamie's phone. You were…that was…"

"Completely mental?"

"Yeah." Elliott sighed. "Also, it was the bravest thing I've ever seen."

Julia's eyes filled with tears. "I meant it. All of it. I love you. I should have told you ages ago instead of going behind your back and trying to fix everything and…"

Elliott kissed her.

It wasn't graceful. It wasn't planned. It was desperate and relieved and tasted like the start of something real, and when Julia melted against her, Elliott stopped thinking entirely.

When they finally broke apart, Julia was grinning through her tears. "So that's a yes? We're doing this? For real this time?"

"We're doing this for real." Elliott brushed a strand of hair from Julia's face. "Though I should warn you, I'm still terrible at feelings and I'll probably get it wrong half the time."

"Only half?"

"Fine. Seventy percent."

"I can work with seventy percent."

Julia bit her lip. "There's something I should tell you. About Candice."

"The frozen pastry fraud?"

"You know?"

"Tom told me. He's been doing reconnaissance, apparently." Elliott shrugged. "What about her?"

"She exposed us online. Not that anyone outside of the village noticed. I mean, I suppose everyone knows now. But that’s on me, not on her. Just…" Julia hesitated. "Do you think we should… I don't know, make it public? About Candice?"