loss of his father very hard, particularly because he believes it was preventable. He’s a real advocate for early screening. Your name has come up several times in meetings as the person he would entrust a major gift to, and I’m pretty sure our dinner tonight just confirmed it.”
She smiled at me, and I got the feeling it was something she rarely did. It felt like sighting a yeti or a mermaid, and it softened the unibrow that perched over the rim of her glasses. I felt the pitter-patter of optimistic feet trample through me. This was what I had lived for over the past seven years, raising awareness and money to fight the good fight. It felt wonderful even as I acknowledged to myself that I might be out of the game.
We paused in the lobby to say good night. Severin didn’t shake hands with either Jason or me. Instead, he looked at us and said, “If you can, always be yourself, unless you can be Batman, then always be Batman.”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the elevator. Eleanor nodded at us once before she hurried after him.
Jason and I made our way through the revolving door and out to the curb. He pulled me to the side and doubled over. I bent down to get a look at his face. Was he sick? Choking? Having a nervous breakdown?
“Hey, you okay?” I asked.
“Be Batman,” he wheezed. It was then that I realized he was laughing. A smile parted my lips, because yeah.
I chuckled and added, “Or a potato farmer in outer space, apparently.”
He laughed harder and I joined him. “Don’t mistake me,” he said. “I like Severin—I really do—but oh man, he’s—”
“Shiny!” I said. I pretended to have my attention drawn to something glittery in the distance.
“Yes.” Jason stood and threw an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation like that before. It was . . .”
“Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?” I offered.
He grinned. “I was thinking more like the Mad Tea Party teacups.” He ran his free hand over his face. “My brain hurts.”
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go home.”
It was almost ten o’clock, and I was exhausted. The hotel doorman immediately ushered us to a waiting taxi, and we climbed in.
Jason gave the driver our address as I slid across the seat to make room for him. As soon as the door shut behind us, he collapsed back against the seat. “We did it! Can you believe it? A ten-million-dollar major gift, and we nailed it.”
“We don’t have the money yet,” I cautioned. I wasn’t trying to be a wet blanket, but despite Eleanor’s enthusiasm, I didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves, as the disappointment if Severin changed his mind would be soul crushing.
“Oh, no, it’s ours,” he said. “Robbie told me just now that at the meeting in Tuscany next week, he wants to finalize his donation.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “I thought we had to present it to the board.”
“Yaaas, I’m serious. The board presentation is a formality. That ten million is ours. Severin is eccentric, but I don’t think he’ll walk back his commitment to us.”
I gaped at him for a heartbeat or two. Then I pressed my hand to my mouth. We did it! I was so overcome, I leaped on him, hugging him about the neck until he made a choking sound.
“Sorry, sorry,” I cried. I let go of him and laughed, feeling equal measures of relief and joy surge through me, slamming the door shut on my doubts and sliding the dead bolt home. “I just . . . I can’t believe . . . Aidan.”
Then I started to cry. Thinking about how much this would mean to Aidan caused me to come undone. I buried my face in my hands and happy sobbed.
“Hey, hey. Chelsea, are you all right?” Jason’s arm came around me, and he pulled me in close. I pressed my face against his jacket, letting his solid warmth enfold me.
“I’m fine,” I said. I sniffed and took a calming breath. “I just really wanted this for Aidan, especially now.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” He pulled away and ran his hand up and down my back. “We should call him when we get to the apartment. It’s still early in Boston. He might even be in the office.”
“That’d be great,” I said. My lips wobbled, and I pressed them together, realizing that phone call would be my opportunity