Paris Adler and Sydney Blake have been college classmates for a while. Paris is captivated by Sydney's beauty and talent in fashion, while Sydney is drawn to Paris's gentle nature, photography and poetic skills. Their story is one of budding romance...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Almost four months later, it's Autumn here in Chicago.
We were in Lincoln Park, the city skyline towering behind us .The sun casting a soft golden glow across the city. It felt good to be back in Chicago after months away with whirlwind, and I was still trying to get used to the idea of being home.
Actually, I am here with Talia, standing in front of me. Just to recall, she's Sydney's bestie. Anyways, she said that she's just spending short vacation here in Chicago. The magazine with the latest issue tucked under her arm.
"Paris, you have got to see this," she said, holding it out with a flourish, clearly enjoying the buildup. "I've been waiting all day to show you!"
I raised an eyebrow, amused but curious. "Alright, what have you got this time?"
As I flipped to the cover, my jaw nearly hit the ground. There, splashed across the front page, was my album art. The same art I had carefully crafted for My Heart's True Compass, the song I'd written for Sydney. Next to it was the headline: "A Photographer and a Songwriter: Paris Adler's Rise to Stardom!"
My brain struggled to process what I was seeing. The article spoke about my internship at Fleur de Lens and how my photoshoots with high-profile models - especially Alexa Medina, Emily Cooper, you name it - had made waves in the industry. And then, there was a section about my song, which had apparently taken off on Spotify, becoming something of a hit.
I stared at it, stunned. "Come on, Talia! What am I seeing? Are you serious right now?" I could barely contain the mix of shock and overjoy running through me.
Talia beamed at me, her eyes shining. "You've become a hit, Paris Adler! And your song—oh my God, it's beautiful. The lyrics, the melody... It's beautiful, man! I mean, the way the lyrics and melody just hit—my heart was practically pounding when I heard it. It's like... it resonated with me in a way I wasn't expecting." She put a hand over her chest, dramatically imitating the moment she first listened.
I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. "Well, it's not just my song anymore. It's our song now," I said softly, thinking of Sydney and everything we'd been through.
Talia nudged me with her elbow, grinning. "Oh, and by the way, Nemona Agreste-Kreyman's designs from Sydney's internship are featured in this issue too. It's like a reunion issue! And it's like everything's come full circle.
I shook my head in disbelief, smiling as I thought about how far we'd come, both of us chasing our dreams on opposite coasts. "Yeah, we were definitely swamped," I replied, still marveling at the magazine in my hands.
Just then, Logan, Talia's boyfriend, strolled over, a wide grin on his face. Talia immediately lit up, giving him a quick kiss before clinging to his arm. "Logan, this is Paris. Paris, this is Logan—my boyfriend, and fellow partner-in-crime at Flynn-Pickett Publishing."
