October 10, 2023 – 5:11 PM
Lin closed the laptop.
The forum had given her nothing useful.
Only more questions.
If December 25 came and nothing happened.
Then what?
She sat quietly on the couch. Thinking hard.
For months, every decision had been built around one assumption:
The world was going to end.
But what if it didn't?
Lin looked around the living room.
The farmhouse was comfortable.
The hotel was nearly finished.
Her parents were settling into their new life.
Jake was happily terrorizing everyone with his toy trucks.
The animals were multiplying faster than she could count them.
What if she actually got to keep this life?
The thought felt almost dangerous.
She picked up her phone.
Then she opened her contacts.
Her first call was to an old high-school friend.
The phone rang several times.
Then a familiar voice answered.
"Lin?"
Lin smiled.
"Hey, Sarah."
There was a pause.
"Oh my God. You actually called me."
Lin laughed.
"I know. Terrible friend."
"Extremely."
They both laughed.
It felt strange.
Normal.
Wonderful.
Lin leaned back against the couch.
"I need a favor."
"That sounds suspicious."
"I need a photographer."
Silence.
Then—
"A photographer?"
"Freelance."
"For what?"
Lin looked toward the window.
She could see the hotel in the distance.
"I don't know yet."
Sarah laughed.
"That is the least reassuring answer you've ever given me."
Lin smiled.
"Just someone good with portraits and outdoor photography."
"Wedding?"
Lin nearly choked.
"No!"
Sarah burst out laughing.
"I didn't say yours."
Lin covered her face with one hand.
"You're impossible."
"You called me asking for a wedding photographer."
"A photographer."
"Uh-huh."
Lin sighed.
"Do you know anyone?"
Sarah thought for a moment.
"Actually, yes."
The conversation continued.
A local freelancer.
A former classmate who had turned photography into a side business.
Another woman who specialized in weddings and outdoor shoots.
Lin took notes.
Names.
Phone numbers.
Prices.
Availability.
She wrote each one down carefully.
Then Sarah asked the question Lin had been avoiding.
"So are you getting married?"
Lin stared at the notebook.
"No."
"Dating someone?"
"No."
"Interested in someone?"
Lin hesitated.
That answer was more complicated.
"Maybe."
Sarah went completely silent.
Then screamed.
"LIN!"
Lin laughed.
"Keep your voice down."
"You can't say maybe and expect me to behave normally."
"I regret telling you."
"Too late."
When the call finally ended, Lin stared at her notebook.
She had three photographer contacts.
None knew why she wanted them.
That was fine.
She didn't know either.
Not really.
She opened the hotel's property map.
If the world didn't end.
The hotel would eventually need a proper event business.
Weddings.
Family gatherings.
Corporate retreats.
Outdoor ceremonies.
Photography sessions.
The property was actually perfect for it.
She walked to the window.
The western field was beautiful in the late afternoon.
The old oak trees created a natural frame.
The renovated barn had exposed beams.
The pond reflected the sky.
And the hotel itself.
Lin smiled.
"That would make a pretty good wedding venue."
She paused.
Then laughed at herself.
"I'm planning a wedding venue before I have a boyfriend."
She shook her head.
"Very normal."
She pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.
At the top she wrote:
IF THE ENDING DOESN'T HAPPEN
Then beneath it:
Phase One — Business
Finish hotel.
Open glamping operation.
Farm-to-table restaurant.
Event venue.
Wedding packages.
Outdoor photography location.
She stared at the last two items.
They felt strangely personal.
Not practical.
Simple life.
The kind of life she'd never expected to get back.
Her phone buzzed.
A text from Sarah.
Photographer #1 is available Saturday.
Photographer #2 specializes in weddings.
Photographer #3 is ridiculously good but expensive.
Lin smiled.
She typed back:
Send me all three.
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Are you planning something?
Lin looked through the window again.
The sun was dropping lower.
The hotel stood quietly beyond the pasture.
She typed:
Maybe.
She sent it.
Then put the phone down.
For once, Lin wasn't preparing for the end of the world.
She was preparing for the possibility that there might actually be a future worth photographing.
October 10, 2023 – 5:38 PM
Lin sat at the dining room table with her notebook open in front of her.
Three names.
Three photographers.
Three different styles.
She had already received their contact information from Sarah.
Now she needed to find out what each one was willing to do.
She started with the first number.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice answered.
"Hi, is this Emily?"
"Yes."
"My name is Lin Zhang. Sarah Miller gave me your number."
"Oh! Sarah mentioned you might call."
Lin smiled.
"I'm looking for someone who does freelance photography."
"Absolutely."
"Mostly outdoor property photography, portraits, and potentially weddings."
There was a brief pause.
"Potentially?"
"I'm developing a property that may become an event venue."
"That sounds interesting."
Lin glanced toward the window.
"I'd like to start with a portfolio shoot."
"What kind of property?"
"A renovated hotel with farmland, a barn, pasture, and several outdoor areas."
Emily immediately sounded more interested.
"How soon?"
"Saturday."
"I can do Saturday afternoon."
Lin wrote it down.
"What would you charge?"
Emily gave her standard rate.
Lin considered it.
Then offered something different.
"I'll pay your regular rate for the shoot."
"Okay."
"But if I like the work, I'd like to discuss a standing contract."
Emily paused.
"How often?"
"Monthly at first."
"Property photography?"
"Property, events, portraits, promotional material."
Another pause.
Then Emily laughed.
"You came prepared."
Lin smiled.
"I like knowing what I'm buying."
"Fair enough."
They arranged the details.
Lin wrote:
Emily — Standard Rate + Monthly Contract
The second photographer was a man named Daniel.
He answered immediately.
"Daniel speaking."
Lin introduced herself.
His response was friendly.
"Sarah told me someone was looking for a photographer."
"She did."
"Wedding?"
Lin laughed.
"Everyone keeps assuming that."
"Sorry."
"No problem."
She explained the property.
Daniel listened carefully.
When she finished, he gave her his standard wedding package price.
It was higher than Emily's.
Lin didn't argue.
Instead, she made him another offer.
"I'll pay your full wedding package rate for the first shoot."
"Even though it isn't a wedding?"
"Correct."
"Why?"
"Because I want you to photograph the property as though it were a wedding venue."
Silence.
Then Daniel laughed.
"That's actually a clever idea."
"If the photos are good, I'll give you first opportunity for future weddings at the property."
His tone immediately became more businesslike.
"How many weddings are you expecting?"
"I don't know yet."
"Could be several?"
"Could be none."
Daniel laughed again.
"You're honest."
"Usually."
She paused.
"But I'm offering something else."
"What's that?"
"If you photograph the venue for me, I'll allow you to use the finished images in your own portfolio."
That got his attention.
"So you're offering the location and a paid shoot?"
"Yes."
"That's worth considering."
Lin wrote down the agreement.
Daniel — Full Wedding Package + Portfolio Access
The third photographer was the expensive one.
His name was Marcus.
His website had made Lin stop scrolling twice.
His work was excellent.
Not just technically excellent.
He knew how to make ordinary places look memorable.
Lin called him.
"Marcus speaking."
She introduced herself.
He had already received Sarah's message.
"She said you have an unusual project."
Lin smiled.
"That's one way to describe it."
She explained the property.
The hotel.
The barn.
The pasture.
The pond.
The surrounding farmland.
Marcus listened.
Then gave her his rate.
Lin nearly laughed.
"You're expensive."
He laughed.
"I'm told that frequently."
"You're also very good."
"That helps."
She looked down at her notebook.
Then made her offer.
"I'll pay your premium rate."
Marcus went quiet.
"For one shoot?"
"For the first shoot."
"And after that?"
"If I like the results, I'd like to negotiate a seasonal contract."
"How seasonal?"
"Spring through fall."
"That's a substantial commitment."
"It would include weddings, family events, property photography, and promotional material."
Marcus considered it.
"You're building an event business."
"Eventually."
"You seem very sure."
Lin smiled.
"I'm planning for the possibility."
Marcus asked one final question.
"What happens if you don't open the venue?"
Lin looked at the page in front of her.
That was a surprisingly good question.
She answered honestly.
"Then I still have a beautiful property that needs photographs."
Marcus laughed.
"I like you already."
Lin smiled.
"Does that mean you'll take the job?"
"Yes."
She wrote the final note.
Marcus — Premium Rate + Seasonal Contract
Lin placed the phone beside the notebook.
Three photographers.
Three different arrangements.
She looked at the three names.
Emily was practical.
Daniel understood weddings.
Marcus had the strongest artistic eye.
If everything went according to the plan she had spent months building...
She would eventually need all three.
The thought made her smile.
Then she looked at the heading on her paper again.
IF THE ENDING DOESN'T HAPPEN
She tapped the page with her pen.
Maybe that wasn't a backup plan anymore.
Maybe it was becoming a second future.
Lin closed the notebook.
"Well..."
She leaned back in her chair.
"I suppose I should plan for both."