The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was tomorrow morning but Bridget wanted a moment alone before then. She walked down to the riverfront on her own, not caring how late it was, confident that she could take care of herself.
It had taken longer than they expected, it had gone over budget several times, there had been the usual trouble with unions and politicians and inspectors and the press, it had created all sorts of controversy, just like they had expected it would, but Bridget had loved every moment of getting it done. From the foundation to the finishes, her heart, strength and soul had been poured into every square inch of this building.
She thought of her father as she stood across the street and gazed up at the fifty stories that she and her team had built. She didn’t have to wonder what he would think, because she could practically hear his voice in her ear, praising her for the power and beauty of this building.
You did it, my darling, he whispered. You started with nothing, bare ground and an empty space, and then you dreamed this building and brought it to life, piece by piece, just like I taught you. It will be here for centuries, long after we’re all gone. It will house and shelter people, it will see the beginnings and ends of lives, it will inspire other artists, just like you, to construct more beautiful buildings like this. I’m so very proud of you, my girl.
Bridget shivered and hugged herself, wishing it was his gentle arms around her once more.
Tomorrow there would be thousands of people, and an opening-day party like the city had never seen before. Scarlett would cut the ribbon and this building would fill with new tenants, employees on their first day on the job, customers and salespeople, and bustling building workers. It would go from being an empty shell to a hive of life, and Bridget was so excited to see it happen.
But tonight? Tonight the building was hers and no one else’s. And as she stood outside it, she felt a part of herself lift and take flight, soaring over the street, towering over the other buildings, rising floor by floor and story by story until, at last, she reached the very, very top.
That place where the earth was finally allowed to kiss the sky.