Seth Barlow-Barrett Speaks Out About Balancing Act

Hi, I’m Seth Barlow. I want to tell you a bit about myself since the story of my pitiful attempts to woo Tessa Edwards are about to be made public. I’ve spent most of my career dodging publicity. I’ve been the one doing the interviews and telling other people’s stories. So having my story out there’s an uncomfortable place to be. I was a little angry about it to begin with. As prominent as the Barlow-Barretts and Barrett Newspapers are, as a whole we’ve done a pretty good job avoiding the limelight. Part of that came to an end with my sister Anna and her relationship with Chris Stevenson. The thing is Laura happened to notice I was having some problems of my own while she was telling Anna’s story. And, yup, now my business is out there too. Like any good journalist, though, Laura kept digging until Tessa and I both spilled everything. I’ve got a lot more empathy now for the people being interviewed. I’m the eldest of six kids. With a publishing empire at stake, my father’s pinned a lot of hopes for the future on me. It’s a tough business, requiring quick decisions and plenty of scrambling in the current marketplace to keep profit margins up. Hell, who am I kidding? I hate running the company, but you can find that out for yourself. Let me tell you about the rest of my family. Besides me, there’s Brandon who’s managed to do a great job dodging responsibility and doing exactly what he wants. Then there’s Stacey. As the eldest girl, I guess she’s like me in some respects—doing her best to live up to the family’s expectations. As much as I love her, sometimes she’s tough to get close to. Next in line is my heart, Preston Anna Barlow- Barrett. Anna was different than the rest of us from the start, and I love her nearly as much as I love Tessa. Phillip’s next. Can you say Mr. Perfect? I swear the guy never takes a step out of place. I called him Saint Phillip when he was little. Personally, I think Mother would have been overjoyed had he really gone into the priesthood. Instead? Ha…he’s a lawyer and planning a future in politics. Finally, there’s Morgan—if you can find her. My youngest sibling’s been slipping in and out of the house like a ghost for years. No one’s really sure what she does or where she is—except when sailing season starts. The kid can sail like nobody’s business. So bottom line, she fits right in, and no one will question her when she can run before the wind without batting an eye. What scares me about my family is the feeling my parents’ expectations of us will never match reality. It’s already torn Anna away from the fold, and I’m afraid she won’t be the only one. The real question in my mind is if my parents will realize that before it’s too late. They have visions of a dynasty, and all I want is a family.