Page 160 of Love Unscripted
“Everyone has a past. What matters is who they are now.”
He leaned forward slightly, his voice steady. “And who Camille is now is a woman of integrity.”
The reporter nodded, taken aback. “That’s… a strong statement.”
Aaron didn’t hesitate.
“It’s the truth.”
~*~*~*~
Then came the global press junket.
Los Angeles. New York. London. Paris.
Journalists sat in long rows as Camille and Aaron rotated from table to table, answering rapid-fire questions.
“How did you two build such chemistry?”
“Did your real relationship begin on set?”
“Aaron, how was directing someone you were falling in love with?”
“Camille, care to share the details of your wedding plans?”
“What do you say to critics who think Hollywood marriages never last?”
Aaron once leaned toward a reporter and deadpanned, “We plan to prove them wrong.”
Later, when the noise had quieted—when it was just the two of them again—Camille turned to him.
“I’m sorry, Aaron. This is exactly what you were afraid would happen, isn’t it? The focus being on our romance and notEsther. I’m really sorry. I wanted people to focus on the work you did—on what an amazing actor and director you are. Now all they’re consumed with is us as a couple.”
He was quiet for a moment, thoughtful, then he turned to her.
“You know, when I began this film, I felt like I needed to prove something. Prove my worth—especially as a director. I was bothered that I wasn’t the studio’s first choice, that they only agreed after I convinced my father to play Mordecai. It felt like I wasn’t enough. And I thought… I should be enough.”
He exhaled softly.
“My mother told me one night that I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. I heard her—but I didn’t believe her.”
He glanced at Camille, then continued.
“Then one evening I was editing a scene—the one where Esther says,‘If I perish, I perish.’She knew what she was going to do, and she had peace about it. It was like she was saying, ‘I’m going to do my best before God. I’m going to humble myself, lay everything at His feet, and leave the rest to Him.’ She wasn’t acting as though the outcome was up to her. As though the fate of an entire people rested on her shoulders.”
He shook his head slightly.
“In that moment, I realized my attitude was wrong. I believed the success of this film depended on me—that if it failed, I had failed… and if it succeeded, I deserved the credit. The Holy Spirit convicted me. It was pride. I had an inappropriate view of myself in all of this.”
His voice softened, steadier now.
“All God asks of us—of any of us—is to do our best with the gifts He’s given us and trust Him with the outcome. To resist the urge to believe we’re in control—that’s a lie of the enemy.”
He gave a small, almost relieved smile.
“With that perspective, I don’t feel the pressure to impress anyone or to be perfect. I’m still growing. I’ll make mistakes. But by God’s grace, I’ll learn from them, and it will be okay.”
He met her eyes.
