Page 34 of One More Chapter
He sighs, and rakes his hand through his almost shoulder length light brown hair.
“Had to try.”
“I know.”
“Alright, moving on then.” He shakes his head and clasps his hands together on the desk. “Did you submit the next award winner yet?”
My head lolls back so that I can stare up at the ceiling.
“I mean, it’ssubmitted…” I let him figure out the rest on his own.
“Still got a block of cement in your noggin?”
“You could say that.”
“See, and this is why I suggested taking a writer’s retreat. You need to get out of Boston and out of your head, kid. Some fresh air would do you good.”
“I literally start school next week,” I say, lifting my feet to my desk chair so that I can rest my chin on my knees.
“Again,somany of these problems would be solved if you just quit teaching.”
“Can’t. Love it too much.”
“Alright. Well…” Rafe clicks around on his computer and confirms that I’ve CC’d him on the email with my first twenty-thousand shitty words attached. “Maybe whatever advice Paula has will kick you into focus.”
I shiver, and he laughs. Paula, my editor, is my greatest blessing and my worst nightmare. She tears my books to shreds for the better.
“Hopefully she doesn’t send me into cardiac arrest first.”
We end the call, with a plan for me to actually meet with him in Manhattan during our next school break in October. With the new year beginning in a few short days, I didn’t want to eat up my last few days of freedom with a trip to New York. I click out of the video and see my Word Document staring at me, the cursor blinking where I’d left it in writing purgatory a few days ago. Despite the bit of inspiration I’d stolen from Anthony’s recent heartbreak, I only gave a little edge of dimension to my characters. Poor Finn and Delilah are going to be my worst book since my debut.
Luckily, the ring of the doorbell yanks me before my writer’s block spiral can even begin.
Claire, Juliet, and Lucy are all coming over for a girls’ day. With Nathan and Anthony neck deep in this hell-hole of a new school year, and Sam helping out with the cross-country team now that we’ve absorbed a ton of extra students, we’re all in need of a little detox time ourselves.
I close down my computer and let the girls in, immediately stealing baby Hope from Juliet.
“I cannot believe she is already this big,” I say, balancing the chunky toddler on my hip. Her dark ringlet curls and olive complexion make her look like a doll.
“Right? She’s pulling herself up and about to start walking. I want to slow time down, but I also want to start trying for another baby because mine is growing up before my eyes.”
“Oh?” Lucy says, her interest piqued. “Are the Fords looking to expand?”
Juliet blushes, trying to hide a smile.
“I mean, we’re not trying topreventpregnancy…”
We all squeal as we settle into the living room where I set up snacks and drinks on the coffee table. But as soon as we all go to sit down, I find a pair of balled up socks on the couch.
“Ugh.Seriously?” I groan, chucking them off the couch. Hope immediately wiggles out of my arms and goes after them. Juliet laughs, then pulls a toy out of the diaper bag to distract her.
“It’s fine. Sam does the same thing.”
“Aaron’s clothes somehow always make itnext tothe hamper,” Lucy smiles, rolling her eyes.
We all look to Claire, who just stuffed a queso-dipped chip into her mouth. She stares at us wide eyed.
“I am so sorry. Nathan is the cleanest man I’ve ever met in my life. His shirts are color coded in the closet. But if it makes you feel any better, he can’t cook for shit.”