Page 33 of Renewal After Dark

“It is once you get the hang of it. You ever heard the saying that it takes three weeks to create a habit, whether it’s a good habit or a bad one?”

“Yes, I’ve read about that.”

“Usually, they’re talking about going to the gym or starting to walk or dieting or whatever. In this case, you wake up and decide to focus on all the positive things you can think of. You give them your full attention for all your waking hours. Whether it’s your work or your child or your garden or whatever brings you peace, pleasure and prosperity. I love my job. I love my studio and the people who work with me there. I love doing things to grow the business, such as partnering with the McCarthys to offer weekend getaways that include a tattoo. That was my idea, by the way. Brings in some business in the off-season. It gives me a kick to think of stuff like that. I love my art and my cross-stitching, my garden and puttering around my house. Those things bring me joy.”

He worried he was talking too much, but when he looked over, she was watching him thoughtfully. “You think I’m nuts, right?”

“Not at all. What you say makes so much sense, but?—”

“No buts. It works. I swear it does. For the first year I was doing this, any time something from the past wanted to sneak in to ruin my day, I did something to manifest the future I wanted for myself. One day, I went into the shop and spent the whole day building a website for the business. Let me tell you… That took all my mental energy for that day and a couple of others. There was no space for anything else.”

“So, you’re saying that by keeping exceptionally busy, you can start to replace the bad stuff with good.”

“For the most part. You don’t want to work yourself into an early grave, though. I mean, what good would it be to overcome a difficult past by creating a positive future if you’re too dead to enjoy it?”

McKenzie laughed. “Good point.”

“Like today, for example. What positive things can you start your day thinking about?”

“Jax, of course. He’s the most positive thing.”

“He sure is.”

“The apartment you loaned us is definitely a positive. Also, a new job, some new friends, more time in my favorite place.”

“All good things. Stay focused on them, and you’ll have a great day.”

“I’m adding your kindness in calling Mac for me to the good things to focus on today.”

“That’s the way to play the game. Doing that for you got my day off to a good start. You see how it works?”

“I’m beginning to. What do you do when your mind wanders to the bad stuff?”

“You pull it back on course by thinking about the good stuff. You don’t give the bad stuff any oxygen before you come swooping in to change the conversation you’re having with yourself.”

“The conversation I’m having with myself…”

“That’s what our thoughts are, right?”

“How did you get so wise?”

Duke huffed out a laugh. “I wouldn’t describe myself as wise at all.”

“Well, I would. How did you learn this stuff?”

“I got tired of the darkness. I wanted to focus on the light, so I did. Took a while to make it happen, but one day, I realized it’d been like two weeks since I’d thought about the bad stuff. That’s when I knew it worked. That I could truly decide where to put my focus and energy. Now, I’m not saying I never think about the past, because I do. Comes at me at the oddest of times, usually when I’m really happy. It’ll show up as if to say, ‘Hey, dumbass, don’t get cocky. I’m still in here.’”

“That’s funny.”

“Sorry to swear in front of Jax.”

“You didn’t.”

“I said a-s-s.”

“Oh, whoops,” she said with a laugh. “I think he’ll be okay.”

Duke pulled onto Ocean Avenue, which was largely deserted except for crews from the electric company, which were still working on the grid, and the town’s public works department shoveling seaweed off the street and into trucks. The storm had produced higher-than-usual tides that continued to deposit sand, seaweed and other ocean junk on the streets.

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