Page 58 of Where Are You Now
I know I’m not done, she teased. I’veonly just started this brand story. Is it really that bad that you had to come tell me I’m not done?
She looked around the room as if she’d find something tangible to prove the voice had been there and wasn’t in her head. But all she saw was the glistening Marrowbone Lake outside her window.
Have I lost my edge?she asked the voice.
But the only reply was a whisper of her memory uttering,You’re not done.
Look. I’ve found Lucas. And I’m trying very hard to get on with my life. I’ve reached my end of the bargain, remember? You said, “Find Lucas Phillips and live out the rest of your life.” Done and done.
Great. She was talking to herself now. She used to whip out fifteen brand stories in a day, with her eyes closed, and now she was struggling to create even one. She cracked her knuckles and forced her focus back to the screen. She opened the photos of High-Craft Organics’ clothes. Every outfit of joggers and sweatshirts made her want to curl up in them on a snowy day. She looked back at her brand story and instead thought, how do the clothes make mefeel? Then she channeled her experiences and typed a new version.
What’s at the heart of your story? With High-Craft Organics, you can get back to being you with simple, fabulously soft fabrics. Our unfussy elegance and incredible comfort let you focus on the things that really matter. Wherever you want to go, High-Craft Organics will get you there in style…
There. Am I done now?she asked the voice.
But she didn’t get an answer.
That night,Ava sat on the deck around the fire with her mom, looking up at the inky black sky with its sparkling stars.
“I never get to see the stars like this in New York. I’d forgotten what it was like until I came back here.”
“I didn’t understand why you chose that busy life, but it was your life to build, so I didn’t try to stop you.”
Whyhadshe chosen it? Given her upbringing, it did seem out of character.
“I think, at first, I was running.”
Her mom turned her head toward Ava. “From whom?”
“Myself.” She pulled her cardigan tighter to keep the evening breeze from slithering down her skin.
“I was a little farm girl trying to prove to everyone that I was good enough. When I lost Dad, I kicked into a different gear, trying to show myself that I didn’t need anyone, when really, I needed him so badly I could hardly manage a regular life. I think that’s why my marriage failed.”
She drummed her fingers on the wooden arm of the chair, that part of her life coming into focus in front of her.
“When I got here with you, I realized I need you around me.”
Her mom smiled, her eyes glassy. “That makes me so happy.”
Ava leaned over and gave her mother a hug. Her mom squeezed a little tighter than she usually did. Maybe she should give herself more time with her mom. And she could go to church with Lucas. She didn’t have to leave just yet, did she? Would Scott and Robert understand?
“I wonder if I could tell Robert that I might need to work remotely for another week.”
Her mother brightened. “There’s no need to rush it.”
“I can work a few hours a day.” She was talking herself into the decision more than explaining it to her mother. When she was honest with herself, she wasn’t ready to go back.
“You’ve been through a horrific accident. I think they’d understand if you took another week. They said themselves they’d give you whatever you need.”
“Lucas wanted me to go to church with him next Sunday as well. Maybe I’ll call him.”
Her mom patted her knee, happiness in her eyes. “Go call him now.”
Ava eagerly got up and went inside, her gut telling her this was the right decision. She went into the living room, got her cell phone off the coffee table, and dialed Lucas’s number.
“Hello?”
The sound of his voice sent a wave of contentment through her.
