Page 43 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
As shocked as Grace was to learn Brindle had only been with Trace, she knew better than to hope her wild sister might tame her ways while she was in Paris for six weeks this summer.
Brindle put another teenager in charge of the class while she introduced Nat to Grace.
“I’m so excited to meet you,” Nat gushed. “I really wanted to take your class, but I also wanted to be here for the kids, and my mom said it was more important to see this play through than to work on another project.”
Nat spoke fast, fidgeting first with her glasses, then the hem of her shirt, then her glasses again. Grace found her nervousness endearing and her excitement inspiring.
“I know she’s right,” Nat said, “but I wish I could have done both.”
“I admire you sticking with the play. Your mom was definitely right about that. In the arts, seeing your dream become a reality is a tricky and exciting process. The more control you have, the better.”
As they made their way down the hall to the classroom Brindle suggested they use, Grace realized that achieving her dreams had also been tricky for other reasons. She’d lost a lot of the joys of life in the process. She wondered if there was a way to slow down, and if so, what ramifications it would have on her career.
If I don’t, what will it mean for me and Reed?
Why did it seem like everything good in life required a painful choice?
Chapter Fourteen
THE NEXT FEW days flew by in a blur of conference calls, teaching, and mentoring during the day and laughter and loving at night. Grace’s love for Reed blossomed into a love truer and deeper than anything she’d ever known. Friday afternoon as she taught the class at the bookstore, she couldn’t believe tonight marked the end of her first week at home. How had the time moved by so quickly? She and Reed had gone furniture shopping Wednesday evening, and once they’d gotten past needing to cuddle and kiss on every sofa—just to be sure they were comfortable—he’d bought a beautiful dark blue couch and love seat that had an antique feel, a glass coffee table with leather around the edges, and a plush throw rug. They’d also picked out a dining room set made from refurbished barn wood, which fit the relaxed yet elegant feel of the room perfectly. The furniture had been delivered last night, and it had completely transformed the already gorgeous house into a warm and inviting home. Grace couldn’t help feeling like they were building a home together, but she tried not to get drawn in by that aspect, because it was Reed’s home, and she had her own to return to in two weeks. But she enjoyed setting up his home with him. He had a keen, artistic eye.
She looked around the table at the other artistic individuals she was spending time with, huddled together discussing character arcs and plots. Wednesday’s class had been even more thrilling than the first. They had been hard at work creating an outline of the script they wanted to write.
“Okay, ladies,” Grace said. “Are we ready for our discussion?”
“Yes!” they said in unison.
“Wonderful. Who’s going to present the story?”
They exchanged looks among themselves, and Lauryn whispered something to Janie.
“Sure, I’m happy to,” Janie said. “Do the rest of you want me to start?”
They all agreed, and Janie said, “Our script is calledI Ain’t No Cinderella. Our heroine is sharp, rebellious, and isnotabout to wait around for her prince.”
“And the prince is not tough enough for her, so she’s going to snub him and hit on a biker,” Nana interjected. “He’sa badboy.”
“Mm-hm,” Hellie agreed. “The prince is a sissy. Our girl needs a real man, and she’s not about to wait around for him to come to her.”
“That biker’s going to have his socks knocked off,” Janie said. “There’s a big community barn dance, kind of like the monthly jam sessions the Jerichos host.”
Phoenix narrowed her green eyes and said, “And the stepsisters are total witches, but Cinder, that’s our heroine’s name, is going to put them in their places right off the bat.”
“And the stepmother is kick-butt from page one. We all agreed that we hate that stereotype of the wicked stepmother,” Lauryn explained. “But it’s normal for sisters to annoy each other, regardless of if they’re step or bio.”
Grace’s pulse kicked up at such a unique idea. “The premise sounds fantastic, but it’s all going to be in the writing. There’s got to be more than just rebellion. What can you tell me about your character arcs?”
“Oh! I can tell you about Cinder!” Lauryn chimed in. “She’s been through the ringer. Her mother was a drug addict, father was pretty great, but he died right before the script starts. She was never a real daddy’s girl, but she always had him watching out for her.”
“He had her back,” Phoenix added.
“Yes,” Lauryn agreed. “But she’s never really let anyone take care of her. So she has a hard time letting her stepmom do it, and she fights her every step of the way.”
“And there’s a big blowout with the sisters, where they call her on not letting them be part of her life in any real way, and that’s why they’re so mean,” Janie explained. “That comes in ActII.”
“Those are great twists for not only Cinder, but the sisters, too.” Adrenaline coursed through Grace at the prospect of an angsty script. They discussed the other characters, setting, and structure. She wished Nat could be there. She’d love being part of this group, and the direction of their story, too. Grace had given her guidance about how to shorten the play, and she had been emailing revisions to Grace to review. It was coming together beautifully.
Amber peeked her head into the room and said, “Excuse me, Grace, but I’m closing up early and heading out to meet Aubrey Stewart. She’s got some great ideas for expanding the shop. Can you set the alarm when you’re done?”
