Page 53 of Book and Ladder
Life is a little like a message in a bottle,
to be carried by the winds and the tides.
~ Gene Tierney
I sagagainst my front door, my chest hitching, my tears finally finding their release. I can’t seem to stop sobbing. My knees threaten to buckle as if my body is filing its resignation: I quit.
I quit everything.
I allow myself to drop to the floor, curl my legs in and have a good, long cry.
My brain starts to come back to me after the haze of emotions lifts.
Dad wants an update on the meeting. He heard through the ever-reliable grapevine about the O’Connells’ plans to demolish my business and bring a big box store to our quaint small town.
I can’t call Dad right now. Not if I don’t want to cue another round of waterworks.
Besides, he and Mom will want to run in with some sort of save Daisy and her shop plan. I’m a grown woman living only a few blocks from where she grew up. I need to adult on my own sometimes.
I stand up, grabbing my purse and my notebook off the floor—the notebook I never wrote a word in after Mr. O’Connell took the podium.
There’s only one person I want to talk to, strange as it might be.
I slide my laptop off my coffee table and open the browser to my email.
Dear BTTP,
I had a night to beat all nights. Seriously. I’m more wound up than a bullfrog in a hailstorm. But enough about me and my no good, very bad day. How was your day?
- M&M
His answer is immediate. There aren’t words for the whoosh of relief I feel when I see his email pop up in my inbox.
Dear M&M,
I had a rough night too. My family blindsided me. By the way, do you want to switch to DMs? I have an accountset up for the podcast. It will be more immediate when we’re both online.
- BTTP
It feels strange to smile through my tears. I answer him:
Dear BTTP,
Blindsiding must be going around tonight. I’ll DM you.
- M&M
I open a new tab, pulling up the website and clicking the link to DM the host. I never would have initiated a DM to him. It feels more … intimate and personal. But, he invited me, so …
Host: Your family blindsided you?
M&M: No. But I was blindsided.
Host: I’m sorry to hear that.
M&M: What happened to you?
Host: My parents can be short-sighted. They’ve got plans for their business and they want me on board.
