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I leave my laptop on my table and head to my parents’ place. Since they live so close, I walk instead of drive. The brisk fall air feels good against my face, and my mom runs out of the hardware store door the second she sees me.
“Elisa, my baby girl!” she coos. “I am so proud of you.” Elaine smothers me in a bear hug, nearly breaking my ribs. I hug her back, resting my head on her shoulder. My mom and I are right around the same height, though my hips are almost twice as wide as hers and my boobs at least three times as big. Mom says I take after my dad’s side of the family in those areas.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say into her shirt. Tears prick my eyes. All I’ve ever wanted is to be a published author, and that dream is finally coming true.
“You deserve this, honey. All of that writing you’ve been doing since you were a kid. It’s about time someone else saw how amazing you are.”
“You have to say that. You’re my mom,” I say wryly.
She smiles. “You’re an adult now, Elisa. My obligations as your mother ended the day you turned eighteen. This is the truth. You’re a talented writer, and now the world is going to know that, too.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say. We pull apart from our hug and link arms. She leads me into the hardware store entrance where Dad is waiting to lock things up. There’s a separate entrance to the apartment, so we don’t have to go through the store to get upstairs, but it looks like Bob was just about to close up anyway.
After the doors are locked, it’s my dad’s turn to hug me. “Elisa, I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to read your book.”
“I can’t wait for you to read it.”
“You could give it to us now,” he says slyly. “Save us the wait.”
We head for the stairs to the apartment. “Not a chance. You know the deal. You don’t get to read this book until it’s published.”
“Well, it sounds like we won’t have to wait too much longer,” Dad says excitedly. “My baby girl is going to be a published author!”
“Hopefully,” I say, pulling open the door to my old home. My bedroom is the first door on the left. It’s exactly the way I left it. My parents say it’s so I can come home whenever I want, but really if it weren’t for the storage they have downstairs at the store, my room would be filled with boxes and antiques by now.
“What do you mean, hopefully?”
I follow my parents into the dining room. Dinner is already finished since Mom likes to have it on the table right when Dad gets up from the store.
“I haven’t signed the contract yet. Darla still has to go over it, and I have that meeting with the CEO. What if he doesn’t like me?”
My mom strokes my wild curls reassuringly. “Oh, honey. Editors aren’t like agents. They care about your book and that’s pretty much it. Unless you’ve done horrible things like hurt other people, they’ll publish you even if they don’t particularly like you. Agents are the ones who want a relationship.”
“Still. I’m scared I’m going to blow my chances at this meeting tomorrow.”
Dad sits at the head of the table, and Mom brings over the spaghetti and meatballs she made for dinner. It’s my favorite, and she always keeps the ingredients on hand for me.
“You don’t have to worry, Elisa. You’re going to blow the socks off this guy.”
I take a bite of my food and nod, though I’m not convinced. I’ve never been good at wowing people. With my writing, sure, but not with my personality or with my looks. I thought I finally made it there when I was in college, and I had this awesome boyfriend, but then I caught him sleeping with my roommate. Even now, my heart aches with the memory. So clearly, I’m not great at reading people. I thought I understood my ex, but obviously not.
Taking a deep breath, I smile at my dad. “I hope so.”
Elaine takes my hand in hers. “Your dream is coming true, Elisa. It’s okay to be happy about that.”
“As soon as I sign that contract, I’ll be happy.”
More like as soon as my book is on the shelf for people to buy, I’ll be ecstatic. This entire thing can be taken away from me at any moment. I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.
After dinner and ice cream, my parents beg me to stay and play a board game with them, but it’s getting late, and I’m exhausted. The excitement of the day has worn me out. I walk down the dark, quiet street to my apartment and flop down on the couch once inside.
