The Next Step

I was nursing a Bloody Mary on the veranda, sitting in my red sling-back chair with the built-in footrest, feeling pretty good about life. Suddenly, Red (as in Lydia Talbot – star of my first novel – she made me say that) appeared at my side plopped into her matching red chair and asked:

Red: Whatcha’ feeling so good about?

Kathy: Well, let’s see…big lifestyle change coming up and I think I’m pretty excited about that.

Red: You mean… not going into work every day - at least, for awhile?

Kathy: Well, yeah. But suddenly a million possibilities seem to be crowding in. I love possibilities.

Red: Yes, you are all about possibilities. I can see that you’re feeling really happy lately. By the way, where’s my Bloody Mary?

Kathy: (chuckling) First things first, of course. I poured you one – it’s in the kitchen.

Red popped up and went back into Wanda – my 23 ft RV, which has a “kitchen” the size of a kindergarten cubbyhole – while I waited patiently for her, sipping my own icy red concoction. Ah…life is so good sometimes. Red popped back out and settled into her chair again, took a drink of her Bloody Mary and muttered, very daintily, “Hot damn, that’s good!” We laughed together and then resumed our conversation.

Red: You know what’s exciting for me?

Kathy: I think I can guess…

Red: Yes! You’ll have more time for writing, which means I’ll be having more adventures, which means your readers are going to be happier with you, which means you’ll sell more books…

Kathy: And then I’ll become a gallizionaire…

Red: Well, maybe just a millionaire, but I can live with that!

Kathy: Me, too. So, basically, no matter what else happens, there will be more time and space for writing. That has to be good.

Red: And the rest of it will all work out, one way or another.

Kathy: It always does, my friend, it always does.