Chapter 13 - THE WOMAN WHO WROTE HER OWN ENDING
My second novel began in October.
I called it The Woman Who Stayed.
Not because the heroine stayed with a man.
Because she stayed true to herself.
I wrote every morning.
Taught classes twice a week.
And spent evenings with Adrienne.
He never asked me to stop working.
Never told me my writing was insignificant.
And never treated my dreams as an inconvenience.
One evening, I found him reading my manuscript.
I froze.
“Adrienne.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“You're reading chapter seven.”
He smiled.
“Yes.”
I folded my arms.
“That's not finished.”
He looked amused.
“Neither am I.”
I laughed.
Then sat beside him.
“What do you think?”
His expression softened.
“I think your heroine finally understands that she doesn't need someone else to give her permission to be happy.”
My eyes filled.
I looked at him.
May you like
Then whispered:
“Maybe her author does too.”
