The Ameri Brit Mom

Bunkered

I belong to an online writing community by the name of Becoming Writer which is sponsored by The Write Practice. Every so often the community is thrown into a writing contest. I enjoy participating in these contests because I tend to get valuable feedback from other writers. The most recent short story contest I participated in was entitled “Spring Contest” and was given the theme of “Rock Bottom.” My story was to be under 1000 words and to incorporate the theme in some way.

I’m currently playing around with a second story idea and I thought I’d give it a shot in the contest. Earlier parts of the story can be seen here. For the contest I chose a scene from the story that goes along with the theme for the contest and I submitted it to the judges. I won’t hear back from the judges for a couple of weeks, but I thought I would let my blog readers have access to the tale and a chance to comment until the contest ends.

So here is my short story:

Bunkered

By: Lauren Sisley

There was a sound of crashing upstairs above my head. I listened as shards of glass hit the linoleum kitchen floor, and I dropped to the ground. My gun was ready. It had been weeks since I sensed the presence of another. Raccoons had broken in a few times since I bunkered down, but this didn’t sound like the doing of a verment. If indeed it was a person and they thought that they were going to take this house from me they had another thing coming. I trained myself for this moment.

I heard a pair of heavy feet move across the floorboards as I slithered across the cold basement floor to within view of the door. I steadied my breathing to keep from being heard. Light came through the gap between the door and the basement landing. Something from the upstairs impeded the light and I knew that it was no raccoon.

I watched as the knob turned and the door opened slowly. I jumped to my feet and concealed myself behind a bookshelf. I watched from the crack behind the shelf as the person in the doorway lifted their feet to descend the stairwell. I saw my life flash before my eyes.

I saw myself on the airplane to America last month. How naive I was to life outside of my English bubble.

I saw Grandma’s casket at the funeral home; the reason my family had ventured here in the first place.

I saw Mom and Dad and I hiding in Grandma’s house after the news reports about the rebel invasion from the south.

I blinked and I saw myself watching from an air duct as the men wearing the rebel flag around their arms crashed through the front door.

I saw my parents in the back of a humvee tied up and beaten.

I recalled how I had turned the basement into a bunker and survived alone for the past two weeks. I waited for days after the rebels left before moving myself to the basement. I kept hidden in the air duct for fear of being captured as well. After several days I let myself down. I grabbed a television set, a small handgun my grandma had kept, and all of the nonperishable foods from her pantry and created a home in the basement. The electricity and power stopped a few days after they left. The last day the news broadcasts informed me that the rebels broke through forces in Washington and took over the White House. That was rock bottom. Each and every person I cared about ripped out of my grasp by death or rebels. It’s funny how many things flood your mind in a moment when death is knocking.

And then I was pulled back to reality as I realized I was alone in the dark basement as a combat boot struck the top stair. The person had to maneuver around the objects I had piled in front of the door. It was to buy myself time to escape or shoot in case this scenario ever played out. A line of light protruded from a flashlight in the person’s hand. I sunk back behind a shelf ready to shoot as soon as the light proved the person was near.

The steps stopped just short of my vantage point. With one hand I covered my mouth and nose to keep from being heard. With the other I prepared to shoot. My index finger grabbed at the trigger. My pulse raced. I hadn’t ever killed before, but I was preparing myself to do so in the name of survival. I blinked as the light turned toward me. The weeks in the basement had kept my eyes from direct light. The flashlight temporarily blinded me. Without a clear line of vision I made up my mind to shoot into the light. A shuffle of feet toward me and my sweaty finger began to slowly release the trigger.

“Ainsley!” A familiar voice called out. I aimed my gun immediately out of the light.Then I let it fall to the ground.

The flashlight fell, but I didn’t need light to know that the arms that embraced me belonged to my father. Tears built up in my eyes with the fear of his descent from upstairs and released themselves as I made contact with the first person in two weeks.

“Dad, How did you find me?” I asked through sudden sobs.

“Our camp was freed and we came straight to Grandma’s house. I wasn’t sure that you would still be here. Oh, I’m just so happy that you made it, Ainsley.” I missed his voice.

He hugged me and kissed the top of my dirty hair.

“Lillian, she’s down here.” He called up the stairs. I heard the pitter patter of two delicate feet across the wood floor above as my mother sprinted through the ransacked house.

“Ainsley!” She called out as she ran down the basement stairs and enveloped Dad and I with her arms.

“I made it? Is it over?” I asked Dad. My voice was raspy from lack of use.

“Not quite, but England and France have landed troops in the capital and they have liberated many of the camps on the East Coast.” He squeezed harder as Mom began to sob.

“We will wait it out and then get ourselves on the first flight home.” I could hear the smile in my mother’s tone. I could care less in that moment about my house in London. I had my parents and they were okay. Rock bottom was a thing of the past. That was all the home I ever needed.

It is unlawful to plagiarize any of the original work from The Ameri Brit Mom. No permission is given to reuse this text or ideas without written consent. Always give credit where credit is due.

#PostRealLife

We all follow a person on social media who seems to have it all together. Six kids, a book deal, the immaculate house. Their constant posts invoke instant envy for those of us REAL people out there. We find ourselves scrolling through our news feed rolling our eyes and muttering under our breath.

“I could never keep my house that clean.”

“Their kids are always dressed so well.”

“They never seem to run out of ideas.”

Before we know it and without meaning to we invite bitterness and resentment into our lives. We begin to take for granted the things God has blessed us with because in our eyes they will never measure up to the witty taglines, filtered photographs, or crafty projects that invade our senses when we indulge in social media.

Over the past year this topic has been heavy on my heart. Not only have I found myself falling victim to these attitudes and situations, but I’ve also talked to so many other women who have struggled with feelings of inadequacies rooted in the fact that they’ve allowed social media to define the perfect housewife, mother, or friend.

The silly thing is that we try to mimic “perfect posters.” We struggle for every cute shot we post of our families and expect that those photos we scroll through with picturesque lighting comes naturally for everyone else. We bring ourselves down because, “Gosh darn it, we are going to get a shot where everyone has their eyes open!” Or we thank heaven for the cropping features so that we can cut out the fact that we forgot to dust the banister for the stairway shot. We struggle to make our lives measure up to those we see out there in the world of social media and forget that those people who post those perfect pictures have access to filters and cropping just like we do.

As of lately, I’ve begun to recognize the toxic habits that social media can create in my life and the lives of other women throughout the world. I would say that when it comes to women that I have a fairly healthy self value, but if I’ve spent too much time on Pinterest or Instagram I have tuned into my natural instinct to pick apart every detail of my life. I want a bigger, cleaner house or a picture-perfect family shot in front of some amazing DIY project I just completed. And when things don’t turn out that way feelings of bitterness can quickly seep through.

I’m being very candid with you today, Readers, because conversations I’ve been having lately lead me to believe I’m not alone in this struggle. This can be a real cause for anxiety and unhappiness among women (and men) and even those who are fairly secure in themselves are affected. Social media hits us from so many directions every day that it is hard to ignore. And after so long we begin to trade truth for a lie. We begin to believe that we are below others. We begin to see ourselves as less than who we are. We wrestle with contentment and idolatry. All on account of wanting what someone else probably doesn’t even really have.

Social Media allows us to capture the bits and pieces of our lives that we wish to share with the world while discarding all of the unpleasant moments. It allows us to boast in the good and hide the bad. All the while teaching each of us to portray ourselves only in a positive light. We have a one-sided view of the people we follow on social media, and oftentimes we forget that. It’s easy to make it seem like you have it all together when you control what is being seen.

In Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus tells us, “do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“

As a Christian I’m called to seek God and His Kingdom in all I do. That means that I should be content with what He has blessed me with in my life. I should not run after what I think I lack because God takes care of His own. He has written a unique story for me and for each of you as well. It’s time to stop living in a world of comparison fueled by social media and time to focus on the person that God has created you to be.

Social Media when used correctly can be such a good thing. I’m not here to tell you to delete Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Rather my hope is that we are all able to understand the mind trap that can occur when we allow social media to paint our view of perfection.

In light of this issue that so many people struggle with I’ve started a hashtag: #PostRealLife. Dedicated to undoctored photographs, and uncensored life this hashtag is to celebrate our imperfections. We are real housewives, mothers, and friends. We don’t need filters or cropping. Our lives are beautiful and perfect just the way they are. So join my movement and courageously hashtag all of your no makeup selfies, messy rooms, and candid family moments without judgment!

The Ameri Brit Mom

Stitch Fix #6

It was a beautiful summery day when my newest Stitch Fix made its way to my doorstep. Eager to get packing for my summer vacation I anticipated the box’s arrival. I knew that my stylist would have some cute and trendy summer pieces picked out just for me and she was sure not to disappoint. Here’s a look at my sixth fix:

1. Rinald Front Pocket Blouse (Fun2Fun)

This sleeveless blouse was a perfect cut and style for my wardrobe. It is simple with its nautical anchor pattern and can easily be paired with countless accessories and bottoms. I think this shirt would pair well with last month’s TOMS to bring out a pop of color. Of course I kept this piece.

2. Elda Beaded Drop Earrings (Nakamol)

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These cute earrings were handmade by local Thai artists. Although adorable, I found it hard to pay $38.00 for a pair of simple earrings.

3. Becker V-Neck Blouse (Alice Blue)

This floral top was super cute and the pattern was a lot of fun, however, this is another piece that I sent back to Stitch Fix. I did so because of the fit of the top. You can’t tell too much because of the angle of the picture, but this shirt was really tight in certain areas and after a little wiggle test it didn’t prove itself as a comfortable piece. As a busy mom-on-the-go comfort is even more important than fashion. So after a quick change this shirt found itself in the return envelope.

4. Pedrine Keyhole Back Top (Renee C)

This fun navy and orange blouse was another great fit and adorable print. It paired well with the skirt which was also part of the fix. I could see myself wearing this top in many different ways so I kept it!

5. Devon Pleated Mini Skirt (Loveappella)

This skirt is pictured above under the Renee C top.You can’t tell too well from this picture, but the skirt was a bit too large for me. With very little effort it slid up and down my waist. Wearing this skirt in public would cause anxiety because I would constantly be afraid that it would fall down. I’m not sure if the skirt size just ran large or if I may have dropped a pants size because of recent workouts. I’m going to claim the latter even if that isn’t necessarily the case.

Overall, I got a couple of new pieces to add to my vacation suitcase. I look forward to creating fun outfits using my new tops from my sixth Stitch Fix.

If you are unfamiliar with Stitch Fix or are interested in learning more about the details, prices, and additional services check out My First Fix where I outlined the process in depth.

Also, if you are interested in giving Stitch Fix a shot use this link to give me credit for the referral.

Keep it stylish, readers!

The Ameri Brit Mom

*This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation as a result of this post.

TBR Summer 2016

Words cannot adequately express how excited I am to make a dent in my To-Be-Read list this summer. I’ve been working my way through a 24 Book Challenge this year and as of late have also fallen in love with The Selection series and plan to intersperse that reading with my book challenge. Here is a look at the next ten books on my TBR list:

A Seperate Peace by John Knowles (currently on page 140/204)
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The One by Kiera Cass
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
The Heir by Kiera Cass
Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland
The Crown by Kiera Cass
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Outlining: The Irresistible Novel

Chapter eleven of Gerke’s book, The Irresistible Novel, is a little different than the previous ten. Up to this point each chapter has focused on a principle of writing (like POV, setting, characters, etc.) but chapter eleven is centered more on the discipline of writing. The main statement of debate being, “You must always outline your novel, or it will be doomed.” (Gerke 78)

Outlining

As always, the statement above has no absolute answer. Each writer has their own style, discipline, and preference. In Gerke’s book he is aiming at helping writers to find their voice by causing them to evaluate important arguments in the art of writing. When it comes to outlining there are those wh0 do (plotters) and those who do not (pantsers.)

A plotter begins the writing process by first planning out major plot points. They may have a detailed outline completed before they ever start page one. They may also choose to outline in a less specific manner using working outlines that change throughout the writing process. A benefit to being a plotter is that the writer has a clear direction to their writing which helps them stay focused throughout the construction of their novel. A drawback to being a plotter is that some writers feel confined to their outline so much that it stifles their creativity. Those who over plan often feel that by the time they sit down to write their book that they have already done so. Many a book has died due to over planning and lack of interest.

A pantser sits down to write page one with no prior outline. Those who prefer this method enjoy following the characters and letting the characters rather than the plot take the lead as they write. They sit down to craft their novel with little to no planning, but the freedom of creativity guides them through the pages. A benefit to being a pantser is that the story truly speaks for itself and there is no need to feel suffocated by plot points drawn up on a map or word document. A drawback to being a pantser is that oftentimes starting a story without a clear direction can make such action obvious to your readers as they sense that the characters are just meandering through the plot.

My Current Project…

I’m sure this is no shocker, but when I sat down to write my first book I had a plan.

I had written a short story that I had fallen in love with. I had a main character, a problem, and somewhat of a solution. I read the short story to my husband and he enjoyed it as well. And from there I decided to expand the tale into novel form. (Little did I know just how long of a process that would be!)

I drafted a working outline on Google Docs. I knew fairly early in the process that I wanted my book to have alternating POV so I planned out the number and organization of chapters accordingly. I didn’t go too in depth because I wanted the book to write itself as much as possible. My first outline was half a page. It included major plot points for each chapter and highlighted the climax and possible resolutions.

The good thing about this being a working outline was that I never felt tied to what I had planned. Countless times throughout the process I added and subtracted from that original plan. I even got halfway through and decided I wanted another character to be more important than I had allowed them to be. All it took was about five minutes reworking the outline to give myself permission to go more in depth with that character.

I liked this process because it kept me focused on the direction of my story. It also kept me from forgetting to tie up loose ends. I was able to embrace creative liberties each time I sat down to write.

I know outlining isn’t for everybody, but if you are anything like me then it will save your sanity and possibly your story if you create at least a bare minimum plan.

Five Minute Friday: Cheer

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Cheer. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

boyfriend-600x600

Over the past week and a half I have suffered from a major allergy flare up. Three years ago I began to develop seasonal allergies, but it remained relatively mild until recently. As the weather switched from hot-and-muggy to cool-and-wet and back to hot-and-muggy my sinuses decided to rebel. With the abrupt change of weather my allergies caused me to cough and sneeze uncontrollably. Before long I finally decided to visit the doctor.

A student of mine had been diagnosed with pertussis and after googling symptoms of the nasty disease I convinced myself that the whooping cough was my own prognosis as well. (Curse you, Web MD!)

Last Thursday I was prescribed two medications to keep my allergies at bay, but they were too far gone. As my conditions worsened it became clear to me that not only did I have an allergy flare up but that infections had developed as a result. A few days later I found myself in the urgent care with an ear infection as well as an infection that had developed in my chest. I never knew that allergies could lead to infections, but we will call this a lesson learned.

I’m now on five medications and an albuterol inhaler that I must use every four hours. I had a strep test and a breathing treatment on Tuesday. I’ve been exhausted for over a week partially due to the infections and partially due to the amount of medication I’ve been taking.

But I’m choosing to be cheerful throughout this bout of sickness.

I am cheerful because I began my summer vacation today. I am cheerful because after three pretty rough days I’m starting to clear up and feel a bit better. I am cheerful because I can tell that much of my energy is returning. And I am cheerful because God is still good even when I can’t take a deep breath on my own.

What do you have to be cheerful about today?

The Ameri Brit Mom

Summer Bucket List 2016

The school year has officially come to a close. Each year I’m always astounded by how quickly things wrap up. It seems like only a few days ago that I was trying to learn the names of each of my one hundred sixty students, and now they are on to the tenth grade. 2015-2016 was a fantastic school year for me. I utilized more technology, taught my first honors course, met an author, and built a curriculum map for my courses. Yesterday during the annual kick-ball tournaments I found myself reminiscing about the school year and being thankful for such a great group of students and a job that I enjoy so much.

This morning I finalized grades and packed away my classroom for its summer hibernation. I turned my key for the last time as a fifth year teacher and I welcomed summer 2016. Now I’m ready to embrace family time, sunshine, and all of our travel plans. Here’s a look at some things I’m hoping to accomplish this summer:

1. Travel to Chicago and England

In a couple of weeks we will begin our annual travels to England to visit my husband’s friends and family. This year we are going to drive to Chicago, Illinois to catch our flight. There are a couple of reasons why we chose to depart from Chicago. First, it allowed us to save a couple hundred bucks per ticket to fly from O’Hare as opposed to Columbus. Second, the book that I wrote last year is set in Chicago. I still need to add thousand words or so to the manuscript so I plan to do some research and writing while in Chicago. We will be spending four days in the city and we are still looking for things to fill our itinerary. If you have suggestions, please comment!

Our English adventure this summer will be a month long holiday. Most of our time will be spent in my husband’s hometown of Eastleigh, but we will also be heading to other locations throughout the country. We are so excited to get to England–Costa, a hot mocha better be waiting for me!

2. Finish Reading a Book Every Other Week

The pace of the school year makes it really hard to put a significant dent in my 24 Book Challenge. I hope to get caught up with where I should be in the challenge by the end of the summer. I may even be able to finish the challenge by August depending on the amount of free time I am afforded.

Book Challenge 2016

3. Wrap Up My Manuscript For My First Book

I finished writing my first book over Christmas break. Since wrapping up that initial draft I’ve realized I’m a couple thousand words short of what many publishers prefer for the genre. I plan to use my extra time in the summer to match the word requirements through research in Chicago, added dialogue, and better execution of major plot points. I’ll keep you updated along the way. I even plan to reach out to all of my blog readers for title, cover, and publisher suggestions.

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4. Picnic At Several Metro Parks

Once my awful allergy flare up clears I am excited to visit several Columbus Metro Parks with friends and family. This will start tomorrow as we have made dinner plans with church friends at the newest Metro Park in the area. Columbus has a wonderful parks system that I will be taking advantage of regularly during these summer months.

5. Run On Average 20 Miles Per Week

I’m very excited to get back into running shape. Excluding the past few days (since I’ve been battling some infections stemming from allergies) I’ve been able to get back into shape fairly easily. I would like to see myself average twenty miles per week in running throughout the summer. I’m especially excited to run frequently while in England–that’s never happened before! It would also be cool to run a 5k or two this summer. My ultimate goal is to run the Columbus Marathon (half) in October so that will require keeping myself in shape throughout the summer.

As you look forward to the summer is there anything that you are particularly excited about? Share your goals and plans in the comments :)

The Ameri Brit Mom

Book Review: The Elite

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

Title: The Elite

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

The end of the school year is quickly approaching. While I should be working feverishly to wrap up grading and all of the end of the school year activities I’ve found myself instead retreating into the beautifully crafted world of Illea once again. A few weeks ago I finished the book, The Selection, which is the first book in this phenomenal series by Kiera Cass. I’ve never been one to fall head over heels for a series, but Cass has captured my interest and attention with her characters, setting, and intense plot. So instead of diving into all of the chaos of the end of the year I’m diving into a good series and finding myself relaxed by the familiarity of America Singer.

America was part of the Selection. Prince Maxon of Illea is in need of a bride and the custom of the nation is to host a Selection by which a member of each of the thirty-five districts represents their caste and their home in the competition for the crown. By the end of the first book America Singer finds herself in the final six of the competition, also known as the Elite. The closer America gets to the finish the more she questions whether she has all it takes to become Illea’s next queen.

In this second installment to the series America is being tested and monitored more than ever before. Challenges are created to help Maxon make his final decision. He has made it clear to America that he is in love with her, but she slows down the Selection process with her own self-doubt and confusion.

Before her trip to the capital America belonged to a lower caste and gave her heart to Aspen, a boy even worse off as far as castes were concerned. When Aspen re-enters her life he brings their past to the surface and causes even more uncertainty to fall on America’s shoulders. She finds herself caught between the life of a future queen and the life she had promised to Aspen. She finds her heart tangled up in a love triangle.

As the prince senses that things are changing between America and himself he begins to invest more time into the other members of the Selection. He begins to court the other girls leaving America with feelings of betrayal. But isn’t that what she was doing to the prince with Aspen?

At the end of this second book an ultimatum is given and an understanding reached. Will America continue to fight for the crown or will she settle down with Aspen, her first love?

Believe it or not I’ve been hooked by this series. There’s just something about the way that Kiera Cass writes that keeps me so engrossed in her books. I’m planning to finish reading this series throughout the summer. But for now, I should probably grade essays and get through my summer check-out list if I plan to be on summer vacation by the end of the week.

The Ameri Brit Mom

On a Mission

Mission

John 20:21

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Speech Attributions: The Irresistible Novel

Today’s topic from the tenth chapter of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke is one that goes undetected by many readers. In this chapter Gerke takes a look at the arguments for and against the use of speech attributions.

“Speech attributions are the ‘he said’ parts of a dialogue scene.” (Gerke 72)

Keep in mind that the purpose of this book is not to lay down a list of writing rules. Instead, Gerke is challenging his readers to take a closer look at their own writing in order to create a solid writing voice. Each chapter provides an in-depth description about a particular idea from fiction and explains why some favor or oppose that particular thing. This week the argument is, “You should avoid using said and asked too much and should instead find alternatives as often as possible.” (Gerke 72)

Speech Attributions

When it comes to the use of common speech attributions there are two camps. There are those who believe that you should absolutely avoid repeating the same words over and over again in your story. Others believe that the average reader does not detect the continual use of the common attributions and they should be kept simple to avoid impeding on the story. The middle ground between these two camps would say that it is okay to occasionally use words like said or asked, but whenever possible a writer should try to shake things up by either using other attributions or beats. The danger of using other attributions is that if you try too hard to avoid the common terms you run the risk of distracting your reader. A better alternative would be the use of beats.

A beat is an easy replacement for a speech attribution for a few reasons:

A beat replaces a speech attribution while more or less performing the same function.
A beat ties the reader to the setting.
A beat is a primary tool for managing rhythm and pace of a dialogue scene.

Here is an example of a beat from the book:

“That’s terrific!” Julia sat on the ottoman. “When do you start?”

Not only does the beat highlighted above convey a natural pause in the speech, but it also ties the speaker to the setting. Beats make it clear who is speaking and how they do so. It becomes easier to hear Julia’s tone as we see where she is as opposed to being left to guess with the use of an unoriginal or overly painted speech attribution.

My Current Project…

I will be honest with you: I don’t see a problem with using the words said and asked. I do think that these words can easily be overdone, but there is an appropriate time and place to use them in writing.

Below is a short dialogue scene that happens about 3/4 of the way through my book. Michael has just experienced a tragedy and his intern (and crush) shows up at his front door. I blurred out some things that give away major plot points. Let me know what you think about the pacing of this scene based on the speech attributions and beats.

The next morning the doorbell to the Berry home brought life back into the house. Each member of the family stirred from their spot in the living room. Raymond threw back a blanket that had kept him warm overnight and swung his legs toward the floor. His bare toes shuddered at the coolness of the hardwood beneath them. Michael and the kids all began to untangle on the recliner. Raymond ran a hand through his hair as he placed his opposite hand on the door handle.

“Hello, can I help you?” He asked the apparent stranger on the front porch.

“Yes, I was wondering if Mr. Walker was in?” Immediately Michael stood up. His heart raced at the recognition of the voice on the other side of the door. He straightened his shirt and brushed his hair with his fingertips. Evelyn looked up at him and smiled. She had seen enough movies to know that the woman at the door was someone her older brother fancied.

“Come in.” Raymond spoke to the young woman. And as her black heels touched the wood floor inside the entryway her small voice could be heard.

“Thank you.”

Michael made his way over to the entryway. Rebekah quickly made her way across the entry and threw her arms around him.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Walker.” Rebekah said with tears on the brim of each eye.

“Thank you, Rebekah.” Michael said with gratitude and a blushing face.

Raymond ushered the younger siblings out of the entry and toward the kitchen to fix breakfast. Michael was appreciative of the privacy.

“What are you doing here?” Michael questioned his intern.

“I knew it wasn’t like you to take a week off. So I went to Galik and asked him where you had gone. Don’t be mad, because I know he probably broke a HIPPA law or something, but he told me about—-. I figured out how to find you. Why didn’t you tell me ——?” Rebekah spoke quickly as though she had rehearsed this dialogue on her journey.

“I didn’t know for very long.” Michael admitted.

“You should have told me.” Rebekah sounded hurt.

“I didn’t want to trouble you.” Michael sounded jaded in his response.

“Well, I’m troubled now. I don’t like that you didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry.” He apologized.

“Well, that’s it. I traveled all this way on a weekend to hear you say that.” She flirted.

“Guess I’ll see you next week then.” Michael was unsure of himself. Conversation and flirtation were a foreign language to him.

“Invite me on a walk? This end of town is so charming.” She smiled again showing off her beautifully straight teeth.

“Sure, do you mind if I change my clothes really quick?” He asked.

“Not at all.” Michael bounded up the staircase toward his old bedroom. He felt like he was in high school again. Jitters filled his stomach as he raced to change and brush his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was keep the beautiful girl downstairs waiting.