Free The Only Best Place by Carolyne Aarsen Page B

your sorrows in dark chocolate with creamy centers.
If scarfing down the entire contents of the jar would reduce my time here I'd be unwrapping and chomping quicker than you
     could say “liposuction.” But it wouldn't shorten our time here, and it
would
make me sick. I glanced at Nicholas's window but caught only the reflection of light coming through the partially open door
     behind me. Moving to the window ledge, I looked out at, well, nothing.
    Just my ghostly reflection superimposed on a thick, heavy darkness broken only by pinpricks of light from the stars, millions
     of miles away.
    Cue the violins,
I thought, turning away. I headed downstairs and bypassed the living room, where the responsible adults were still talking.
     I joined the kids playing board games in the kitchen. It was cozy, welcoming, and nonjudgmental.
    My kind of place.
    From: [email protected]
    To: [email protected]
    I wouldn't sweat the VandeKeere hegemony. Honey U need to get UR own job. UR own paycheck. Remember that dollhouse we got
     when the Hardistys down the hall moved out? U were always playing with it, pretending family and house. Don't lose the dream.
     If U Rn't careful that farm will suck U in and, maybe even suck U dry of money. And what if U don't end up with anything in
     the end? U were born to be a nurse. Okay, U R a great mother too. And a good wife. But when I see U with patients I just know
     this is what U R called to be. Think about it. BTW, gotta new man in my life. And no, I'm not going to pull a Mom. He's a nice
     guy and I'm being careful.
    Sultry Sister Sashaying in San Fran
    From: [email protected]
    To: [email protected]
    Make sure you're careful. Remember, it's marry first, THEN have kids. I would love to go back to work, but my stock in the
     family isn't real high right now and Dan is happier that I'm home with the kids. I have to confess I am too, but I do have
     a lot of time on my hands. I love my kids, but I really miss my job. The eternal struggle between kids and purpose beyond
     these four walls that are starting to close in on me at times. But don't worry about me. I'm okay. Or so Dan keeps telling
     me. He's managing to keep busy. I'm still working out the whole “shouldn't he feel more guilty” scenario. He apologized and
     it helped, but since moving here he's been happier, more settled and I'm the one feeling disgruntled. Also haven't heard a
     thing from Josie back in Seattle. Some friend. At least you write once in a while. So. Write!!
    Lugubrious Leslie

Chapter Five
    I think the next time you throw stuff like that out in front of my family, we should discuss it first.” Dan pulled Anneke's
     toast out of the toaster and handed it to me to butter and spread.
    “We did. Endlessly. One year. That's what you promised me.” I turned back to our son, his weaving head struggling to follow
     the path of the spoon I waved around with my other hand. Hard to hold summit meetings and feed a squirmy toddler his breakfast
     at the same time.
    Nicholas got his plump lips around the spoon and then tried to grab it. “And we also agreed to ask for an assessment on the
     farm,” I said, snatching the spoon from Nicholas's porridge-encrusted hands. I handed Anneke's toast to Dan. “Can you cut
     this, please?”
    “You didn't need to bring the assessment up at the family meeting,” Dan muttered, hacking the remnants of her toast into nine
     small pieces. He handed the plate to Anneke, who grimaced at the mangled bread. No way was she going to eat that. Had I handled
     her precious peanut-butter toast in such a cavalier manner, I would have had to convene the United Nations Human Rights Tribunal.
    Dan glared at me as if the whole subject of the assessment had come from nowhere. Then wiped his knife on the edge of the
     tablecloth.
    I chose to ignore his culinary faux pas. I had bigger issues at stake than bread crumbs and peanut butter on my tablecloth.
    “The farm isn't doing as well as we thought.